Christmas strikes inbound as Network Rail staff still dispute pay

Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) will walk out from 6pm on Christmas Eve until 6am on December 27 and will press ahead with two 48-hour strikes next week.

The union announced it will put the latest offer from Network Rail to its members, with a recommendation to reject.

The RMT said there had been no improved offer from the train operating companies, claiming they still awaited a mandate from the Government.

Strikes on 14 train companies will go ahead next week although talks will be held with the Rail Delivery Group on Tuesday.

RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said it was unfortunate that the union had been “compelled to take this action due to the continuing intransigence of the employers”.

He said: “We remain available for talks in order to resolve these issues, but we will not bow to pressure from the employers and the Government to the detriment of our members.”

Mick Lynch (Image: PA)

The Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA) announced it was calling off strikes planned in Network Rail for December and is putting an offer to its members.

The TSSA had been due to strike on December 17 and take other forms of industrial action from December 13.

The union had announced that an offer from the Rail Delivery Group had been rejected, meaning industrial action at train operators would go ahead in the coming weeks.

The TSSA said on Monday that after talks with Network Rail over the weekend, it had received a “best and final offer” in writing from the company, which was considered at a meeting of its reps.

Union members will vote in the coming weeks on whether to accept the offer.

Luke Chester, TSSA organising director, said: “This offer is the best we can achieve through negotiation, and it was undoubtedly improved because of the ballot results and strike action taken by our members, who we applaud.

“Our members will now have their say on this offer and we are suspending strike action.

“Our union is pleased that this offer provides job security and certainty for Network Rail staff through to 2025 and we’re proud to have achieved a pay offer which provides for the lowest paid in the company with significant underpinning to ensure that those hardest hit by the cost-of-living crisis receive proportionately the most.

“This offer shows what can be achieved when employers and unions are able to negotiate in good faith. It is significantly better than the offer put by the Rail Delivery Group (RDG), which we have rejected.

“On every issue – job security, pay and conditions – the RDG offer falls short and is shackled by Government interference. They need to look at what can be achieved when negotiations are not hindered and come back to the table with an improved offer that allows us to resolve this dispute once and for all.”

The TSSA said Network Rail had offered a minimum pay uplift of a consolidated £1,750 or a 5 per cent increase - whichever is greater - to the annual base rates of pay effective from January 2022, and £250 to employees who earn £24,000 a year or less.

Pay will rise by 4 per cent from January 2023.

Network Rail was also offering no compulsory redundancies for general grades and controllers until January 31, 2025.

Staff and their families will also get a 75 per cent discount on leisure travel and no unagreed changes to terms and conditions of employment will be made, the union said.