London Daily

Focus on the big picture.

Train strikes: Rail companies make ‘best and final’ pay offer to RMT

Train strikes: Rail companies make ‘best and final’ pay offer to RMT

The offer includes a minimum pay rise of 9 per cent over two years, according to the Rail Delivery Group (RDG)

Train operating companies have made a “best and final offer” to the biggest rail workers union in a bid to break the deadlocked dispute over pay, jobs and conditions.

The Rail Delivery Group (RDG) said the offer to the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) included a minimum pay rise of 9 per cent over two years and guaranteed no compulsory redundancies until at least the end of December 2024 - an improvement on the previous offer of April 1 that year.

RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said the union’s executive will consider the offer and decide its next steps “in due course”.

An RDG statement said: “The offer, made through an outline framework agreement, would allow the industry to adapt to significant changes in the ways in which passengers use the railway, while offering rewarding and varied careers for staff.


RMT general secretary Mick Lynch says the union will consider the offer

“If accepted, it would help recover the industry’s finances post-covid, reducing the burden on taxpayers at a time of significant pressure on public spending.”

A deal with the RMT would be seen as a major breakthrough, with the union’s 40,000 members across Network Rail and 14 Train Operating Companies taking industrial action since June.

The most recent 48-hour walkouts took place just a fortnight ago and brought chaos to the nation’s rail network.

Train driver RMT members at 14 rail operators will take strike action on February 1 and 3 over jobs pay and conditions.

Under the offer, staff who are paid below a certain threshold will receive a guaranteed £1,750 in year one, ensuring that lower paid employees benefit most.


Pay would be backdated to the relevant 2022 pay award date with employers, enabling staff to benefit from a lump sum payment in the first available pay run.

RMT said in a statement on Thursday afternoon: “Rail union RMT today received a new offer from the Rail Delivery Group (RDG) following negotiations in the national rail dispute.

“The union’s NEC will now consider the detail within the offer and what next steps to take.

“The proposals include detailed documentation covering a range of issues that affect all of our grade groups at these 14 companies and will require serious and careful consideration.

“The proposals on pay and job security are directly conditional on cost savings and alterations to contractual terms, entitlements, and working practices.”

Passengers at a London station pictured as the RMT union staged a fresh round of strikes earlier in January


RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said: “The National Executive Committee will be considering this matter and has made no decision on the proposals nor any of the elements within them. We will give an update on our next steps in due course.”

A Department for Transport spokesperson said: “These strikes have gone on for far too long and this is a step in the right direction.

“This fair and reasonable offer guarantees employees a pay rise in line with the private sector and no compulsory redundancies, while delivering the reforms needed to address the long-term challenges facing the industry.

“We encourage the RMT to put this new offer to its members and bring this dispute to an end.”

Newsletter

Related Articles

London Daily
0:00
0:00
Close
Boris Johnson Claims He Found Listening Device in Bathroom After Netanyahu's Visit
Iran's Supreme Leader Khamenei declared today: "If Israel retaliates, we will raze Tel Aviv and Haifa to the ground."
Scott Jennings leaves CNN panel speechless as he tears apart Tim Walz's flimsy excuse of being "too dumb to tell the truth."
GP Accused of Murder Plot with Lethal Injection
Key Insights from Boris Johnson's Memoir 'Unleashed'
Bank of England Governor Warns of Potential Middle East Oil Shock
BBC Cancels Interview with Boris Johnson Due to Briefing Note Mix-up
Boris Johnson's Memoir Unleashes Controversial Claims
Labour Peer Lord Alli Under Investigation
Laura Kuenssberg Cancels Scheduled Interview with Boris Johnson
Conservative Leadership Candidates Propose Reforms Post-Election Defeat
UK Prime Minister Seeks Closer UK-EU Relations
Labour MP Proposes New Assisted Dying Legislation
Rise in Vaping Among Young Adults Who Never Regularly Smoked
UK Reaffirms Commitment to Falkland Islands Amid Chagos Deal
Proposal for Reusing Graves to Address Burial Space Shortages
Dominican Republic Announces Massive Deportation Operation of Haitian Migrants
EU Urges UK PM Keir Starmer to Consider Youth Mobility Scheme
British Forces Help Thwart Iranian Missile Attack on Israel
Simon Case Rejoins Garrick Club Amid Mixed Reactions
Investigation into Labour Donor Waheed Alli's Register of Interests
Iceman Drug Boss Jailed: Major Crackdown on £76M Trafficking Operation
UK Evacuates Citizens from Lebanon Amid Growing Tensions
Rise in Vaping Among Non-Smokers in England
Earth Faces Severe Geomagnetic Storm from Solar Flare
Keir Starmer’s Corruption Exposed: Bribes (Yet Again), Broken Promises, and a Rigged System Shielding the Powerful
Bank of America Outage Leaves Customers Unable to Access Accounts, Sparks Concern
Iranian Mullah Claims Israel Used Genies to Hunt Hezbollah Leader
Privacy Concerns Over AI Monitoring of UK Bank Accounts
Robert Jenrick Reveals Daughter's Middle Name as Thatcher
Badenoch Criticizes Civil Servants, Jokes They Are 'Prison-Worthy'
UK Treasury Plans Major Infrastructure Cuts
Kemi Badenoch Criticizes Civil Servants at Conservative Party Conference
Thames Mudlarking Permits Resumed with New Restrictions
Decline in Education for Youth Offenders in England
Jimmy Carter Celebrates 100th Birthday
Iran's Missile Attack on Israel: Defeated but a Significant Escalation
Iran President Lauds Missile Attack on Israel as Decisive Response
Russia Criticizes Biden's Middle East Policies After Iran Attacks Israel
US Dockworkers Strike Halts Half of Nation’s Ocean Shipping
Boris Johnson claims in memoir Queen Elizabeth II had bone cancer
Missile Attack on Israel: A Turning Point for the Ayatollah’s Regime?
Teachers in England Approve 5.5% Pay Rise
Robert Jenrick Criticized for Statements on UK Special Forces
Robert Jenrick Faces Transparency Issues Over Campaign Donations
Phillip Schofield Addresses Firing from ITV
UK Charters Evacuation Flight for Britons in Lebanon
UK Shop Prices Fall at Fastest Rate Since 2021
Keir Starmer Urged to Address Rising Energy Bills
Tom Tugendhat Warns Against Tories Turning into Reform UK
×