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New strikes threat after RMT refuses latest offer




The
RMT
is
preparing
to
reballot
its
members
for
more
strikes



after
it
refused
the
latest
pay
offers
from
train
operators
and
Network
Rail
on
Friday
afternoon.



The
union
said
its
National
Executive
Committee
had
decided
to
reject
both
offers
on
the
basis
that
‘they
do
not
meet
members’
expectations
on
pay,
job
security
or
working
conditions’.



The
RMT
is
seeking
further
discussions,
but
general
secretary
Mick
Lynch
is
also
preparing
for
the
dispute
to
continue,
because
the
union
is
preparing
a
fresh
mambers’
ballot
when
the
existing
mandate
runs
out
in
May.



He
said:
‘We
have
carried
out
an
in-depth
consultation
of
our
40,000
members
and
the
message
we
have
received
loud
and
clear
is
to
reject
these
dreadful
offers.



‘Our
members
cannot
accept
the
ripping
up
of
their
terms
and
conditions
or
to
have
safety
standards
on
the
railway
put
into
jeopardy
under
the
guise
of
so-called
modernisation.



‘If
our
union
did
accept
these
offers,
we
would
see
a
severe
reduction
in
scheduled
maintenance
tasks,
making
the
railways
less
safe,
the
closure
of
all
ticket
offices
and
thousands
of
jobs
stripped
out
of
the
industry
when
the
railways
need
more
investment
not
less.



‘We
have
carried
out
an
extensive
listening
exercise
and
our
members
have
spoken.



‘It
is
now
time
for
the
employers
and
the
government
to
listen
to
railway
workers
in
their
tens
of
thousands.



’Our
industrial
campaign
will
continue
for
as
long
as
it
takes
to
get
a
negotiated
settlement
that
meets
our
members
reasonable
expectations
on
jobs,
pay
and
working
conditions.’



The
Rail
Delivery
Group
responded
that
not
only
passengers
but
‘many
hard-working
RMT
members’
will
be
‘deeply
dismayed’
by
the
failure
of
negotiations.
It
said:
‘We
removed
driver-only
operation
and
gave
an
improved
job
security
offer.
The
railway’s
financial
crisis
is
not
going
away.



‘The
RMT
leadership
must
now
accept
the
urgent
need
to
make
the
railway
fit
for
the
future
for
both
our
people,
and
the
communities
the
railway
serves.’

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