Network Rail has made a new pay offer to staff in a bid to break the deadlock that led to last month's RMT strike.
The RMT union will consider the offer on Wednesday morning. But in a statement last night, the RMT said the offer amounts to "a real-terms pay cut over the next two years and will involve cutting a third of all frontline maintenance roles and 50pc of all scheduled maintenance work".
Talks between Network Rail and the RMT have been on going since June's three 24-hour walk outs, which decimated rail services that week. The RMT is still threatening to strike, although no dates have been put forward.
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RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said in a message to members on Tuesday that the new offer was dependent on productivity and modernisation clauses.
He said: “It amounts to a real-terms pay cut for members over the next two years and would cut a third of all frontline maintenance roles and half of all scheduled maintenance work.
“There is also a wholescale expectation of unsocial hours and lower pay across the board.
“Network Rail has offered high level managers a huge hike in salary in return for very modest flexibility compared to what you and your colleagues have been offered.
“All companies involved in this dispute need to understand that key railway workers have lost thousands of pounds in earnings due to a pay freeze in recent years – and rightly, you refuse to be short-changed again.
“Settlements reached with London Underground and recently Merseyrail are also well in excess of what you have been offered here.
“We will not hesitate to call further strike action and co-ordinate this with other trade unions if the industry continues to fob us off with unacceptable offers.”
Network Rail said it was communicating details of the new offer direct to its employees this evening.
It said it was a two-year deal worth over 5% for all RMT members and more for those paid under £30,000.
A 4% rise on basic pay would be paid in year one, backdated to January, with 2.2% in year two and a further 2% if modernisation reforms milestones are met. There would also be 75% discounted travel for employees and family from January 2023, and around a £650 cash “bonus” for all. There would be a further £250 lump sum for those paid under £24,000.
Network Rail is also offering a no compulsory redundancy guarantee for the two years.
A Network Rail spokesperson said: “Today we have put a new pay offer on the table for our RMT colleagues which will be worth over 5%, conditional on achieving savings through modernising reforms. There’s also money on the table for a fair and affordable deal for next year too. While money is extremely tight because of the railway’s financial troubles following the pandemic, we can afford to make this offer if our people accept change and compromise, which will fund it.”
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