"We deal with people who only operate in bad faith and deceit, right?"

The General Secretary of ASLEF, Britain’s trade union for train drivers, has slammed the government for being “ultra-deceitful” in negotiations over train drivers pay.

His comments come as train drivers embark on another round of industrial action, despite attempts by the industry to restart talks. Train drivers in the Aslef union will strike for 24 hours at each of England’s national train operators over the course of three days from Tuesday until Thursday. An overtime ban will apply nationwide from Monday until Saturday.

The union says its members are striking over poor conditions and pay, with some of its members now going five years without a pay rise and the last talks breaking down a year ago.

Appearing on Times Radio earlier today, Mick Whelan, general secretary at ASLEF said: “The real issue for us is that we haven’t had a pay rise for half a decade. And how long should we go without a pay rise? A decade, a decade and a half, two decades?”

He went on to add: “We deal with people who only operate in bad faith and deceit, right? Mr Harper, we have not seen since December of 22. Mr Merriman, we have not seen since January of 23. And the employers, we have not seen since April of last year… The employers have been deceitful, the government has been ultra-deceitful, yet we are still willing to go back to the table to find a resolution to this.

“So I think it’s just that the public, business and everybody else should direct their ire and approbation to the people that have caused this, continue to cause this and won’t resolve it, which is the government and the train or plane companies controlled by Westminster.”

Basit Mahmood is editor of Left Foot Forward

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