ASLEF members on London Tramlink, based in Croydon, will strike again for three days in September as they campaign for a fair pay offer.
Tram drivers and other staff whose pay has been frozen for almost two years, have been offered just three percent while RPI inflation is at over twelve percent.
There has been no contact from Tramlink management and no new offer since our last strike in the middle of July. It seems First Group, who operate the tram system on behalf of TfL, don’t care about either the welfare of their staff or the impact on their passengers of more disruption.
Their offer means a huge wage cut for staff who face being unable to heat their homes and pay their bills this winter. We are having to strike again because management are not prepared to make anything like a fair offer that reflects the real cost of living
FirstGroup are prioritising the pay and perks of their bosses above a fair deal for staff. Chief Executive Mathew Gregory received £840,000 in the year before he was pushed out by investors complaining about only receiving half a billion pounds in dividends!
When people in South London pay their tram fares, that money is going into the pockets of already hugely wealthy executives and private equity investors looking to make a killing from the guaranteed revenue generated by First Groups contracts with the Government and Transport for London.
Staff on Tramlink are absolutely right to refuse to accept a pay cut so that fat cats can get even fatter. We will be calling on local political leaders to join us on the picket line to show support for workers fighting for a fair deal to help them cope with the cost-of-living crises.
Finn Brennan
ASLEF District Organiser
ASLEF members on Tramlink who include Tram Drivers and other grades will strike from 00:01 on Monday 12th September 2022 until 23:59 on Wednesday 14h September 2022. This follows two previous 48-hour strike in June and July.
Pickets will be in place from the early hours of Monday 12th at the Tramlink Depot Coomber Way Croydon CRO 4TQ
