Tube drivers to strike on Budget day of March 15, Aslef union announces
22 February 2023, 13:06
Tube drivers will go on strike on March 15, the same day as the Chancellor's Spring budget, Aslef union has announced.
The strike, which will last 24 hours, will take place due to a dispute over pensions and working arrangements.
The union said 99 per cent of its members voted in favour of striking after a turnout of 77 per cent.
Drivers will be joined by test train and engineering train drivers, as well as those in management positions.
Finn Brennan, Aslef's full-time organiser on the Underground, said: "The size of these 'yes' votes, and the large turnouts, show that our members are not prepared to put up any longer with the threats to their working conditions and pensions.
"We understand that TfL faces financial challenges, post-pandemic, but our members are simply not prepared to pay the price for the government’s failure to properly fund London’s public transport system.
"Cuts to safety training have already been forced through and management is open that they plan to remove all current working agreements under the guise of “modernisation” and “flexibility” and to replace the agreed attendance and discipline policies.
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"Proposals to slash pension benefits are due to be announced in the next week.
"We are always prepared to discuss and negotiate on changes, but our members want an unequivocal commitment from TfL that management will not continue to force through detrimental changes without agreement.
"Unless they are prepared to work with us, and accept that changes have to come by agreement, and bring real benefits to staff, rather than just cuts and cost savings, this will be only the first day of action in a protracted dispute."
More than 100,000 civil servants are also planning to strike on Budget too in a dispute over pay and conditions.
Meanwhile, tens of thousands of RMT members are to go on strike from March 16, which will plunge the nation's rail system into chaos once again.
The Rail, Martine and Transport union later said 24-hour strikes by workers would also take place on March 18 and 30, and April 1.
Network Rail members are due to strike and March 16 and 17.
Nick Dent, Director of Customer Operations at TfL, said: "We have not proposed changes to anyone’s pensions, and instead have been working with our trade unions to see how we can make London Underground a fairer and more sustainable place.
"We want to make London Underground a better place to work so we urge ASLEF to call off this damaging strike and continue working with us."
