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Rail union warns of unrest over pay policy

Barrie Clement
Monday 06 January 2003 01:00 GMT
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Train drivers' leaders warned yesterday of widespread industrial unrest this year because of government intervention in pay talks throughout the privatised industry.

The state-backed Strategic Rail Authority is taking control of wage negotiations at at least 16 of the 28 train companies. The SRA denies it isinterfering in bargaining, but a memorandum marked "strictly confidential'' reveals that its operating chief has ordered the Wales and West franchise to resist calls by drivers for an improved wage offer. The internal memo lays out the SRA's position over pay. Drivers' wages should be set at no more than £26,000 from last April, £27,000 from this April and £28,000 by January 2004.

The authority has stopped Arriva Trains Northern improving its offer to conductors, who have been in dispute with the company for nearly a year.

Mick Rix, general secretary of the train drivers' union Aslef, sent a letter six weeks ago to Alistair Darling, the Secretary of State for Transport, and Richard Bowker, the chairman of the SRA, requesting an explanation for the Wales and West memo, but has received no reply. Mr Rix said: "The industry could be facing industrial relations chaos this year unless this is sorted out by the Government. We cannot negotiate with the train operating companies if the SRA is holding the purse strings, but is unwilling to deal directly with the unions or even to outline publicly what is a secret pay policy. This simply cannot go on. This year rail unions will be pressing for a return to national pay bargaining.''

A spokesman for the authority said it had a statutory responsibility to ensure that wages were set at "reasonable and non-inflationary" levels at franchises that had less than a year to run to ensure there was "no poisoned legacy" for an incoming company.

Partly because of the authority's new policy of shortening franchises, 16 licences are up for grabs.

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