Sir Sadiq Khan has urged Elizabeth line bosses and a union threatening strikes to “get round the table”, as he insisted there was still “some time” for them to “resolve their differences”.
Aslef, which represents train drivers on the cross-London line, announced on Thursday that its members will stage four days of strikes in a dispute over pay.
According to the line’s managers, the strike was called after drivers belonging to the union rejected a 4.5 per cent pay increase.
The mayor declined to say whether drivers should accept the increase, while City Hall Conservatives called the situation “an indictment of Labour’s negotiating strategy”.
It is understood that a typical train driver’s salary on the line is £72,465 for a 34-hour, four-day week - which would have risen by £3,261 to £75,726 under the proposed 4.5 per cent uplift.
A driver instructor’s salary would have risen from £75,430 to £78,824 while a driver team leader’s salary would have increased from £76,090 to £79,514.
The strikes are scheduled for Thursday, February 27; Saturday, March 1; Saturday, March 8 and Monday, March 10, from 00:01 to 23:59.
Sir Sadiq told the Standard: “I think what’s really important is for MTR - who run the Elizabeth line - and Aslef to resolve these differences amicably, rather than going on strike.
“I think strikes ultimately are a sign of failure. The first one’s scheduled to take place at the end of this month - that means there is some time for Aslef and MTR to resolve these differences.
“What’s not right is for me to give a running commentary on any negotiation that takes place, but I encourage Aslef and MTR to get round the table…
“These strikes will mean the Elizabeth line loses passengers, passengers are inconvenienced, the drivers lose a wage, and so nobody wins.”
The Elizabeth line is the busiest rail line in the UK and is used for more than 700,000 weekday journeys.
Pressed on whether he thought drivers should simply accept the pay rise on offer and drop the threat of strike action, the mayor said: “No, I’d encourage MTR and Aslef to talk about the differences they’ve got and resolve them amicably, which is really important.”
Keith Prince, City Hall Conservatives’ transport spokesman, suggested the issue could be traced back to the mayor’s decision to avert RMT strikes on the Underground in January 2024, when he suddenly produced £30m in City Hall funding to boost the annual pay rise for 16,000 Tube staff.
He said: "With every successive announcement that drivers are set to strike, the mayor's decision to throw tens of millions at the unions with no conditions is increasingly looking like a poor investment, made worse by the Government's rogue deals with the union barons.
“It's the same old story - mayor makes a mistake, Londoners pick up the bill. We hope these strikes can be prevented, but this is an indictment of Labour's negotiating strategy."
Nigel Gibson, one of Aslef’s full-time district organisers and the union’s lead officer with MTR, said this week: “Taking action is always a last resort, because we do not want to inconvenience passengers and our members do not want to lose money, and I hope that the company, seeing the strength of feeling amongst our members, their drivers, will do the right thing and return to the negotiating table.”
Mike Bagshaw, managing director at MTR-Elizabeth line, said: “We are disappointed that drivers on the Elizabeth line have rejected a 4.5 per cent pay rise and voted for industrial action.
“The offer would have maintained some of the highest salaries in the industry, along with enhanced terms and conditions.
“Any potential strike action will be disruptive for those who rely on the Elizabeth line, and we will work closely with Transport for London to ensure customers are informed of alternative travel options.
“We remain committed to engaging with Aslef in the hope of resolving this dispute.”
