Rail workers represented by the TSSA are in favor of an increased pay offer from their employers even as a rival union rejected it and vowed to continue protesting.
(Bloomberg) — Rail workers represented by the TSSA are in favor of an increased pay offer from their employers even as a rival union rejected it and vowed to continue protesting.
The offer from 14 train operating companies was accepted by 80% of management grade members but only around 60% of members from other grades voted in favor. It will give guards and other on-board staff a 5% pay increase or a £1,750 ($2,092.7) raise — whichever is greater — for the current fiscal year, followed by a 4% increase next year.
The decision offers a ray of hope to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who is grappling with labor unrest across public services. His administration still needs to convince the bigger rail union, the RMT, which has decided to reject the same deal without putting it to a members vote and announced a string of national walkouts in March and April.
“This is a positive breakthrough which shows these disputes can be resolved when members are given an opportunity to have their say in a democratic vote,” said Steve Montgomery, the chairman of the Rail Delivery Group who negotiate on behalf of rail companies. Montgomery called again for the RMT to put the deal to members and reconsider rejecting it at the leadership level.
The TSSA, which has 18,000 members, has been agitating for nearly a year. The RMT represents more than 40,000 rail workers.
RMT members will walk out across 14 train companies on March 16 and 18, while its members at Network Rail, who work on the upkeep of the tracks, will strike on March 16 and 17. The RMT’s rail workers will also strike on March 30 and April 1.
(Updates with comments from RDG in fourth paragraph.)
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