Rail union RMT has announced another six-month mandate for strike action in their long running national rail dispute.
Around 20,000 members were balloted across 14 rail companies with all of them individually achieving over a 50 percent turnout and overwhelming ‘yes’ votes for further strike action.
Overall 89.9 per cent of members voted ‘yes’ for more strike action on a 63.6 per cent turnout.
RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said: “I congratulate our members for delivering a decisive mandate for future industrial action as we pursue a negotiated settlement of jobs pay and conditions.
“This ringing endorsement of RMT’s approach to the dispute now means we have industrial leverage to secure an improved offer from the RDG.
“The government who controls this dispute through a contractual mandate over the train operating companies, must now allow the Rail Delivery Group to put forward a revised offer so we can work towards reaching a settlement.
“However, if no new offer is forthcoming, we will once again take strike action in defence of our members livelihoods.”
A spokesperson for the Rail Delivery Group, said: “We want to resolve this dispute and are acutely aware of the damaging impact it’s having on our passengers, our people and the many businesses up and down the country who rely on rail.
“We call on the RMT executive to bring an end to this dispute and put the deal – which offers job security guarantees and a pay rise of up to 13% to the lowest paid workers – to its members so we can end the uncertainty and move forward with delivering a better railway for our customers.”
Photo credit: Rail Delivery Group
