LNER train strikes: Aslef says staff morale is ‘in the gutter’ over ‘toxic’ dispute

Aslef’s chief negotiator has insisted the train drivers’ union is prioritising its members, whose “morale is in the gutter” in a “toxic” dispute with rail operator LNER, after announcing fresh strikes.

Train drivers working for LNER – which runs services on the East Coast Main Line between London and Edinburgh – will walk out on weekends from the end of August until 10 November in a dispute over working agreements, Aslef announced this week.

The union said its action was in response to “bullying by management and persistent breaking of agreements by the company”, and is separate from the long-running row over pay – which began in July 2022 but looks likely to be resolved after a new offer this week from Sir Keir Starmer’s government.

Aslef’s announcement prompted opposition MPs to warn the three-year offer to Aslef of a “no strings” pay rise of 15 per cent had set a precedent that would encourage further industrial action, while Tory leadership candidate James Cleverly claimed Labour had been “played by its union paymasters”.

On Saturday, Aslef’s lead negotiator Nigel Roebuck praised the new transport secretary Louise Haigh for being “the adult in the room” during pay negotiations – but said LNER had “consistently blocked” attempts to settle the latest dispute.

“We work within agreements, we jointly sign up to agreements. We make agreements, we don’t break them,” Mr Roebuck told Times Radio. “When you get to the strike action decision, it’s because all else has failed. You can only try for so long.”

He added: “We put our members first and our members’ mandate is on a separate issue which has been ongoing for two years.

“This dispute is not connected to the pay, it’s about upgrading of our agreements.

“We’ve now got a toxic situation, we’ve got morale in the gutter among our members. Our members are saying they want to work to their agreements, they want respect and dignity and we need to move forward.”

The planned strikes will cover a total of 22 days covering every Saturday and Sunday from 1 September to 10 November 10.

An LNER spokesperson said: “Our priority focus will be on minimising disruption to customers during the forthcoming Aslef strikes, which sadly will continue to cause disruption and delays.

“We are surprised and disappointed to hear this news following recent constructive conversations.

“We will continue to work with Aslef to find a way to end this long-running dispute which only damages the rail industry.”

Additional reporting by PA