First Capital Connect pay dispute over

A PAY dispute between First Capital Connect (FCC) and its train drivers has today (Wednesday) come to an end.

Union Aslef has approved a new pay offer from the rail operator which includes a 1.5 per cent increase backdated to April.

An FCC spokesman said: “We welcome today’s acceptance of our revised pay offer to our train drivers by Aslef members and we will continue to work closely with Aslef in the future.”

The revised offer includes 1.5 per cent in April 2009 and two per cent this April.

A further productivity increase proposed for November would take the total to about five per cent over two years.

Cancellations and disruptions on the Great Northern route – which includes Knebworth, Welwyn North, WGC, Hatfield, Welham Green, Brookmans Park and Potters Bar railway stations – plagued travellers following drivers’ refusal to work overtime, in the pay dispute.

On Remembrance Sunday FCC controversially decided to scrap all services on the route, after staff adopted a work-to-rule policy.