The ongoing industrial action on the rail network has escalated with the RMT announcing four weeks of strikes and an overtime ban into the new year.
It said more than 40,000 of its members across Network Rail and 14 TOCs will strike on:
- 13, 14, 16 and 17 of December,
- 3, 4, 6 and 7 January
- an industry-wide overtime ban will be in place from 18 December until 2 January.
Talks between the union, Network Rail and train operating companies (TOCs) stalled, despite hopes of progress. RMT leaders balmed the Government for blocking a deal.
The Rail Delivery Group (RDG), which is representing TOCs in the talks confirmed that it has still not made an offer on pay, which is just one of the issues highly complex negotiations.
The RMT announced a series of 48 hour strikes in December and January ‘after industry bosses failed to offer any new deals to reach a settlement’.
A closed station during a strike in June
The union pointed out that it had suspended previous strike action ‘in good faith’ to allow negotiations but said that ‘despite every effort’ by its negotiators, ‘it is clear that that the Government is directly interfering with our attempts to reach a settlement’.
It said infrastructure operator Network Rail had failed to make an improved offer on jobs, pay and conditions during the last two weeks, while the RDG had ‘broken a promise to make a meaningful offer on pay and conditions and even cancelled negotiations that were due to take place [on Monday]’.
General secretary Mick Lynch said: ‘We have been reasonable, but it is impossible to find a negotiated settlement when the dead hand of government is presiding over these talks.
‘The employers are in disarray and saying different things to different people, sometimes at the same time. This whole process has become a farce that only the new secretary of state can resolve. When I meet him later this week, I will deliver that message.’
A spokesperson for the RDG said: ‘We made real progress over the last fortnight of talks and for the first time in months we can see the outline of a credible deal.
‘We are asking the RMT to stay at the negotiating table, work with us towards a fair deal and end a dispute that is harming passengers, the industry, and their members.’
However, the spokesperson confirmed to Transport Network that the RDG had not yet made an offer to the RMT, adding: ‘These are complex negotiations with a lot of moving parts, and nothing is agreed until everything is agreed.’
The RDG has also warned that some services will be severely disrupted, and some will not run at all on Saturday (26 November) as a result of a strike by drivers’ union Aslef.
In addition RMT members working as train managers for Avanti will strike action on Sunday in a continuing dispute over rosters.
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