RMT announce further strike dates

Rail union RMT, will take nationwide strike action across the railways on 16 March after saying employers have refused to put any new offers on the table.

The union which represents 40,000 workers across Network Rail and 14 train operators rejected offers from employers last week, as it says they did not meet the needs of members on pay, job security or working conditions.

The Rail Delivery Group has described the latest round of strikes as “totally unjustified and will be an inconvenience to our customers, and cost our people more money at a time they can least afford it”.

In a statement, the RMT says rail workers will now launch a programme of strike action and Network Rail members will commence an overtime ban effecting maintenance and operations work. The union is seeking an unconditional offer from rail operators and Network Rail.

RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said: “Rail employers are not being given a fresh mandate by the government to offer our members a new deal on pay, conditions and job security.

“Therefore, our members will now take sustained and targeted industrial action over the next few months.

“The government can settle this dispute easily by unshackling the rail companies.

“However, its stubborn refusal to do so will now mean more strike action across the railway network and a very disruptive overtime ban.

“Ministers cannot continue to sit on their hands hoping this dispute will go away as our members are fully prepared to fight tooth and nail for a negotiated settlement in the months ahead.”

The strike action details are as follows

RMT members working for the 14 train operating companies will take strike action on the following days:

– 00:01 hours and 23:59 hours on Thursday 16th March 2023

· 00:01 hours and 23:59 hours on Saturday 18th March 2023

· 00:01 hours and 23:59 hours on Thursday 30th March 2023

· 00:01 hours and 23:59 hours on Saturday 1st April 2023

Network Rail members will take strike action at:

02:00 hours on March 16th 2023 and 01:59 hours on March 17th 2023.

An overtime ban by Network Rail members will be in effect at the following times:

Maintenance:

· Seven days of overtime, rest day working ban and non-rostered Sunday working from 00:01 hours on Friday 17th March 2023 until 23:59 hours on Thursday 23rd March 2023

· Seven days of overtime, rest day working ban and non-rostered Sunday working from 00:01 hours on Friday 31st 2023 until 23:59 hours on Thursday 6th April 2023

· Seven days of overtime, rest day working ban and non-rostered Sunday working from 00:01 hours on Friday 14th April 2023 until 23:59 hours on Thursday 20th April 2023

Operations:

· Seven days of overtime, rest day working ban and non-rostered Sunday working from 00:01 hours on Sunday 26th March 2023 until 23:59 hours on Saturday 1st April 2023

· Seven days of overtime, rest day working ban and non-rostered Sunday working from 00:01 hours on Sunday 9th April 2023 until 23:59 hours on Saturday 15th April 2023

· Seven days of overtime and rest day working ban from 00:01 hours on Sunday 23rd April 2023 until 23:59 hours on Saturday 29th April 2023

A Rail Delivery Group spokesperson, said: “This latest round of strikes is totally unjustified and will be an inconvenience to our customers, and cost our people more money at a time they can least afford it.

“The RMT leadership’s decision not to put the deal out to a referendum means that thousands of their lowest paid members have been denied a chance to have a say on an offer which would give them a pay increase of over 13%.

“The RMT agreed from the outset that the industry needed modernisation and understood that was how a pay rise could be funded. After many months of extensive talks and meeting key demands on DOO, pay and job security, the leadership have now reneged on that position and say they not accept any reforms. They know that no employer who has lost 20% of its revenue could accept those terms.

“The vital changes will not go away because the RMT refuses to engage with them. We remain open to having further talks, but urge the leadership to put the deal they negotiated with us to a democratic vote and allow their members – our people – a say their own future.”

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