The Network Rail chief negotiator has urged union leaders to return to the negotiating table to avoid another rail strike, arguing that the company has met its demands and that its latest offer must be put to a vote in the its members.
On Wednesday, the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT), which has up to 40,000 members, announced another 24-hour national strike on July 27 in a dispute over wages, jobs and conditions.
Union leaders described the offer made by the state-owned company, which manages Britain’s railway infrastructure and most of its major stations, as “miserable”.
They said supply – an increase of 4% this year and up to 4% next year if workers accept some changes in working conditions – represented a reduction in wages, and inflation is expected to reach ‘11% at the end of the year.
“We’ve had some constructive conversations with the RMT over the last few weeks, so it was downright amazing that the offer we made on Monday [was rejected]Said Tim Shoveller, chief negotiator for Network Rail.
“[It is] a good solid pay rise and we knew the other things they told us were very important to them, such as a guarantee of non-compulsory dismissals, and that the changes would be agreed with them. They were the three things in dispute with us and we got to know each other.
“My main message at the RMT is to get back on the table, agree on this productivity and make sure this agreement is presented to our staff so that they have a chance to vote on it. I think the big most of our staff would agree to this agreement if the RMT agreed to request them.
Shoveller, who is the managing director of Network Rail’s northwest and central region, said the level of the award “could be seen by some as a cost-of-living reduction,” given the current inflationary environment.
He said negotiations had been made more difficult by the fact that unions had reached better agreements with Mersey Rail and London Underground, but that the RMT refused to make changes that could lead to a better agreement.
“But that’s what we can afford,” Shoveller told BBC Radio 4 Today. “But this is the value of the productivity that have been able to negotiate with the RMT. Despite months and months of conversations, there are some basic things we want to achieve. “
He cited an example of when staff attending a railway site for maintenance arrive in up to three or more vans to perform various functions. Network Rail says it would mean significant cost savings if unions accepted a van with all the necessary workers.
“We can be more efficient if we work together with our employees to get the funds available to create the salary increase they want. But it all depends on collaboration and being able to negotiate and comply. Unfortunately, as you can see, l “RMT is really struggling to fulfill its part of the business. It has been a tough negotiation.”
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An RMT spokesman said workers at other transport companies were uniformly securing much better deals, criticizing Network Rail’s ownership structure.
“It’s not accurate to say that Network Rail’s offer is‘ a good solid pay raise, ’” they said. “Last year, London Underground members reached a 8.4% salary agreement and Merseyrail members just won a 7.1% salary increase without any commitment.
“We have also gained significant wage increases at MTR Crossrail, Docklands Light Railway and Transport for Wales, among others. All this evidence shows that when railway organizations are not controlled by the Department of Transport, the union can achieve decent wage increases through the free collective bargaining ”.
In late June, members of the RMT staged three days of strikes that hampered much of the British network.