The
RMT
has
reacted
to
the
latest
pay
offer
from
the
Rail
Delivery
Group
by
calling
another
strike
of
its
Network
Rail
members.

The
stoppage,
from
18.00
on
Christmas
Eve
to
05.59
on
27
December,
will
affect
travellers
during
the
late
afternoon
and
evening
of
Christmas
Eve,
because
there
are
no
National
Rail
trains
on
Christmas
Day
and
very
few
on
Boxing
Day,
but
projects
at
more
than
300
worksites
over
the
holiday
period
are
now
set
to
be
disrupted.

Network
Rail’s
chief
negotiator
Tim
Shoveller
said
the
union
is
‘playing
fast
and
loose
with
people’s
Christmas
plans
and
the
new
strike
dates
announced
deliberately
target
vital
engineering
work
designed
to
improve
the
railway’.

RMT
general
secretary
Mick
Lynch
said:
‘We
remain
available
for
talks
in
order
to
resolve
these
issues
but
we
will
not
bow
to
pressure
from
the
employers
and
the
government
to
the
detriment
of
our
members.’

Strikes
of
48
hours
already
called
for
13-14
and
16-17
December
will
go
ahead,
and
these
will
affect
train
operators
as
well
as
Network
Rail.

Transport
secretary
Mark
Harper
responded:
‘It’s
incredibly
disappointing
that,
despite
a
new
and
improved
deal
offering
job
security
and
a
fair
pay
rise,
the
RMT
is
not
only
continuing
with
upcoming
industrial
action
but
has
called
more
strikes
over
Christmas.

‘It’s
especially
disappointing
given
the
TSSA
union
has
described
this
new
and
improved
deal
as
the
“best
we
can
achieve
through
negotiation”
and
called
off
strikes.

‘The
government
has
played
its
part
by
facilitating
a
fair
and
decent
offer
but,
by
instructing
its
members
to
reject
it,
the
RMT
has
failed
to
play
its
part
and
our
rail
network
now
faces
more
harmful
disruption
rather
than
helpful
discussion.’

The
offer
which
the
RMT
has
rejected
consisted
of
a
‘framework
agreement’,which
would
have
funded
pay
increases
of
up
to
8
per
cent
for
the
pay
awards
in
2022
and
2023.
The
RDG
had
said
‘changes
to
working
practices’
were
also
part
of
the
deal,
and
unconfirmed
reports
have
claimed
that
these
include
many
more
trains
without
conductors,
when
their
doors
would
be
operated
by
the
driver.
Even
recently-built
main
line
trains
include
door
controls
in
the
driver’s
cab.

Meanwhile,
the
RMT
is
putting
a
new
offer
from
Network
Rail
to
its
members
in
an
electronic
referendum,
accompanied
by
a
recommendation
to
reject.
This
ballot
will
close
on
12
December
at
midday.