Aslef’s Mick Whelan Highlights Impact of Pay Dispute on Sustainability Goals

According to Aslef general secretary Mick Whelan, the ongoing six-month deadlock between striking rail workers and the Government is hindering advancements in green transport. Whelan emphasized that the focus on protracted pay negotiations is detracting from efforts to enhance the sustainability of the UK’s rail network.

He pointed out that insufficient investment in railways, coupled with rising train fares, has led commuters to choose less environmentally friendly alternatives, such as driving. Whelan participated in a strike outside London’s Euston station on Thursday, joining thousands of other Aslef members who established picket lines across the country on the sixth day of action since last summer.

When asked if the dispute was obstructing rail leaders from improving green transport, Whelan stated he “couldn’t see how” the Government could meet climate change targets without prioritizing rail in their policies. He remarked to the PA news agency, “Electrification, decarbonisation, and developing transport links for the future—these should be our focus.”

Whelan criticized the current situation, noting, “We’re witnessing less investment and truncated timetables that push people back onto the roads. It’s not strikes causing this shift, but the rising fares.”

In response, a spokesperson for the Department for Transport (DfT) urged unions to cease strike actions, stating, “We need to start 2023 by resolving this damaging dispute.”