Pay and conditions

Cleaners on Merseyrail, employed by outsourced contractor Churchill, struck from 7-8 August.

Image source here. The threat of strikes over the weekend of The Open golf championships forced concessions on pay from Merseyrail. Workers rejected an initial 4% pay rise, and announced strikes for 18-20 July. The bosses quickly returned to the table with a new offer, proposing a 7.25% backdated...

RMT members working for Network Rail have voted, by a 76-24 majority, to accept a pay settlement based on a 3.8% increase.


RMT members working for Network Rail are being balloted for a 3.8% pay rise. The ballot ends on Thursday 15 January.

Today (18 December), Network Rail bosses met with negotiators from trades unions representing rail workers (RMT, TSSA and Unite) and offered a paltry pay rise of just 3.5%.

RMT members who work for Network Rail in general grades and the non-management bands are currently being balloted on whether to accept the latest pay offer. The referendum is being conducted online and finishes at 10am on 20 May.

The start of April has seen the cost of living rise sharply for many. Council tax, water bills, gas bills and electricity bills have all been hiked upwards. Many workers at Network Rail, however, are still awaiting their pay increase due back in January.

After rejecting a pay offer that falls well below the union's demand for £15/hour (and included a load of "productivity" strings to boot), cleaners on TransPennine Express have voted by a 90% majority to strike.

Avanti West Coast train managers will now strike on 31 December, 2 January, and every Sunday until 25 May.

Train managers on Avanti West Coast will strike on 22, 23, and 29 December, in a dispute over rest-day working arrangements.