Network Rail industrial action 2015.

[whole diary]

[Tim]

Looking more and more likely an agreement will be reached with RMT^▸ (National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers)/UNITE as the TSSA^» (Transport Salaried Staffs' Association - about) have now reached agreement.

Good.  I am generally to the left politically, but I have no time for UNITE and their leader Len Mccluskey. It is to a large extent UNITE's fault that we have 5 more years of Tory government because it was UNITE that foisted the unelected Ed Milliband onto the Labour Party.   

[ChrisB]

I thought it was just RMT^▸ (National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers) & TSSA^» (Transport Salaried Staffs' Association - about) in dispute - when did UNITE join in (and where on the network do their members work?)

Sorry, I think TSSA settled as they knew they were about to lose the Appeal Court case this afternoon.

[bobm]

According to their website

Unite has dedicated to supporting our members whether they work on track, in cleaning grades, maintenance depots, engineering workshops, office administration, managers, rail professional grades or in the rolling stock manufacturing and supply chain companies.

[bobm]

BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) now saying the RMT^▸ (National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers) have called off their strike.

[grahame]

BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) now saying the RMT^▸ (National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers) have called off their strike.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-32832191

Rail unions have called off a national bank holiday strike after reaching agreement with Network Rail.
Members of the RMT and TSSA^» (Transport Salaried Staffs' Association - about) unions had been due to walk out for 24 hours from 17:00 BST on Monday in a row over pay.
The RMT said the union's executive had decided to suspend the strike, after the TSSA earlier called off its action.
Many train services had been cancelled for Monday and Tuesday.

[ChrisB]

"Suspended" according to the RMT^▸ (National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers)

[grahame]

"Suspended" according to the RMT^▸ (National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers)

Yep, that's what the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) says too.   It makes sense, in that they'll want to take time to consider the next steps in a situation that's clearly just changed for them, and so they're acting in a way that doesn't close any doors if they decide that (after all) they should strike within the current vote / mandate in favour of action.

Striking typically isn't very popular with staff who loose pay when they're not working, so I'm not surprised that it's no longer happening next week.  It's had the effect of concentrating minds on the matters of concern, and it's done so after the general election, at a time that the concentrating of minds won't impact negatively on the Labour party's representation in parliament (thus chance of government). 

[bobm]

FGW^▸ (First Great Western) confirming they plan to run a normal service next week.

National rail strikes called off

We welcome the agreement reached between Network Rail and the RMT^▸ (National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers) and TSSA^» (Transport Salaried Staffs' Association - about) unions. This will come as a huge relief to millions of our customers choosing to travel over the Bank Holiday weekend and to the communities that we serve. We expect to run services as normal.

[ChrisB]

millions?

[chrisr_75]

millions?

No mention of where the quote originated, could be Network Rail, who also say in the publication "Delivering a better railway for a better Britain, our plans for 2014-2019":

Every day 4m people use the network

So I reckon millions is ok for NR^» (Network Rail - home page), but might be something of an exaggeration if FGW^▸ (First Great Western) were using that term!

[ChrisB]

which they were, according to bobm above

[IndustryInsider]

Either way, good news that the action next week has been suspended, and I wouldn't mind betting that's the last we'll hear of this particular dispute.

[chrisr_75]

Either way, good news that the action next week has been suspended, and I wouldn't mind betting that's the last we'll hear of this particular dispute.

I agree this will probably fade into the background now.

Although this spring/summer strike season seems to be well underway now, with an announcement today that ASLEF^» (Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen - about) members at London Underground are unhappy about the forthcoming 24 hour service provision and plan to walk out in protest:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-32833436

[dviner]

Striking typically isn't very popular with staff who loose pay when they're not working, so I'm not surprised that it's no longer happening next week.  It's had the effect of concentrating minds on the matters of concern, and it's done so after the general election, at a time that the concentrating of minds won't impact negatively on the Labour party's representation in parliament (thus chance of government). 

If you're going to call a strike you do it at the time that it would have the most impact - tube strikes are during the weekend, because they would cause disruption to the commuters; postal strikes are during the run-up to Christmas, as that's their busy time; coal strikes used to be during the winter (year-long ones excepted). So, why call a strike for a Bank Holiday?

Nothing to do with the General Election, nothing to do with causing disruption to holiday makers or football supporters going to Wembley.

No, it's because it's the last long weekend that Network Rail had before the end of August to carry out serious engineering works.

[JayMac]

From another forum comes (unconfirmed) details of the revised offer from Network Rail:

There's a picture doing the rounds on Facebook that basically says the offer is:

1% consolidated backdated to 1 January 2015 (with a minimum increase for part timers)
1.4% consolidated on 1 January 2016

No compulsory redundancies before 31 December 2016

Company and unions to hold discussions regarding "comprehensive job security package" with final details 6 Months

Discussions to be held regarding enhanced productivity within 3 Months. If successful a further 0.7% from January 2016

It should be noted that the offer has to be accepted by the unions' membership. If not, then industrial action may continue.