Posted 18th May 2015 | 2 Comments
Peace talks restart in Network Rail dispute
THE RMT is holding fresh talks with Network Rail today, in a bid to come to terms over pay before a strike begins next Monday.
The union has declared a 24-hour walkout from 17.00 on Bank Holiday Monday, a week today, and also an overtime ban which would run for 48 hours on Monday and Tuesday.
The offer which it has rejected is for a one-off payment of £500 for 2015, to be followed by rises in line with the Retail Price Index for each of the following three years.
Network Rail has defended the proposed increases as 'fair', but the union's general secretary Mick Cash has threatened a 'rolling programme' of industrial action after he secured a vote in favour of action from his members.
The RMT has almost 16,000 members working for the company, and they include many signallers. If the strike does go ahead major disruption is likely, which would seriously affect commuters and long-distance rail travellers on Tuesday.
Reader Comments:
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Melvyn Windebank, Canvey Island, Essex
Legal strikes only on 50% majority of 75% turnout . Wonder how many governments have achieved this ?
Best remember the gang of 4 incident where 4 union officials were locked up in Pentonville Prison and led to TUC calling for a General Strike which resulted in their release !
Other countries avoid strike action by having union reps on boards something that Network Rail and TFL could both embrace ?
Tony Pearce, Reading
I am sure that the Government is already preparing Legislation to be rushed through Parliament stating that all strikes votes from now on must have 50% majority on at least a 75% turnout of members - plus other conditions. I doubt after that that there will ever a legal strike agin after that in any Industry.