Holly PhillipsBBC News
BBCA Hull Trains driver has called for strikes to end, claiming the union behind it is “misleading people”.
Walkouts have been taking place since February after the drivers union Aslef claimed a member had been unfairly dismissed for raising a safety concern.
The driver, who wants to remain anonymous, and a second source who contacted the BBC, disagreed with the union’s claim that its member had a “perfect safety of the line record” and agreed with the train operator, which was “100% doing the right thing”.
Aslef called the accusations “false and inaccurate”, while Hull Trains said it had put forward a number of proposals to the union in a bid to resolve the matter.
In January, Aslef said a train driver had been sacked after raising a safety concern about fatigue during a briefing by the rail operator.
Hull Trains has consistently denied the union’s claim of unfair dismissal and said safety was the company’s “main priority”.
Despite the walkouts, Hull Trains has maintained a full operating schedule and the anonymous driver questioned the strike after coming out in support of their employer.
They said the train operator “always put safety as the main focus” and that safety was “paramount and remained that way”.
The driver also said Aslef’s £200-per-day strike pay was akin to a bribe and urged the union to “tell the truth” and “stop misleading members and the public”.
The union’s general secretary, Mick Whelan, refuted the driver’s claims, and added: “As well as being dishonest, Hull Trains is out of line with our industry safety culture, which is why the company has received no support from any other stakeholder in the railway industry.”
At a rally outside Hull Paragon Interchange on Friday, Mr Whelan said: “I’m so pleased we’ve got people here from the Baker’s Union, the fire brigade, the GMB, Unite, right across the trade union movement.
“People across civil society in the Hull region have come out today to show their support.”
A spokesperson for Hull Trains said: “Hull Trains follows highly regulated industry standard agreements and procedures for safety, which is always our main priority.
“We have made a number of proposals for a resolution of this matter with Aslef. We remain committed to open dialogue to resolve this situation and help offer our customers greater confidence.”