London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Oct 25, 2025

Rail strikes to go ahead this week as RMT members reject offer

Rail strikes to go ahead this week as RMT members reject offer

Network Rail's chief executive said the RMT union's leadership needs to "stop playing politics and work with us" to end the dispute.
Rail strikes will go ahead this week after union members voted to reject an offer from Network Rail.

Members of the RMT union will walk out on 13, 14 and 16 and 17 December.

More strikes are planned from 6pm on Christmas Eve to 5.59am on 27 December.

It was expected that the offer would be rejected because the union had recommended members do so.

Nearly two-thirds (64%) voted against the offer. Turnout was 83%.

Mick Lynch, the union's secretary general, described the result as "a huge rejection of Network Rail's substandard offer".

The RMT said the offer included a 5% and 4% pay rise over two years with thousands of job losses, a 50% cut in scheduled maintenance tasks and a 30% increase in unsocial hours.

The rejection "shows that our members are determined to take further strike action in pursuit of a negotiated settlement", Mr Lynch said.

He blamed the government for the lack of agreement between the union and rail operator.

"The government is refusing to lift a finger to prevent these strikes and it is clear they want to make effective strike action illegal in Britain," Mr Lynch said.

"We will resist that and our members, along with the entire trade union movement will continue their campaign for a square deal for workers, decent pay increases and good working conditions."

'Stop playing politics'

Network Rail's chief executive said the union's leadership needs to "stop playing politics and work with us" to end the dispute.

Andrew Haines said the rejection was "especially frustrating" because colleagues represented by Unite, a different union, had accepted the same offer.

"Our offer, which is worth over 9%, with a guarantee of compulsory redundancies and no changes to anyone's terms and conditions remains on the table," he said.

"Our railway still faces a real financial crisis and because of that, we will continue with the consultation around the implementation of the maintenance reforms."

The company said it would "work closely with operators to run as many services as possible" but asked passengers to only travel if absolutely necessary.

Huw Merriman, the rail minister, urged the RMT to call off the strikes as he hit out at its leadership for recommending members reject the "generous" offer from Network Rail.

"We do not believe the RMT leadership are speaking for the workforce, certainly not the passengers, and we want them to take these damaging strikes down so businesses can operate over Christmas, passengers can get to their jobs and there will be a future for the railways", he said.

Rail staff are among hundreds of thousands of workers striking this winter across many sectors.

As inflation-driven cost of living pressures rise, many workers are seeking improvements to pay and conditions.

For the first time in history, members of the Royal College of Nursing are set to strike.They are due to be joined by other emergency workers, including ambulance staff, firefighters and doctors.

Members of the Communication Workers Union are continuing their month-long strike against Royal Mail.

Travellers are braced for chaos on the roads and at airports as bus workers, baggage handlers, Border Force agents and road workers also plan to walk out.

Frances O'Grady, the General Secretary of the TUC, has warned the wave of strikes will continue next year unless the government changes tack and commits to meaningful pay talks.

The union body accused the government of refusing to engage in good faith on pay, "stonewalling" negotiations and hiding behind pay review bodies.

"Unions stand ready to meet and find a solution, but the Conservatives must stop sabotaging efforts to reach settlements," Ms O'Grady said.

"If we see more industrial action, it is because of their intransigence. Instead the government must come to the table and negotiate."
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Microsoft AI CEO: ‘We’re making an AI that you can trust your kids to use’ — but can Microsoft rebuild its own trust before fixing the industry’s?
China and Russia Deploy Seductive Espionage Networks to Infiltrate U.S. Tech Sector
Apple’s ‘iPhone Air’ Collapses After One Month — Another Major Misstep for the Tech Giant
Graham Potter Begins New Chapter as Sweden Head Coach on Short-Term Deal
Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa Alleges Poison Plot via Chocolate and Jam
Lakestar to Halt External Fundraising as Investor in Revolut and Spotify
U.S. Innovation Ranking Under Scrutiny as China Leads Output Outputs but Ranks 10th
Three Men Arrested in London on Suspicion of Spying for Russia
Porsche Reverses EV Strategy as New CEO Bets on Petrol and Hybrids
Singapore’s Prime Minister Warns of ‘Messy’ Transition to Post-American Global Order
Andreessen Horowitz Sets Sights on Ten-Billion-Dollar Fund for Tech Surge
US Administration Under President Donald Trump Reportedly Lifts Ban on Ukraine’s Use of Storm Shadow Missiles Against Russia
‘Frightening’ First Night in Prison for Sarkozy: Inmates Riot and Shout ‘Little Nicolas’
White House Announces No Imminent Summit Between Trump and Putin
US and Qatar Warn EU of Trade and Energy Risks from Tough Climate Regulation
Apple Challenges EU Digital Markets Act Crackdown in Landmark Court Battle
Nicolas Sarkozy begins five-year prison term at La Santé in Paris
Japan stocks surge to record as Sanae Takaichi becomes Prime Minister
This Is How the 'Heist of the Century' Was Carried Out at the Louvre in Seven Minutes: France Humiliated as Crown with 2,000 Diamonds Vanishes
China Warns UK of ‘Consequences’ After Delay to London Embassy Approval
France’s Wealthy Shift Billions to Luxembourg and Switzerland Amid Tax and Political Turmoil
"Sniper Position": Observation Post Targeting 'Air Force One' Found Before Trump’s Arrival in Florida
Shouting Match at the White House: 'Trump Cursed, Threw Maps, and Told Zelensky – "Putin Will Destroy You"'
Windows’ Own ‘Siri’ Has Arrived: You Can Now Talk to Your Computer
Thailand and Singapore Investigate Cambodian-Based Prince Group as U.S. and U.K. Sanctions Unfold
‘No Kings’ Protests Inflate Numbers — But History Shows Nations Collapse Without Strong Executive Power
Chinese Tech Giants Halt Stablecoin Launches After Beijing’s Regulatory Intervention
Manhattan Jury Holds BNP Paribas Liable for Enabling Sudanese Government Abuses
Trump Orders Immediate Release of Former Congressman George Santos After Commuting Prison Sentence
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
Former Lostprophets Frontman Ian Watkins Stabbed to Death in British Prison
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
Outsider, Heroine, Trailblazer: Diane Keaton Was Always a Little Strange — and Forever One of a Kind
Dramatic Development in the Death of 'Mango' Founder: Billionaire's Son Suspected of Murder
Two Years of Darkness: The Harrowing Testimonies of Israeli Hostages Emerging From Gaza Captivity
EU Moves to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Buy U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
Europe Emerges as the Biggest Casualty in U.S.-China Rare Earth Rivalry
HSBC Confronts Strategic Crossroads as NAB Seeks Only Retail Arm in Australia Exit
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
×