Young Reporter Train strikes disrupt Cambridge’s workers Alex Holt …

ASLEF, who is a union representing train drivers across the UK, have conducted strikes over the past week, with the last strike day being today.

These strikes have caused major disruption to people travelling into and out of Cambridge via train.

The most disruptive day for Cambridge residents and workers was Tuesday, which saw Greater Anglia cancel the vast majority of their services.

Based on 2019 rail passenger data from the Department for Transport, it is estimated that over 9,000 people travel into Cambridge between 7:00 and 10:00 each weekday. These passengers would have needed to organise an alternative form of transport during the strikes.

The ASLEF union has rejected a pay increase of 4%, saying that the increase is below inflation so would see real term wages fall. ASLEF did not put this offer to its members.

The union’s general secretary Mick Whelan has said that “The transport secretary, who has gone missing in action during this dispute, says we should put the offer to our members.”

“What the minister apparently fails to understand is that, since the Rail Delivery Group’s (RDG) risible offer in April, we have received overwhelming mandates, on enormous turnouts, for more industrial action.”

ASLEF has already agreed to wage increases with 14 companies over the past year, including Eurostar and operators in both Scotland and Wales. This means that the union’s only ongoing pay dispute is with English rail companies.

According to data from Glassdoor, the average salary for train drivers in the UK exceeds £60,000. However, Statista estimates the average salary for all workers to be around £35,000 – a figure which is over 40% lower that of train drivers.