Aslef's dispute with Hull Trains has now escalated to indefinite strike, due to begin on 31 March. The dispute is for the reinstatement of a driver who was fired for raising a safety concern. This dispute remains somewhat under-publicised within the national labour movement, despite its far-reaching significance.
The foremost reason this dispute should concern all trade unionists inside and outside the rail industry, is the importance of the principle that all workers, particularly those in dangerous industries like rail, should feel able to raise safety concerns with their employer without fear of victimisation. Failure to defend this principle trashes any semblance of "safety culture" and increases the risk to workers and passengers alike.
The other big reason that this dispute should concern everyone is that these days, indefinite strikes are rare — far rarer than they should be. It's important that where unions do stage such actions, they are shown ultimately to be successful.
Lastly, the calling of an indefinite strike builds on Aslef's recent tendency in some parts of the industry to call serious action relatively early in a strike campaign. This positive trend has so far seen big wins for the union at LNER, first against their proposed use of the Tory Minimum Service Levels legislation, then against their continued use of managers on massive daily bonuses to drive trains on strike days, along with other abrogation of agreements. This has been a positive direction for the union to move in, and trade unionists everywhere should care about encouraging it to continue, as it sets a good example to unions everywhere on what constitutes effective industrial action.
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