The
RMT
is
considering
a
‘best
and
final’
pay
offer,

which
train
operators
made
last
night.

It
includes
increases
of
five
and
four
per
cent
for
2022
and
2023
respectively,
along
with
proposals
to
adapt
the
railway
to
allow
for
‘significant
changes’
in
demand.

The Rail
Delivery
Group said
staff
who
are
paid
below
a
certain
threshold
will
receive
a
guaranteed
£1750
in
the
first
year,
while
pay
would
be
backdated
to
the
relevant
2022
pay
award
date,
so
that
eligible
staff
benefit
from
a
lump
sum
payment
as
soon
as
possible.

The
RDG
also
said
that
staff
are
guaranteed
no
compulsory
redundancies
until
at
least
31
December
2024,
compared
with
the
previous
date
of
1
April
2024.

The
operators
have
stepped
back
from
the
previous
demand
that
trains
should
operated
by
drivers
only,
saying
only
that
‘train
operating
companies
could
separately
make
proposals
to
update
and
revise
current
on‐board
roles
–
for
example
reflecting
the
use
of
new
on-board
technology
for
station/driver
dispatch
processes’.

Other
elements
include
a
new
‘multi-skilled’
job
description
for
station
staff,
who
would
be
‘trained
and
better
equipped
to
take
on
a
range
of
responsibilities
aimed
at
better
meeting
the
needs
of
customers‘.

There
would
also
be
‘station
groups’
so
that
staff
would
be
able
to
move
between
stations
if,
for
example,
there
were
staff
shortages
or
where
less
able
passengers
needed
assistance.

Other
key
parts
of
the
deal
are
new
conditions
applying
to
Sunday
working
and
the
use
of
part-time
contracts
and
flexible
working
rosters
and
patterns.
The
RDG
pointed
out
that
Sunday
travel
has
increased
significantly
since
the
Covid-19
pandemic.

RDG
chair
Steve
Montgomery
said:
‘This
is
a
fair
offer
that gives
RMT
members
a
significant
uplift
over
the
next
two
years
–
weighted
particularly
for
those
on
lower
incomes
who
we
know
are
most
feeling
the
squeeze
–
while
allowing
the
railway
to
innovate
and
adapt
to
new
travel
patterns.
It
also
means
we
can
offer
our
people
more
varied,
rewarding
careers.

‘With
taxpayers
still
funding
up
to
an
extra
£175
million
a
month
to
make
up
the
shortfall
in
revenue
post-Covid,
we
urge
the
RMT
to
put
this
offer
to
its
members
so
we
can bring
an
end
to
this
damaging
dispute.’

The
union
has
acknowledged
the
offer.
RMT
general
secretary
Mick
Lynch
said:
‘The
National
Executive
Committee
will
be
considering
this
matter
and
has
made
no
decision
on
the
proposals
nor
any
of
the
elements
within
them.

‘We
will
give
an
update
on
our
next
steps
in
due
course.’

At
the
moment,
the
RMT
is
still
set
to
stage
a
strike
of
its
driver
members
on
1
February,
while
the
drivers’
union
ASLEF
will
be
calling
out
its
members
for
two
24-hour
stoppages
on
1
and
3
February.