Rail workers have voted to accept a new Network Rail pay offer, their union announced.
Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA) members backed the deal by 85% in a ballot. The TSSA said the deal accepted by its members includes a no compulsory redundancy agreement until January 31 2025, and a minimum pay rise of at least £1,750 or 5% (whichever is greater) backdated to January 1 2022, which it said is worth at least 7% to staff earning £25,000 or less.
There will also be a 4% pay increase from January 1 2023, no unagreed changes to terms and conditions, plus more benefits and improvements to work and leisure travel facilities. The union had already suspended strike action.
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Earlier this week, the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union rejected an offer from Network Rail and they still remain in dispute. Meanwhile the TSSA is still in dispute with train operators over pay, jobs and conditions.
TSSA organising director Luke Chester said: “This is a decisive result, with our members roundly endorsing this offer. It’s 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.
"Let me be clear though – this has only come about because our members stood together, taking strike action to get a fair settlement when the company had failed to listen. Their dogged determination and some hard negotiations won this improved offer.
"The result is a fair pay settlement amounting to at least a 9% increase for this year and next – at least 11% for those on lower salaries – plus job security and the nailing down of our terms and conditions. This could and should have been done months ago, but we are pleased with the result.
"However, the deal in Network Rail is significantly better than anything which has been proposed by the train operating companies and our fight goes on there, with members continuing to take industrial action. 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.”
The ballot result showed that 85% were in favour of the offer, on a turnout of 70%. The TSSA has around 2,500 members at Network Rail in jobs such as controllers.
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