Trade union movement news

National rail action from Monday 25th May

From an RMT press release

The largest rail union, RMT, today confirmed that its members will be taking strike action and action short of a strike from Monday 25th May in the current dispute over pay and jobs at Network Rail. The impact of the action will build up over Monday the 25th and will be in full effect by the start of the Tuesday, 26th May.

RMT’s executive has decided:

“That noting the failure of Network Rail to offer any further negotiations and the overwhelming support of our members for industrial action in support of our campaign for job security and improved pay, the General Secretary is to instruct our members to take the following action in what is the start of a rolling campaign of industrial action:

• To take action short of strike by not working any overtime or additional hours or any extended shifts and by not undertaking any call-outs for 48 hours between 0001 hours on 25/05/2015 and 2359 hours on 26/05/2015
• To take 24 hours of strike action by not booking on for duty on any shift from 1700 hours on 25/05/2015 until 1659 hours on 26/05/2015″

Network Rail RMT members voted this week by 80% for strike action on a 60% turnout and by 92% for action short of strike action.

RMT has rejected the latest NR pay proposals as falling well short of what is required to maintain the living standards, the job security and the working conditions for nearly 16,000 staff across NR operations and maintenance.‎

The current pay package proposals which RMT has put into dispute are summarised as follows.

• 2015 – A £500 non-consolidated lump sum payment.
• 2016, 2017, 2018 – An RPI level of inflation increase in pay would be applied for each year.
• The “No Compulsory Redundancy” commitment would be extended until 31st December 2016.