“Where's Harper” advent calendar created by the Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen (ASLEF)

“Where's Harper” advent calendar created by the Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen (ASLEF) Communications team in Dec 2023. Features images of Mark Harper, the Secretary of State for Transport.

The Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen (ASLEF) was founded in 1881 in response to changes in pay scales and working hours imposed by the Great Western Railway (GWR). ASLEF is a craft union representing train drivers only but shows solidarity with other workers such miners during the 1984-1985 strike. ALSEF’s first strike was held on the Midland Railway in 1887, they worked for the ten-hour day in the early 20th century and more recently campaigned for the quality of driving cabs, equality and diversity in the industry, climate action and public transport investment.

In 2022-2024 there were a series of industrial disputes in the United Kingdom between rail workers and companies supported by the UK government. The industrial action was the largest in the sector since 1989, the first national railway strike since 1994 and involved 40,000 workers nationwide. Workers walked out over wages, planned changes to working practices, the proposed closure of ticket offices and the treat of redundancies.

During the strikes General Secretary Mick Whelan said: ‘Do you remember Where’s Wally? Well, what we want to know is Where’s Harper? We last saw the Secretary of State for Transport in December. We last saw Huw Merriman, the Rail Minister, in January. And we last saw the train companies in April. Since then, nothing. Nada. Zilch. Not a letter, not an email, not a text message, not a phone call, not a WhatsApp. Not a word!’

‘So where is Mark Harper? He holds the purse strings. The train companies have told us. They say they cannot act without his say-so. He’s the puppet master controlling the companies. But he’s hiding. What’s the man afraid of? We think it’s time Harper stepped up to the mark…’