RMT general secretary Mick Lynch
(Picture: AFP via Getty Images)Train passengers are facing further chaos as the UK’s biggest rail union on Tuesday urged its members to back six more months of strikes in its campaign for pay rises and to protect jobs.
A ballot opened on Tuesday for more than 40,000 RMT members at Network Rail and 14 train firms, including London Overground and Avanti West Coast.
A yes vote would allow union chiefs to plan further walkouts over Christmas and until the end of May.
There have already been eight strikes on the national railways since June – the worst disruption in a generation.
The most recent RMT strike, on October 8, saw only about a fifth of trains running, according to Network Rail.
The RMT’s current strike mandate runs out on November 24. No new strike dates have been announced but union leaders will want a strong show of support from members to strengthen their hand in negotiations with Network Rail and the Rail Delivery Group, which represents the train firms. At least 50 per cent of those voting have to be in favour of strikes.
RMT general secretary Mick Lynch, in a message to members, said: “This is your chance to keep up the pressure on the employers and a Government that wants to strip out staff from the rail network, close ticket offices and cut maintenance and service levels in the drive for profit.
“The employers and the Government need to understand that our industrial campaign will continue for as long as it takes.”
An offer of eight per cent over two years has been made but the RMT says this fails to keep pace with inflation. A renewed offer, backdating the offer to the last pay rise in 2019, is reportedly being considered by Network Rail.
A Rail Delivery Group spokesman said: “The actions of the RMT leadership is driving more people off the rail network, exacerbating an already challenging time for the industry.
“With one in five people having been impacted by these strikes, we had hoped given their recent call for ‘intense negotiations’ they would give our staff and customers a much-needed break from the disruption and lost pay of the last five months – and continue the constructive atmosphere that is more likely to produce a swift agreement and secure the long-term future of this industry.
“This has to include the reforms needed to fund a pay rise for our staff and enable train operators to tackle the permanent post-pandemic shift travel patterns.”
The rail dispute is separate to ongoing action by the RMT against London Underground over pensions and the axing of up to 600 station staff posts, which last saw strikes in August.
The rail walkouts began with three days of action in June after RMT members voted almost nine to one in favour, on a 71 per cent turnout.
On October 1, the RMT, Aslef and the TSSA took joint action that left only 11 per cent of trains running.
Strikes planned for September were suspended following the death of the Queen.
Most rail workers have basic salary rates of £25,000 to £31,000, according to the RMT. It claims the dispute has cost the Government more than £120m in compensating the rail firms for lost fares.
Aslef, which represents train drivers, has a ballot for strike action that runs until January.
The RMT says that there has been a “failure to make progress” in negotiations with the Rail Delivery Group and Network Rail.
“Neither has produced an offer that addresses the cost-of-living crisis or our members’ concerns about the threats of mass redundancies, hugely detrimental changes to terms and conditions and the imposition of longer working hours for less pay,” it said.
Hopes of a settlement rose after Anne-Marie Trevelyan replaced Grant Shapps as Transport Secretary and met union leaders.
But the announcement on Sunday that the Government was committed to legislating to introduce “minimum service levels” on strike days from next year has further inflamed the unions.
