ASLEF
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| Full name | Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen |
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| Founded | 1880 |
| Members | 21,191 (2015) |
| Affiliation | TUC, STUC, Wales TUC, ITF, Labour Party |
| Key people | Mick Whelan, General Secretary |
| Office location | 77 St John Street, London |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Website | www |
The Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen (ASLEF) is a British trade union representing train drivers. It is part of the International Transport Workers' Federation and the European Transport Workers' Federation. At the end of 2015 ASLEF had 21,191 members. Its current General Secretary is Mick Whelan.
In 1865 North Eastern Railway footplatemen founded a union called the Engine Drivers' and Firemen's Society. It unsuccessfully attempted strike action, as a result of which the NER was able to break up the Society.
In 1872 an industrial union, the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants, was founded with the support of the Liberal MP Michael Bass. In 1872 the ASRS reported having 17,247 members but by 1882 this had declined to only 6,321.
By the end of the 1870s many UK railway companies had increased the working week from 60 to 66 hours, a 12-hour working day was common and wages had been reduced. The Great Western Railway had not increased wages since 1867, had increased the working day from 10 to 12 hours in 1878 and then reduced wages for all but the most junior drivers and firemen in 1879. In 1879 almost 2,000 GWR locomotive drivers and firemen signed an ASRS petition to the GWR Board of Directors requesting a restoration of the 1867 conditions of service and rates of pay. The GWR reacted by refusing to meet the ASRS representatives and dismissing several of the petitioners from their jobs.
As a result of this defeat, in 1879 drivers and firemen from Griffithstown, Pontypool, South Wales started to organise to form a craft union separate from the ASRS. At the time there were similar moves in parts of England towards founding an enginemen's union. A large number of drivers and firemen met in Birmingham met on 9 December 1879 and resolved to form a National Society of Drivers and Firemen. There was a similar move by Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway drivers and firemen at Sheffield, whom the Pontypool group called "the first founders of the Society". The Sheffield branch opened on 7 February 1880 with William Ullyott, one of its leaders, as the first member. Pontypool branch followed on 15 February, led by Charles H. Perry, one of the drivers who had unsuccessfully petitioned the GWR board the previous year. ASLEF officially records Perry as its founder. In the remainder of 1880 ASLEF opened branches at Tondu, Liverpool and Leeds (April), Neath (May), Bradford (June), and Carnforth (July).
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