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Avanti West Coast, Aslef agree 3.6% driver pay rise

8/31/2026

28 3 Full Breakdown

Summary

Avanti West Coast Deal

Avanti West Coast and Aslef union agreed a 3.6% pay rise for drivers.
Drivers will receive Sunday time-and-half pay and up to £720 for a fifth workday.
It is the first rail deal approved under Prime Minister Andy Burnham.
Government says the settlement resolves disputes and saves hundreds of millions.
Shadow transport secretary Richard Holden said the government is capitulating to union paymasters.

Summary

Qantas Strike

Qantas reported A$2.06 billion profit before tax, a 14 % decline due to Middle East fuel price spikes.
The airline prepared contingency plans to limit disruption if ground staff strike.
Negotiations with the Transport Workers Union are scheduled for 18 September at the Fair Work Commission.
97 % of 350 ground employees voted for industrial action, seeking job security, pay rise and work-group consolidation.

History

Historical Context

In 1972 Edward Heath’s Conservative government halted a weeks-long National Union of Railwaymen strike, a response reminiscent of the 1970 dock strike that slashed Britain’s trade links by about 90% and the 1971 Industrial Relations Act designed to curb strike costs. The dispute preceded the 1973 oil embargo-driven inflation that tightened wage caps, echoed in Avanti West Coast’s 3.6 % raise and transport-sector profit pressures.

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Avanti West Coast Deal

Avanti West Coast and Aslef union agreed a 3.6% pay rise for drivers.
Drivers will receive Sunday time-and-half pay and up to £720 for a fifth workday.
It is the first rail deal approved under Prime Minister Andy Burnham.
Government says the settlement resolves disputes and saves hundreds of millions.
Shadow transport secretary Richard Holden said the government is capitulating to union paymasters.

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