Rail workers accept deal to end long-running pay dispute
RMT members have voted overwhelmingly to accept a deal to end their long-running dispute over pay and conditions, the union announced.
General Secretary Mick Lynch said: ‘Our members have spoken in huge numbers to accept this unconditional pay offer and no compulsory redundancies until the end of 2024.
‘I want to congratulate them on their steadfastness in this long industrial campaign.
‘We will be negotiating further with the train operators over reforms they want to see. And we will never shy away from vigorously defending our members terms and conditions, now or in the future.
‘This campaign shows that sustained strike action and unity gets results and our members should be proud of the role they have played in securing this deal.’
The National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT), Britain’s biggest transport union, have been engaged in a series of strikes and industrial action since May 2022 over wages and planned changes to working practices.
They have been supported in their strikes by train drivers’ union ASLEF and the Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association (TSSA), who are still engaged in industrial action and have not yet accepted a pay deal.
ASLEF train drivers will walk out next month as part of a long-running dispute over pay, while London buses will also be impacted for three days.
Transport Secretary Mark Harper said: ‘This is welcome news for passengers and a significant step towards resolving industrial disputes on the railway, giving workers a pay rise before Christmas and a pathway to delivering long overdue reforms.
‘It remains the case that the train drivers’ union Aslef continue to block their members from having a say on the offer that would take train drivers’ median salaries from £60,000 to £65,000 for a 35-hour, four-day week.
‘Aslef should follow the RMT’s lead and give their members a say.’
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