Another Tube Strike Looms Over 'Work-Life Balance'

ASLEF drivers vote overwhelmingly for industrial action on 5 October

Tube drivers who are members of the ASLEF union have voted overwhelmingly in favour of strike action over issues around their ‘work-life balance’.

Their union executive has called a strike on Thursday 5 October after 88.4% of drivers said they were prepared to take part in a strike on a 53.1% turnout in a ballot conducted by Electoral Reform Services. Over 90% said they were prepared to take part in industrial action short of a strike.

Finn Brennan, ASLEF’s organiser on London Underground, said, ‘ASLEF members have voted by an 88% margin to take strike action in our dispute over the failure of LU to deliver on the commitments they made to improve work life balance as part of the 2015 pay settlement.

‘As part of the settlement of the dispute over the introduction of Night Tube, LU agreed to introduce a mechanism to allow drivers to reduce the number of shifts they work, on a pro-rata basis, and “new ways of working” to reduce the percentage of weekend shifts worked by July this year. They have repeatedly refused to make any detailed proposals to do so.”

Nigel Holness, Director of Operations for London Underground said, "We are committed to ensuring that our employees are able to maintain a good balance between their work and personal lives, and we have been working closely with the unions to explore new ways to achieve this.

"I encourage ASLEF to continue working with us constructively rather than moving towards unnecessary strike action."

September 19, 2017