Four-day week deal gets thumbs up

April saw London Underground (LU) drivers from the ASLEF union overwhelmingly vote in favour of a four-day working week.

The proposal, part of the 2024 pay talks between Transport for London (TfL) and the union, and which helped avert strike action at the time, will see drivers’ weekly hours reduced from 38.5 to 34, effectively granting them an extra day off each week. The deal also includes a paid 30-minute meal break, bringing the total hours worked down by 4.5 hours per week.

The vote was passed with the support of 70% of ASLEF members, on a turnout of 80%. Finn Brennan, the union’s LU organiser said: “This is a victory for our members, securing better working conditions and a much-needed improvement in work-life balance.”

However, while ASLEF’s members have shown strong support for the deal, the RMT union, which also represents a significant number of LU drivers, has opposed the changes. RMT members voted against the four-day week proposal.

Its general secretary, Eddie Dempsey, has called for the plans to be retracted. He stressed that the union’s four-day week proposal, which would reduce weekly working hours to 32, is a more sustainable option.

And he warned that the current proposal could result in negative consequences for both workers’ health and passenger safety.