Aslef members on LU have voted by a 95% majority in favour of industrial action, on a 70% turnout. It's a thumping result on a high turnout, that easily smashes the arbitrary thresholds of the Tories' anti-union laws.
Aslef balloted over the demand that LU abide by all existing agreements - in other words, in defence of the status quo. Tubeworker commented previously that this demand was slightly lacking in ambition, and balloting for action to compel our bosses to abide by existing agreements implies we assume abiding by them might otherwise be optional! Nevertheless, Aslef's method - of balloting preemptively, rather than waiting for the KPMG-led review into TfL finances commissioned by the Department for Transport to recommend cuts, and then balloting reactively - is absolutely the right one.
Although it seems unlikely Aslef will use the mandate to call action on any immediate timescale, their ballot result at least gives them the option to do so. Other unions need to organise their own ballots as soon as possible, so that industrial action can be cross-combine.
