ASLEF, the train drivers’ union, has announced this afternoon that is suspending its planned strike action on the tram network after receiving a “much improved offer” from employers FirstGroup.
Union officials speaking to Inside Croydon indicated that they will be putting the revised offer to their drivers on Monday.
The two-day strike was due to be held on Wednesday and Thursday next week.
The union announced the strike on June 6 after members of ASLEF had voted 100 per cent in favour of industrial action over what they call “the failure of FirstGroup to make an acceptable pay offer”.
There was a 82 per cent turn-out on the union’s ballot, well above the levels demanded of the Tory Government’s latest legislation to reduce workers’ rights to withdraw their labour.
Multi-national transport firm FirstGroup operates the south London trams service under a concession with Transport for London.
Last year, FirstGroup cut pension benefits for their staff. Drivers are now having to pay up to £120 per month more out of their salaries into their pension fund, which is much more than the pay rise which the employers offered originally.
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