Rail unions strike action 2022/2023

[whole diary]

[TaplowGreen]

BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) News - RMT^▸ (National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers) members suspend strike action at Network Rail
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-64883158

[ChrisB]

RMT^▸ (National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers) members at Network Rail vote to accept pay deal

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page)

Thousands of signal workers and maintenance staff in the RMT have voted to accept an offer from Network Rail.

It means they will not take part in any more strikes in the long-running dispute over pay, jobs and working conditions.

RMT members who work for 14 train operating companies are still due to walk out on 30 March and 1 April.

But the Network Rail result will be seen as a significant breakthrough.

RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said the dispute was now over, but said RMT members at the train operating companies would continue to strike unless they received the "right offer".

"The ball is in the government's court," he added.

The question now is whether this opens the door to progress on the train companies' side of the dispute.

The deal has been accepted after Network Rail amended its previously rejected offer of a 5% pay rise for 2022 and a 4% increase this year.

The government did not put any more money on the table, but the tweaked proposals backdated this year's pay increase by three months, meaning workers end up with a bigger lump sum upfront.

The RMT said the offer amounted to an uplift on salaries of between 14.4% for the lowest paid grades to 9.2% for the highest paid.

The package also included heavily discounted leisure travel.

There have been a string of rail strikes since June last year.

Without signalling staff involved, the disruption caused by RMT's walkouts is on a slightly smaller scale. Operators not directly involved are unaffected.

[Phantom]

I'm going from WSM to Cardiff on Thursday 30th around lunchtime, and then return the next day late morning

Does anyone know when the timetables will be finalised for those dates please?

[ChrisB]

Roughly 2-3 days before hand, so likely to be Monday next week, similar to last week's strikes

[Timmer]

Rail strikes for 30th of March and 1st of April have been called off:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-64896128

[JayMac]

Hopefully it's the beginning of the end of RMT^▸ (National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers) action.

[ChrisB]

Wonder how ASLEF^» (Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen - about) will take this?

[IndustryInsider]

Wonder how ASLEF^» (Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen - about) will take this?

In calling off the strike action that means they are in the same position as ASLEF.  In dispute, but with negotiations open and no strike action dates in the pipeline.

[a-driver]

Wonder how ASLEF^» (Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen - about) will take this?

In calling off the strike action that means they are in the same position as ASLEF.  In dispute, but with negotiations open and no strike action dates in the pipeline.

And the next meeting is arranged for the 04 April so it’s unlikely any new dates or offers will be announced before then.

[bobm]

Suggests it might be safe to make Easter travel plans.

[ChrisB]

Yup!

The RMT^▸ (National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers) will need a new strike mandate by the middle of May too. That could be interesting

[PhilWakely]

Yup!

The RMT^▸ (National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers) will need a new strike mandate by the middle of May too. That could be interesting

Details of a new ballot to be circulated to RMT members today.

[grahame]

From Proactive Investors

Negotiations between the National Unon of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT^▸ (National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers)) and rail companies have hit a dead end, the former said on Thursday.

“No new document has been produced” by the Rail Delivery Group (RDG^‡(resolve)) since RMT suspended planned strike action on March 30 and April 1, leaving members “frustrated” according to the union.

It had cancelled the strikes after a proposal made by the RDG on March 22, but suggested talks had ground to a halt since, with re-ballot papers being sent to members from Thursday.

“While negotiations continue, we remain in dispute and resolute in our determination to win a further mandate for strike action in the upcoming re-ballot,” said RMT.

I am always cautious about single source stories ... so just for the moment this could be a first release that other will follow, or it could prove false as it is clarified.

[JayMac]

I am always cautious about single source stories ... so just for the moment this could be a first release that other will follow, or it could prove false as it is clarified.

RMT^▸ (National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers) press release today, 6th April 2023:

RMT Press Office:

The union has had several meetings with the Rail Delivery Group (RDG^‡(resolve)) since we suspended our strike action on the 14 train operators, following a proposal made to us on March 22nd.

These meetings were to further discuss the issues of the dispute - in particular Year 2 of the proposal that led to the suspension of strikes and the process of workforce reform.
 
However, no new document has been produced by the employer.
 
Members are rightly frustrated by this, and the Tory government is once again absent when it comes to giving the RDG the mandate to produce a new document.
 
The RDG have agreed to write to us in due course and we will be meeting them next week.
 
While negotiations continue, we remain in dispute and resolute in our determination to win a further mandate for strike action in the upcoming re-ballot.
 
Be in no doubt, if further strikes are needed, RMT will not hesitate to act to ensure a negotiated settlement on jobs, pay and working conditions.
 
END
 
Notes: Re-ballot papers for a further 6-month strike mandate go out today with a closing date of May 4.

As long as, following that ballot and with a mandate, the RMT don't choose any dates between 16th - 23rd May. With the minimum 14 days notice ahead of strike action they could just pick a date during my holiday.

Although, aware of the potential for further strike action, I have taken out an insurance policy for my holiday to Isle of Man.

[MVR S&T]

Wish they would sort this, still do not feel confident to book anything yet. Still, the Swanage now have their Wareham link open, so a day trip to Corfe is a must soon.