TRAIN drivers' union leader Lew Adams has been unseated from his post as Aslef general secretary in a shock ballot result that could signal trouble ahead for industrial relations in the industry.

The 58-year-old ''old Labour'' stalwart has been ousted by a member of Mr Arthur Scargill's hard-left Socialist Labour Party, which has already made giant inroads into the Rail, Maritime, and Transport union.

Despite a growing reputation as one of the trade union movement's few outspoken critics of ''new Labour'', Mr Adams lost the ballot by 1200 votes to Mr Dave Rix, 35, a local union official from Leeds. Mr Rix polled 4558 votes with Mr Adams attracting 3357.

Mr Adams, who could continue as general secretary until next January, said he was disappointed to have lost the election, particularly to a candidate who is a member of the SLP and who, he suggested, had ''obviously had a lot of resources behind him''.

He said it was sad that, as a consequence of the ballot result, Aslef would not have the same relationship with the Government.

Mr Adams' term of office coincided with the vain attempt to head off rail privatisation, followed by a series of difficult restructuring negotiations with the many new train operating companies, not all of which ran smoothly. ScotRail drivers, for instance, have rejected proposed restructuring packages three times and have still to settle.

In addition, it seems that the far left has harnessed opposition to the union's ground-breaking arrangement with Virgin Trains to train drivers.

Yesterday's result will have been a shock not only for Mr Adams, but also Aslef assistant general secretary Mr Tony West, facing re-election later this year.

Mr Rix, a Barnsley-born father of two, has worked on the railways since he was 16. He joined British Rail at its Holbeck depot in Leeds and trained to become a driver before becoming a local official of Aslef.

He is the current Leeds branch secretary, chairs the union's district council, and negotiates on behalf of drivers employed by Regional Railways North East.

His election could have major implications for the railway industry, especially as RMT general secretary Mr Jimmy Knapp, also 58, has to decide soon whether to face re-election or stand down at 60. His deputy, Mr Bob Crow, is a member of the SLP, as are four of the 11-strong rail grades executive committee.

Should both main rail unions end up being led by SLP members, as seems likely, then the merger that has made industrial sense for years, yet been thwarted by conflicting ambitions, may yet come about.

However, like all incoming Aslef general secretaries before him, Mr Rix stressed yesterday that he expected Aslef to continue as a strong and independent union.

In another key union election, ''old Labour'' champion Mr Derek Hodgson has been elected general secretary of the Communications Workers' Union - the union Ministers have accused of being responsible for two-thirds of the nation's industrial unrest.

Mr Hodgson, 56, pushed Merseyside postal official Mr Billy Hayes into second place, and relegated New Labour supporter Mr Tony Young into third position in the election to decide who should succeed Mr Alan Johnson, elected last May as Labour MP for Hull West and Hessle.

Mr Young, 55, remains as acting senior deputy general secretary until that position is voted on in October.