Strike brings Silverlink trains to a halt

Around 400 drivers in the Aslef union struck on Friday of last week bringing the Silverlink company’s service to a halt. The strike hit London commuter services, including from Milton Keynes and Watford.

Over 90 percent of drivers voted in favour of action over pensions. The union says that past agreements to make pay rises count towards pensions have not been honoured by the company – and that this is seriously eroding the value of its members’ pensions.

Mick Whelan, Aslef district organiser, told Socialist Worker, “The strike went wonderfully well. We leafleted Euston station.

“The union has proposed six successive strikes on Fridays, beginning with last week’s. We were to meet with management on Monday of this week.”

Simon Webber, an Aslef executive member who visited the picket line at Euston station in London, told Socialist Worker, “The strike was 100 percent solid.

“There were a couple of areas where the pensions issue doesn’t affect members.

“But when the company refused the union’s offer of taking it into binding arbitration, they saw the company for what it is—completely

intransigent.”

Matthew Cookson