My opinion is that their union seems to be one of the very few left with any teeth at all.

More industries should have unions which can wield the power they do.

First I’ve heard of it.

lets see:

"The drivers have not had a pay increase for five years and first balloted for strike action in June 2022.

Aslef general secretary Mick Whelan said: “Since then train drivers have voted, again and again, to take action to get a pay rise.

“It is now a year since we sat in a room with the train companies – and a year since we rejected the risible offer they made which they admitted, privately, was designed to be rejected.”

Strikes will take place on Tuesday May 7 and Thursday May 9. An overtime ban runs from May 6-11.

The drivers have held 14 days of strike action since the dispute began.

The government will use taxpayers’ money to compensate operators for lost profits."

https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/aslef-announce-fresh-train-strikes-pay-row

Sounds reasonable tbh.

Personal opinion:

I love trains, but not having train services every other weekend pisses me off.

“Aslef, the train drivers’ union, said it is seeking better pay for its members and claimed drivers are being asked to sacrifice working conditions in exchange for a wage increase.” Say that to a tube driver, he’ll land a really good punch on your face.

They got better pay than a tube driver, and a much more pleasant working environment (especially tne part where the background noise is less than 80dB), I don’t really see what’s their argument.