Rail workers are gearing up for a new round of strikes in an ongoing dispute over pay, jobs and conditions. Plans for a 24-hour walk-out by members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) this month will hit passengers at the peak of the sumer holidays.
Network Rail's latest offer in the talks was for a 4pc pay rise backdated to January, another 2pc next year and a further 2pc conditional on achieving 'modernisation milestones'. However, this concession was branded 'paltry' by union leaders, who announced 24-hour strike action for Wednesday, July 27.
It follows highly disruptive strikes by 40,000 RMT union workers across 13 operators and at Network Rail last month. Passengers at the time struggled as only a fifth of rail services ran over three days and stations were left empty.
READ MORE: LIVE: Disruption across Greater Manchester as biggest rail strike in 30 years continues - latest updates
It comes just two days after train drivers with operators Northern and TransPennine voted to take strike action. The RMT say they are now consulting with other unions which have delivered mandates for strike action amid talk of co-ordinated walkouts.
Members of the drivers’ union Aslef and the Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association (TSSA) at train companies have backed industrial. At Avanti West Coast, which operates trains from Manchester to London, ballots for industrial action will close on July 27.
The RMT said it has yet to receive a pay offer or guarantees over job losses from the train operating companies (TOCs). Mick Lynch, RMT general secretary, said: "The offer from Network Rail represents a real terms pay cut for our members and the paltry sum is conditional on RMT members agreeing to drastic changes in their working lives.
“We have made progress on compulsory redundancies, but Network Rail are still seeking to make our members poorer when we have won in some cases double what they are offering, with other rail operators.
“The train operating companies remain stubborn and are refusing to make any new offer which deals with job security and pay. Strike action is the only course open to us to make both the rail industry and Government understand that this dispute will continue for as long as it takes, until we get a negotiated settlement.
“The public who will be inconvenienced by our strike action need to understand that it is the Government’s shackling of Network Rail and the TOCs that means the rail network will be shut down for 24 hours.”
The RMT held three strikes last month which crippled services across the country.
The Manchester Evening News has asked Network Rail for comment.
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