Tube drivers are reportedly considering strike action over the October half term after rejecting a wage increase of £2,500 - an offer which would take the basic salary to nearly £70,000.
RMT is set to ballot its members on whether to walk out around Halloween after calling on Transport for London (TfL) to increase their offer, the Telegraph reported on Friday.
The union’s general secretary Mick Lynch is said to favour walking out over TfL’s “failure to table a suitable pay offer” despite the 3.8 per cent pay rise on the table.
This offer would see the base salary for a Tube driver increase from £67,100 to £69,600.
Tube driver instructors, who make up around 10 per cent of the 3,300 drivers, are already on a salary of just below £70,000.
The base salary does not include extras earned by drivers working overtime and those taking more shifts can earn more than £100,000 a year, according to the Telegraph.
The newspaper claims to have seen a message Mr Lynch sent members on Thursday.
This read: “RMT is conducting separate ballots for TfL and LUL (London Underground Limited) members over the failure to table a suitable pay offer for 2024 and the insistence from both companies that the increase will only be paid as a non-consolidated lump sum to any member at the top of their pay band.”
RMT, officially known as the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers, is now said to be holding the ballot and a result is expected by October 1.
A date has not yet been announced for the strike but it is said to be in the region of the half term which, for most schools, will be October 28 to November 1.
TfL has said it has offered the rise alongside a greater increase for those under £40,000 and provided additional improvements including increased paternity leave.
A spokesperson told the Standard: “We are disappointed that the RMT is proposing to ballot London Underground and TfL Professional Services employees over pay and conditions.
“We have held a number of constructive discussions with our trade unions and have presented a pay offer.
“We are still considering their feedback to the offer and will continue to work with the unions to ensure that we reach a fair agreement for our hard working colleagues that is also affordable and delivers for London.
“It would be in everyone’s best interest to continue to discuss this without the threat of strike action, so we can work together to support London and the wider UK economy.”
RMT has been approached for comment.
