Arriva Trains Wales drivers strike over pay, says Aslef

Arriva Trains Wales said it had made a substantial offer which had been improved several times

Train drivers in Wales have voted to stage a 24-hour strike in an ongoing row over pay.

Aslef said its 500 members at Arriva Trains Wales (ATW) would walk out on Monday, 28 February.

The planned strike comes after another rail union, RMT, called off its own action which was due to be held earlier this month.

ATW said it had made a substantial offer that had been "improved several times".

Aslef said a ballot of members showed a 70% vote in favour of strikes and 80% for other forms of action.

The union and the company are due to meet next Tuesday with a view to "reviewing the position and hopefully making progress by negotiation", according to Aslef.

An Aslef spokesperson said: "The action is in pursuit of an acceptable pay increase, which months of negotiation has failed to provide.

"The general secretary has advised the company's human resources director of the union's decision to take strike action because of the company's failure to provide a satisfactory pay offer."

Aslef said the turnout for the ballot was more than 80%.

ATW says it has offered a 12% pay rise over two years but the figure has been disputed.

The train operator said the offer would take a train driver's basic salary to £39,117.

ATW operations and safety director Peter Leppard said: "Channels of communication remain open and we are continuing to do everything we can to bring this situation to a resolution.

"We urge Aslef to suspend their action and accept this generous pay offer."

The RMT union had threatened to hold a strike on the day of the Six Nations rugby clash between Wales and England at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff earlier this month.

The RMT said the decision to call it off had been made on legal advice.

That came after ATW had launched legal proceedings to try to avert the RMT strike planned for 4 February.