Rail union plans national strikes to break pay freeze
Rail union RMT has declared disputes with Network Rail and 17 separate Train Operating Companies, and plans to ballot its members for strikes to break a rail industry pay freeze and defend jobs and conditions. The announcement represents a meaningful step forward, in terms of a major national union taking an offensive, combative stance around cost-of-living issues. TOCs have imposed a pay freeze since January 2021, when Tory rail minister Chris Heaton told them there was “no budget” for increased subsidies to finance pay increases. A statement from the government’s Rail Delivery Group said:...