The UK train drivers’ union said it’s likely to coordinate strikes across the UK as workers for 10 rail companies are balloted over whether to walk out.
Ahead of what would be the first drivers’ strikes in 25 years, a spokesperson for the Aslef trade union, which has more than 21,000 members, told Bloomberg that a national walkout covering much of Britain would be an “obvious” move.
Aslef called ballots for industrial action at 12 rail companies after failed attempts to secure higher worker pay, according to its website.
Included in those are LNER, which links London with Scotland, and Great Western Railway, which offers routes between London and southwest England and Wales, and is run by FirstGroup PLC (LSE:FGP).
Strikes have already been held by drivers at Greater Anglia, Hull Trains and the Croydon Tramlink.
The financial blow to the country of any potential strike would be huge, with data from the Centre of Economics and Business Research finding that last month's RMT strike likely cost the economy £100mln.
RMT held its strike as it said Network Rail and the train operating companies "subjected their staff to multiyear pay freezes and plan to cut thousands of jobs which will make the railways unsafe".