Members
of
the
RMT
are
set
to
walk
out
again


on
three
days
in
March,
and
also
on
1
April.

The
union
represents
a
total
of
40,000
workers
in
Network
Rail
and
train
operators.
It
rejected
offers
from
the
employers
last
week,
saying
‘they
did
not
meet
the
needs
of
members
on
pay,
job
security
or
working
conditions’.

A
24-hour
strike
involving
most
English
operators
and
Network
Rail
has
been
called
for
16
March,
with
further
walkouts
by
the
staff
at
operators
set
to
follow
on
18
and
30
March,
and
again
on
1
April.

There
will
also
be
overtime
bans
at
Network
Rail,
which
will
include
no
rest
day
working
and
no
non-rostered
Sunday
shifts.

Maintenance
staff
will
take
action
a
week
at
a
time,
from
17
to
23
March,
again
from
31
March
to
6
April
and
for
a
third
week
between
14 and
20
April.
Operations
staff
will
ban
overtime
from
26
March
to
1
April,
from
9
to
15
April
and
from
23
to
29
April.

RMT
general
secretary
Mick
Lynch
said:
‘Rail
employers
are
not
being
given
a
fresh
mandate
by
the
government
to
offer
our
members
a new
deal
on
pay,
conditions
and
job
security.
Therefore,
our
members
will
now
take
sustained
and
targeted
industrial
action
over
the
next few
months.

‘The
government
can
settle
this
dispute
easily
by
unshackling
the
rail
companies.
However,
its
stubborn
refusal
to
do
so
will
now
mean
more
strike
action
across
the
railway
network
and
a
very
disruptive
overtime
ban.

‘Ministers
cannot
continue
to
sit
on
their
hands
hoping
this
dispute
will
go
away
as
our
members
are
fully
prepared
to
fight
tooth
and
nail for
a
negotiated
settlement
in
the
months
ahead.’

Transport
secretary
Mark
Harper
responded:
‘Just
days
after
denying
its
members
a
say
on
their
own
future,
the
RMT
leadership
is
now
trying
to
make
them
lose
multiple
days’
wages
through
yet
more
strikes.’

The
Rail
Delivery
Group
said:
‘This
latest
round
of
strikes
is
totally
unjustified
and
will
be
an
inconvenience
to
our
customers,
and
cost
our
people
more
money
at
a
time
they
can
least
afford
it.’
The
RDG
is
also
accusing
the
union
of
‘reneging’
on
an
earlier
agreement
that
the
industry
needs
reforms
to
fund
pay
increases.

Network
Rail
was
also
critical.
Its
chief
negotiator
Tim
Shoveller
said:
‘Thousands
of
employees
are
telling
us
they
want
the
improved
offer
that
we
have
tabled,
an
offer
worth
at
least
9
per
cent
over
two
years,
rising
to
over
14
per
cent
for
the
lowest
paid,
provides
job
security
with
no
compulsory
redundancies
and
75
per
cent
discounted
rail
travel.

‘But
instead
of
offering
members
a
democratic
vote
with
a
referendum,
the
RMT
leadership
is
hiding
behind
a
sham
“consultation”.’