Members of the Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA) union at Network Rail have voted to accept an improved pay deal in a referendum.
The union, which is smaller than the Rail, Maritime and Transport workers’ union (RMT), had already suspended strike action. It said 85% of its members voted in favour of the offer, which includes a minimum 9% pay rise by January, job security to 2025, and guarantees on terms and conditions.
The offer, a two-year deal covering the missed January 2022 pay rise and 2023, was rejected last week by the RMT, which is pressing ahead with a second 48-hour strike on Thursday.
The TSSA said the vote was on a 70% turnout of 2,500 union members in its lower-paid grades at Network Rail, mainly in safety, maintenance and track control roles. Other TSSA members in senior or managerial roles settled in the summer.
The TSSA’s organising director, Luke Chester, said it was “great news and a great deal for our members in Network Rail. It just shows what can be done through negotiations when there’s a serious offer on the table.”
He said strikes had won the improved offer, which would mean an 11% rise for those on lower salaries, and that the deal was significantly better than anything proposed by the train operating companies, where industrial action would continue.
“If the rail companies and the government have any sense, they will now stop blocking the perfectly reasonable pathway to a deal and come back to the table with an improved offer which meets our aspirations,” he said.
The TSSA will continue strikes at Avanti West Coast this week, coinciding with the RMT’s action. Its members will also strike on Saturday at other operators, including East Midlands Railway and TransPennine Express. It is taking action short of a strike at 12 companies at various times in the next month.
The RMT will meet rail ministers and industry bosses later on Thursday for more talks.
Rail bosses and the government welcomed news of the TSSA vote.
A Department for Transport spokesperson said: “It will come as a relief to the public and the workforce that TSSA has accepted this offer, which guarantees their members a fair pay rise and no compulsory redundancies while moving us a step closer to fixing our railways.
“The tide is turning and it is clear to everyone that this offer is fair and reasonable, giving better pay to workers but delivering vital reforms to our railways.”
Andrew Haines, the Network Rail chief executive, said: “TSSA and Unite members have both voted to resoundingly accept the very same deal that the RMT continue to reject. We know there is a sizeable number of RMT members who want this deal and we can see that strike action is beginning to break down.”
He said the strikes were “sabotaging the railway and will cost our employees, their members, dearly”.
