The RMT Union has rejected today’s offer from the Rail Delivery Group, but says it wants a meeting tomorrow morning to resolve the dispute.
The offer came along with no compulsory redundancies until 2024.
Alongside this, the RDG had other principles in its framework agreement:
- Something will formalise current voluntary working agreements on the railways
- Use of part-time contracts and flexible working rosters to encourage a more diverse workforce
- A new Multi-Skilled Station Worker Role will be created with station staff trained and equipped to take on a range of responsibilities.
You can read more about the offer made by The Rail Delivery Group by clicking here.
RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said: “We have rejected this offer as it does not meet any of our criteria for securing a settlement on long term job security, a decent pay rise and protecting working conditions.
“The RDG and DfT who sets their mandate, both knew this offer would not be acceptable to RMT members.
“If this plan was implemented, it would not only mean the loss of thousands of jobs but the use of unsafe practices such as DOO and would leave our railways chronically understaffed.
“RMT is demanding an urgent meeting with the RDG tomorrow morning with a view to securing a negotiated settlement on job security, working conditions and pay.”
Responses
Two-faced Lynch finally admitted on the radio this morning that his members did want to mess up the travelling public’s christmas.
What the media hasn’t made clear is that the pay offer was conditional on getting rid of guards on all trains. Although I’m not a great fan of either the RMT or ASLEF, I do feel that this condition is unacceptable. Driver only operation is probably fine in urban areas with brightly lit stations, cameras and other infrastructure to help the driver see along his train. But at dimly lit rural stations, with no other infrastructure, the guard stepping out of the train to check that everyone has got off and got on the train safely before giving the right away signal to the driver is, in my view, an essential safety feature
People are getting by by not using rail, particularly in the North. Many people might ask, “if I can live without using rail…what is the point have having it and indeed paying for it…even if I am not a regular passenger”.
I am of the opinion that many RMT members cannot change and realise that they cannot forever just open train doors and sit in the back cab for perpetuity.
Don’t worry folks, we at robotics automation companies are finding more and more interesting, safe, fast, dependable ways to take away your jobs and give it to time that work to keep the economy moving. The public are fed up with you lot. Enough is enough.
Try stringing a coherent sentence together first please
RMT members worked throughout the pandemic to ensure that those who needed to travel could do so. They have not had a payrise for three years and their reward is to be threatened with redundancy, forced to work Sundays and have their shifts moved without notice.
The government wants to “modernise” the railway by removing safety critical staff, endangering the lives of the passengers, while boosting company profits.
The railways should be run as a public service to serve the public, not to line the pockets of greedy shareholders.
Mick Lynch is a true working class hero!
Lots of people worked throughout the pandemic – the rail workers weren’t unique in that & shouldn’t claim special status. Unlike bus drivers, many of whom caught & died from Covid in 2020, train drivers & many other rail workers were far better protected & suffered far less. The vast majority of workers including the self-employed haven’t had pay rises & don’t get the huge salaries & generous benefits given to rail staff.
If by “safety critical staff” you mean guards, then do explain exactly how, in practice, the average guard genuinely protects the travelling public, when most of the time they sit in a cubicle reading the paper and putting their head out of the window when the train stops at a station. Theoretically, the role is safety-critical; in day-to-day practice, it isn’t.
Have none of you thought that, in a matter of days now, you will be summarily dismissed without notice. Negotiation has been going on for more than twelve weeks now and, given that time parameter (set in law), your erstwhile employers will take their absolute rights unto themselves. I would earnestly advise you to abandon this futile exercise and get back to work. Can you live on £70 per week – that is if you are granted Jobseekers Allowance, which I doubt since you would have been dismissed for misconduct. Enjoy the streets!
Lynch clearly wants to follow in the inglorious footsteps of Arthur Scargill to be remembered as the man who destroyed his industry, his members’ livelihoods and the futures of whole communities through unmitigated greed.
Unless saner voices prevail, Lynch will be frogmarching his lemming-like followers right over the cliff and into oblivion.