Off The Rails's blog

A way forward for the national dispute

The RMT’s East Midlands Central branch in Nottingham held a special meeting on 22 January to debate the new offer from the RDG.

A summary of that discussion and the branch's proposal for further action are contained in the two attached resolutions. The key points call on the leadership of RMT to rej...

TOC drivers to strike again

Aslef has called further strikes on multiple TOCs, for 1 and 3 February. This means mainline drivers will be joining the mass coordinated strike on 1 February, ensuring that strike is spread to the rail sector and adding train drivers’ significant industrial leverage to the impact of that day. The...

A new deal on the TOCs?

A flurry of media reports towards the weekend asserted that the Rail Delivery Group, the body representing Train Operating Companies, was set to make a new offer to unions, having received a "mandate" from the government to do so.

Then followed a joint statement from RMT and RDG, which said "we...

Debate: how can we strike most effectively?

This article was written by a rail worker and reader of the Off The Rails blog as a contribution to debate about strategy in the national dispute. Want to write a response? Email awl@workersliberty.org with your thoughts.


With the national RMT dispute with Network Rail and 15 Train Operating...

Train drivers offered pay cut

Aslef sent a text out late afternoon on Friday 6 January to its members at TOCs involved in the current pay dispute. The text informed them that they were yet to be sent any pay offer by the Rail Delivery Group, Department for Transport or any rail employer.

So it seems the RDG has chosen to open...

After week of action, coordinate and escalate!

Another Aslef strike today (5 January) stopped trains running across multiple TOCs. RMT members at Network Rail and TOCs struck on 3-4 January, and will strike again tomorrow and Saturday (6-7 January).

It's been a de facto week of action in the rail industry, with a whole week of strikes having a...

Rail for London Infrastructure (Elizabeth line) workers to strike again

After a solid strike on 20 December, RMT members at Rail for London Infrastructure (RfLI) have announced further action for 12 January.

RfLI is a TfL subsidiary, set up specifically to provide engineering maintenance services to the signalling system for the new Elizabeth line. Workers are...

No backing down in national dispute

As Network Rail workers in RMT prepare to strike on 24, 26, and 27 December, the union has confirmed that further strikes due for January in the national dispute, involving both Network Rail workers and workers at Train Operating Companies, will take place.

This is absolutely necessary; any step...

Threat of strikes secures improved offer on Eurostar

Outsourced security workers at Eurostar called off planned strikes after contractor Mitie made an improved pay offer, representing 10.3% for most workers but up to 29% for the lowest paid.

The proposed settlement also includes an extension of guaranteed hours, plus a commitment from the employer to...

Keep up the cleaners' fight

RMT suspended cleaners’ strikes on national rail planned for 22-23 December at very short notice. The stated reason was that, due to the train service running down for Christmas Eve, the strike would have minimal impact.

But this doesn’t quite add up… why would the service running down on 24...

Aslef to strike again, but escalation and coordination needed...

Aslef has called a strike on 15 TOCs for 5 January. It is good further action has been called, and the timing will likely lead to a whole week of disruption given it’s sandwiched between RMT strikes on 3-4 and 6-7 January.

But Aslef has already held several 24-hour strikes and doesn’t seem any...

New Year's on the new line...

Elizabeth line bosses are scrambling around for staff to volunteer for the New Year’s Eve night service. The current offer on the table for staff to work between midnight and 07:00 hours is the usual Sunday rate (time-and-a-quarter) plus a £100 bonus.

This in effect works out just shy of double pay...

Time for a levy to fund sustained strikes?

With RMT members at Network Rail, TOCs, and outsourced cleaning contracts on national rail about to launch further strikes, Aslef members at TOCs and RMT members on LUL having voted to renew their industrial action mandates, and TSSA members at TOCs taking further action too, there's every...

Aslef drivers vote to renew mandate

Aslef drivers at multiple TOCs (see below for a list) have voted overwhelmingly to renew their mandate for industrial action.

The ballot saw a 93 percent vote in favour of action, on an average turnout of 85 percent.

The GS Mick Whelan responded to the results by saying "we don't want to go on...

A Network Rail worker writes: why I'm voting to reject the deal

I've voted no because:

- A £1,750 pay increase is - after tax and student loan and before pension - only an extra £78.88 in my pay packet.

- Over the three-year period (remember, this offer is for three years, not two, because 2021 is also included in this offer, with a 0% rise for most workers in...

Network Rail “offer” should be binned too

With Network Rail’s offer still miles away from union demands, RMT has rightly named more strikes, calling action from 24-27 December. It’s also put the offer, which entails below-inflation pay rises for 2022 and 2023, tied to acceptance of job cuts and restructures, to a referendum of members, with...

RMT rightly rejects insulting offer

Image: Appropriate storage place for the RDG’s latest offer.

RMT has rightly rejected the Rail Delivery Group’s offer to resolve the Train Operating Companies (TOCs) side of the national dispute.

The offer is for a four percent pay increase for 2021-22, and a further four percent for 2022-23. RMT...

TSSA members to strike again

TSSA members at Network Rail (Bands 5-8 and Controllers) and c2c, CrossCountry, East Midlands Railway, Southeastern, South Western Railway, TransPennine Express, and West Midlands Trains will strike on 17 December. TSSA members at Avanti West Coast will also strike on 13-14 and 16, as well as 17...

An offer we can't refuse?

Ongoing talks between the RMT and the Rail Delivery Group, the body negotiating on behalf of Train Operating Companies, plus recent meetings between Mick Lynch and new transport secretary Mark Harper and rail minister Huw Merriman, have raised hopes of a new offer on the TOCs side of the dispute...

ScotRail deal accepted

RMT members on ScotRail have voted by a 67.7 per cent majority to accept a new settlement on terms and conditions. The deal comprises a five per cent pay increase, plus an additional payment of £750. The minimum rate of pay has been increased to £10.50 per hour, and ScotRail has extended a no...

Rail for London (Elizabeth line) workers vote for strikes

RMT members employed as engineering workers by Rail for London Infrastructure (RfLI), the company which provides infrastructure engineering for the Elizabeth line, have voted for strikes over pay. The vote to strike was unanimous, on a 59 percent turnout.

RMT is a minority union at RfLI, with a...

Scargill says: don't cross picket lines!

Aslef drivers on multiple TOCs struck again on 26 November... but alone, without members of other rail unions, which are also in dispute, striking alongside them. Although their action significantly impacted the service, the impact would have been greater had workers struck together. Different...

RMT plans national strike after cleaners vote for action

Over 1,000 outsourced cleaning workers across multiple contracts on mainline Train Operating Companies (TOCs) will launch a national strike to win a £15/hour minimum wage, full company sick pay, and other improvements to terms and conditions.

Building on existing disputes involving cleaners...

Never cross a picket line - strike together on the 26th!

In a development that ought to surprise no-one, the "intensive negotiations" with Network Rail and the TOCs have resulted in no offer whatsoever from either. The RMT leadership's apparent faith that further talks, without the pressure of strikes, would produce better offers now looks naïve, and the...

After resounding ballot results, escalate the action!

RMT members at Network Rail and Train Operating Companies have made a clear statement that we want to fight on in our dispute over pay, jobs, and conditions by delivering massive majorities for continued industrial action in our recent re-ballots.

The mandate for action is larger than the one...

The strike wave in France

A worker and union activist at RATP, the Parisian equivalent of Transport for London, spoke at an online meeting hosted by Tubeworker and Off the Rails on 17 November, discussing the recent strike wave. He is a supporter of L'Etincelle, a revolutionary socialist tendency within the Nouveau Parti...

This website uses cookies, you can find out more and set your preferences here.
By continuing to use this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions.