Avanti West Coast agrees 3.6% wage increase with drivers after strike threat

Avanti West Coast and the Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen concluded a wage deal that grants drivers a 3.6% salary rise, higher than the current inflation rate, plus enhanced Sunday pay and a £720 allowance for a fifth workday. The settlement was negotiated after the union announced a June ballot on potential strikes affecting high-traffic routes, including the London-Manchester corridor and services to Birmingham, Glasgow and Liverpool.

Approved on Saturday, it marks the first rail agreement signed during Andy Burnham’s time as mayor. The Labour government, which plans to bring Avanti back into public ownership by spring 2027, hailed the pact as a step toward stabilising rail operations and protecting revenue. The Department for Transport echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the need to avoid passenger disruption. Opposition transport spokesman Richard Holden accused the administration of yielding to union demands at taxpayers’ expense.