Train drivers very close to going on strike, union warns

The train drivers are “very close” to the strike and could pull out within weeks, according to their union.

The drivers of eight rail companies voted on Monday for a consecutive industrial action over pay.

Mick Whelan, general secretary of Aslef, told the BBC there could be strikes in the coming weeks if talks over wage increases falter.

“We don’t do this lightly,” he said. “We see it as a sign of failure when we have to do it.”

However, he pointed out that the union has received a strong mandate from its members to take industrial action, with drivers overwhelmingly voting in favor of strikes.

However, the Department for Transport said: “It is very disappointing that instead of engaging in a serious dialogue with the industry, Aslef first seeks to inflict further misery on passengers by joining others to disrupt the rail network.”

Mr Whelan did not say when strikes could start. Unions must give 14 days notice.

The announcement has sparked fears of disruption to the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, which are expected to draw around a million tourists between July 28 and August 8.

Train drivers from the following companies voted in favor of the strike:

Separately, about 2,500 members of the Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association (TSSA) also voted in favor of a strike on Monday.

Rail transport was hit by three days of strikes back in June, when 40,000 RMT union members, who work for 13 railway companies and Network Rail, went on strike.

The RMT has resumed talks with Network Rail, the owner and operator of Britain’s rail infrastructure, and railway companies over wage increases. The RMT recently told the BBC it was “in no rush” to call for more strikes in July.