Network Rail staff to hold bank holiday strike
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Version 0 of 1. Network Rail has accused the biggest rail union of “holding the travelling public to ransom” by maximising disruption after it announced a 24-hour strike in a row over pay starting on the Whitsun bank holiday Monday. Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport Union will walk out from 5pm on Monday 25 May, which will cause most impact on rail travel the following morning. The workers, including signallers and maintenance staff, will also ban overtime for 48 hours on the Monday and Tuesday. The action follows an 80% vote for strike action from RMT members on a 60% turnout, well above a proposed threshold the new government plans to introduce. A second rail union, the TSSA, was due to announce the result of its own strike ballot on Friday. The threat of a national rail strike poses the first big industrial relations test for the Conservative party, which is considering imposing a voting threshold on strike ballots to limit industrial action. The RMT said it had rejected the latest Network Rail pay proposals because they fell “well short” of what was required to maintain the living standards, job security and working conditions of nearly 16,000 staff across operations and maintenance. Network Rail had proposed a four-year deal that would have frozen pay this year with a £500 bonus, before three years of increases pegged to RPI inflation as well as a no-compulsory redundancy commitment until December 2016. The track operator argues that staff have been comparatively well paid over the past four years, while unions fear restructuring could mean significant job losses after 2016. RMT’s general secretary, Mick Cash, said: “Our members have decisively rejected the pay package offered by Network Rail and the failure of the company to make any moves whatsoever in light of the overwhelming vote in the ballot has left us with no option but to move to a rolling programme of industrial action. “We have a massive mandate for action which shows the anger of safety-critical staff across the rail network at attacks on their standards of living and their job security.” Network Rail’s chief executive, Mark Carne, said: “This strike is deliberately timed to cause maximum disruption to families trying to enjoy the half-term break and millions more returning to work after the bank holiday. I find it deplorable that the RMT can hold the travelling public to ransom in this way. “This week we have been talking to Acas to try to get the RMT back around the table. The public knows only too well that our railway must improve. We want to work with the unions so that we can reward our staff through improved productivity. Any pay increase comes from the pockets of taxpayers and fare paying passengers.” The transport secretary, Patrick McLoughlin, said: “I condemn any industrial action that disrupts the travelling public. Network Rail has put a fair offer on the table and has sought further talks with the unions. Rail passengers will not thank the unions for inflicting this unnecessary disruption.” The RMT said it remained available for talks. |