ASLEF members working on the London Underground have joined their RMT counterparts in accepting a new pay deal for staff delivering the planned Night Tube service.
Under LU’s offer, staff will receive a one per cent pay rise backdated to April 2015, plus a £500 consolidated increase for all pay grades for 2015 as well as an RPI or one per cent, whichever is the greater, increase in 2016 and 2017 followed by an RPI plus 0.25 per cent, or one per cent, whichever is greater, rise in 2018.
All operational staff will also get a £500 payment upon the successful launch of Night Tube.
The service was due to start last September and will run on Friday nights and the early hours of Saturday and Sunday mornings on the Northern and Victoria lines and parts of the Central, Northern and Piccadilly lines.
Failure to agree terms with workers forced Tube bosses to suspend the service’s introduction after unions raised concerns about the impact of later working hours on their members’ home lives.
The dispute between LU and the unions saw passengers disrupted by strike action which closed the entire Tube network for two days.
However after months of negotiations both the RMT and ASLEF unions agreed to put a revised deal to members, and last week 84% of RMT taking part in a ballot accepted London Underground’s latest offer.
On Monday Finn Brennan, ASLEF’s District Organiser on the London Underground, announced that almost 89% of his members have also backed the deal.
Mr Brennan said: “ASLEF members on London Underground have voted by a huge majority to accept the improved offer on pay and Night Tube. Last year management tried to force through changes to rosters hat would have meant unlimited increases in weekend and night shifts with a pay rise of just 0.5%.
“Our members took two days of absolutely solid strike action to protect their working conditions and win an improved offer.
“Their strength and solidarity have achieved an above-inflation pay rise and real improvements in conditions that will give drivers, and other grades, much more flexibility and control over their work/life balance in the future.”
Brennan added: “If TfL had been prepared to negotiate a fair deal from the start, then two days of strike action could have been avoided and Night Tube would have started last year.
“We are proud of the fact that we achieved a good deal for the hard working staff who keep London moving.”
Steve Griffiths, London Underground’s Chief Operating Officer, said: “I’m pleased that ASLEF members have voted to accept our offer. This is a fair and affordable pay deal, which includes complete protection of employee work/life balance.”
Although LU’s pay offer has been accepted by Aslef and RMT members, London Underground is still awaiting the verdict of TSSA and Unite members.
In the meantime Mr Griffiths says the organisation will “continue to focus on the recruitment and training of part-time drivers to deliver the Night Tube for London as quickly as possible.”
