First Capital Connect dispute not over according to Aslef bosses (From Times Series)

Union warns Thameslink dispute is not over

4:46pm Thursday 14th January 2010

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THE row between rail bosses at First Capital Connect and train drivers is far from over, union representatives have warned.

Commuters travelling on the Thameslink line - which runs through Mill Hill and Hendon - sighed a gasp of relief yesterday when train driver union, Aslef, accepted a revised pay offer from the rail operator.

The settlement signalled an end to the service disruptions seen in recent weeks because of an ongoing dispute between company bosses and drivers over pay and working hours.

But an end to passenger misery could still be a long way off, with the issue of train drivers' working hours yet to be resolved.

The union has warned that an acceptance of a pay offer does not mean that all its members will return to working overtime and rest days.

A union representative said: “Our members are not obliged to work overtime and rest days, and it remains to be seen how many will want to do so now.

“The real solution is for the company to continue recruiting the additional drivers it needs. Restoring the full timetable may be some way off yet.”