UK’s largest railway workers’ union accepts pay deal from train companies

UK’s largest railway workers’ union accepts pay deal from train companies

The deal follows more than a year of industrial action over higher wages across the transport network.

The RMT’s acceptance of the deal will see a pause in strikes over Christmas as negotiations over future pay and working practices continue. (AFP pic)
LONDON:
The UK’s largest railway workers’ union, the RMT, accepted a pay offer today from train companies that will pause strikes over the Christmas period as further negotiations over future pay and working practices continue.

The deal follows more than a year of industrial action across the transport network alongside strikes by nurses, teachers, and other train workers demanding higher wages as inflation and mortgage rates surged.

“Our members have spoken in huge numbers to accept this offer,” RMT’s general secretary Mick Lynch said in a statement.

Acceptance of the offer set out by Rail Delivery Group (RDG), which includes a backdated 2022 pay rise of 5% for staff and job security guarantees, still leaves a dispute over planned changes to working practices and negotiations over future pay.

“This is welcome news for passengers and a significant step towards resolving industrial disputes on the railway,” transport minister Mark Harper said, adding that it could also lead to long overdue reforms.

The RDG is also still engaged in a separate dispute with the ASLEF train drivers’ union which have scheduled a fresh round of strikes in December over pay and working conditions.

“This welcome vote from RMT members will unlock a pay rise for our people, and means that fair agreements have now been reached with three out of the four unions involved in the recent industrial dispute,” an RDG spokesman said.

The government has reached deals to settle industrial action with teaching unions and the medical union representing senior doctors in the UK to end strikes.

A separate dispute over pay and conditions with junior doctors is still ongoing.

Data from the UK’s statistics office said in 2022 that the country recorded the highest number of working days lost to labour disputes for more than 30 years.

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