Leaders of militant rail unions are threatening to paralyze the UK with strikes that could begin in a few weeks in mid-June, unless train drivers receive an 11 per cent pay rise over their average wages of £ 59,000 in the year.
Network Rail, Maritime and Transport union members and 13 train operators have backed the launch of a major industrial action campaign, and the organization’s leaders will now decide when to call strikes. The increase proposed by the union is well above the 3.2 percent average given to private sector workers.
Last night’s RMT vote paves the way for a “summer of discontent” and the biggest march in modern history if no agreement is reached with Network Rail and the covering train operators most of the country. Railway union leaders want staff pay rises in line with the current 11.1% retail price inflation rate.
Over the past decade, the average income of train drivers has increased by 39 percent, well above the national average of 23 percent, or 15 percent of nurses. Train drivers earn an average of £ 59,000, compared to £ 31,000 for nurses and £ 41,000 for police officers. Railroad workers can also retire at age 62, before civil servants, nurses, and teachers.
It comes as officials are considering a public sector wage strike that would wreak havoc on airports, courts and tax offices, but ministers say taxpayer-funded salaries need to be moderated to prevent “spiraling inflation”.
According to data from the Chartered Management Institute, employers in the UK offer annual payments worth an average increase of 2.8% to staff. His survey last month also found that wage settlements in the private sector averaged 3.2%, compared to 2.4% in the public sector, although inflation now stands at 9%.
And amid growing concern that a rail strike would paralyze services, causing power outages, gas shortages and empty shelves, ITV Good Morning Britain presenter Richard Madeley told RMT chief Mick Lynch today: “You know what they’re accusing you of, and it’s an abuse of power. You have tremendous power. that power “.
But Lynch replied to Mr. Madeley: “It’s not an abuse of power, it’s a right to take union action.” We have to jump through a lot of hoops. We have the strictest anti-union laws of any Western democracy.
“We have met and broken all the thresholds. Our members are ordinary men and women all over the country. They want to secure their jobs. It is also about mandatory redundancies, lowering safety standards on our railway and the breach of our terms and conditions.
And Eddie Dempsey, Network Rail’s chief negotiator for RMT, told BBC Radio 4’s Today program: “We don’t think it’s unreasonable. What we’re asking for is a pay rise. Some of our members are in the third year of a wage freeze this year.We are asking for a non-compulsory dismissal guarantee.We are not saying that no jobs will be lost in the industry, we just want it to be managed in a way that protects people , give people security “.
Presenter Nick Robinson claimed that the average salary of RMT members is £ 46,000, but Mr. Dempsey replied: “Many of our members are much lower than that, most of our members are around £ 23,000.”
An exit from Network Rail signals will have a significant impact on services across the UK, and trains may only run for part of the day, such as 7am to 7pm and only on major lines. .
Services could also be reduced by about one-fifth of normal weekday hours. If the strikes continue, it will cost the rail industry about £ 30 million a day, according to sources.
RMT workers have voted in favor of the strike at 13 train companies, which were Chiltern Railways; Fields through; Great England; LNER; East Midlands Railway; c2c; Great Western Railway; north; South East; Southwest Railroad; TransPennine Express; Next West Coast; and West Midlands trains.
Govia Thameslink Railway, which operates the Thameslink, Southern, Great Northern and Gatwick Express services, only voted in favor of an action before a strike, while Island Line in the Isle of Wight voted against.
The RMT union said that of the more than 40,000 members who voted, 89% voted in favor of the strikes and 11% against. Turnout was 71 percent, and members have been voting since last month.
Meanwhile, officials will be voted on for industrial action in September, and delegates to the Public and Trade Services Union conference will agree to hold a vote after being offered a 2% pay raise.
And there may also be ai for holidaymakers traveling around London Heathrow this summer who will have to prepare for delays and slower service, because the GMB union is voting for strikes to take place at the airport.
ITV Good Morning Britain presenter Richard Madeley told RMT chief Mick Lynch today: “You have tremendous power. train, and it’s an abuse of that power. “
But RMT chief Mick Lynch responded to Mr Madeley today: “It’s not an abuse of power, it’s a right to take industrial action.” We have to jump through a lot of hoops. We have the strictest anti-union laws of any Western democracy.
The exchange between Madeley and Lynch came after more than 35,000 railway workers in Britain voted in favor of strikes that could begin in a few weeks in mid-June and stop services, causing power outages and fuel shortages. .
Lynch said: “Today’s overwhelming support from railway workers is a demand for the union’s approach and sends a clear message that members want a decent pay rise, job security and no compulsory redundancies.
“Our NEC (National Executive Committee) will now meet to discuss a timetable for the strike action from mid-June, but we sincerely hope that ministers will encourage employers to return to the negotiating table and reach a reasonable agreement with the RMT “.
How did RMT members vote on the 15 operators?
13 IN FAVOR OF THE STRIKE
- Next West Coast
- c2c
- Chiltern Railways
- Fields across
- East Midlands Railway
- Great England
- Great Western Railway
- LNER
- North
- South East
- Southwestern Railroad
- TransPennine Express
- West Midlands trains
1 FOR ACTION IN A STRIKE
1 FOR US
Lynch has previously threatened the “biggest strike in modern history” and warned it could even last until next year.
Manuel Cortes, general secretary of the Transport Employees Association, which also threatens industrial action in the same conflict, said: “TSSA is willing to vote for our members.”
The RMT said it was the most important support for the industrial action of railway workers since privatization in the 1990s, and that at least four out of five rail services could be canceled with large parts of the network parallel. · Lades.
The RMT will now call for urgent talks with Network Rail and the train companies.
RMT’s dispute concerns pay and claims that Network Rail, which operates the UK’s railway infrastructure, intends to reduce at least 2,500 maintenance jobs as part of a £ 2bn reduction in spending on The net.
He also claims that the staff of the train companies have been subjected to wage freezes, threats to jobs and attacks on their terms and conditions.
Network Rail denies that it plans to make mandatory layoffs and says it will not have to do so if the union agrees to allow staff to work more flexibly.
Andrew Haines, chief executive of Network Rail, said: “The RMT has fired here as everyone loses if there is a strike. We know our people are concerned about job security and pay.
“As a public body, we have been working to provide a salary increase that taxpayers can afford, and we continue to discuss this with our unions.
“We urge the RMT to sit with us and keep talking, not walking, so that we can find a compromise and avoid harmful industrial action.
“We are at a key point in the recovery of the pandemic railroad. The taxpayer has provided the industry with additional life support worth £ 16 billion over the last two years and that cannot continue.
Rail, Maritime and Transport union members protest in front of Tottenham Court Road station in London yesterday
Rail, Maritime and Transport union members protest in front of Tottenham Court Road station in London yesterday
“Any industrial action now would be disastrous for the recovery of our industry and severely affect the supply chains and vital commodities. It would also undermine our collective ability to pay the wage increases we want to make.”
Questions and Answers: What is causing the dispute and what is the likelihood of rail strikes this summer?
What is causing the problem?
Three railway unions (RMT, TSSA and ASLEF) want wage increases for their workers and will reverse up to 2,500 job cuts proposed by Network Rail. But the government, which should fund the lawsuits, wants the industry to save about £ 2bn as passenger numbers stabilize at around three-quarters of pre-Covid levels. As part of this, the vast majority of box offices across the country could close, raising tensions.
Are union demands piling up?
Not according to official figures. Over the past decade, the average income of train drivers has increased by 39 percent, well above the national average of 23 percent, or 15 percent of nurses. Train drivers earn an average of £ 59,000, compared to £ 31,000 for nurses and £ 41,000 for police officers. Railroad workers can also retire at age 62, before civil servants, nurses, and teachers.
The programs are generous, including automatic lump sums worth tens of thousands and annual pensions of around £ 40,000 for drivers. Official figures also show that only 12% of rates are now purchased at …