The
Rail
Delivery
Group


has
welcomed
the
announcement
that
the
TSSA
is
to
put
the
latest
pay
offer
to
its
members,
by
holding
a
ballot.

The
union
said:
‘We
have
fought
for
months
on
pay,
job
security
and
conditions
in
the
face
of
a
cost
of
living
crisis
and
intransigence
from
government
ministers.

‘What
is
on
the
table
now
is
a
result
of
careful
negotiations
and
the
commitment
of
our
members
in
their
determination
to
demonstrate
our
collective
industrial
strength.

’Though
the
offers
represent
progress
on
a
number
of
fronts
we
will
continue
to
ballot
for
further
industrial
action
as
the
dispute
remains
live.’

The
Rail
Delivery
Group
responded
that
the
union’s
decision
was
‘encouraging’.
It
continued:
‘We
hope
that
our
TSSA
colleagues
will
consider
carefully,
vote
for
the
deal
and
end
this
dispute.

‘We
listened
to
the
union’s
concerns
in
response
to
our
initial
offer
and
we
have
addressed
them
–
including
increasing
our
offer
on
pay.
If
they
vote
yes,
TSSA
members’
pay
will
increase
by
at
least
9
per
cent
over
two
years
–
rising
to
13
per
cent
for
the
lowest
paid.

‘Having
negotiated
at
length
with
the
TSSA
to
agree
this
best
and
final
offer,
we
hope
that
our
colleagues
look
carefully
at
what
is
on
the
table
and
work
with
us
to
bring
an
end
to
this
dispute.
We
can
then
work
together
to
secure
a
thriving
long-term
future
for
a
railway
we
can
all
be
proud
of.’

Meanwhile,
members
of
the
RMT
are
set
to
walk
out
again
on
three
days
in
March,
and
also
on
1
April.

The
RMT
rejected
offers
from
the
employers
earlier
this
month,
saying
‘they
did
not
meet
the
needs
of
members
on
pay,
job
security
or
working
conditions’.