RMT
members
employed
by
Network
Rail
have
voted
‘overwhelmingly’
to
accept
an
improved
pay
and
conditions
offer,
the
union
said
today.

It
added
that
in
a
turnout
of
nearly
90
per
cent,
its
20,000
Network
Rail
members
had
voted
by
76
per
cent
to
24
per
cent
to
accept
the
offer.

The
RMT
National
Executive
has
confirmed
that
the
vote
means
the
end
of
its
trade
dispute
with
Network
Rail.

The
settlement
includes
an
increase
of
salaries
of
between
14.4
per
cent
for
the
lowest
paid
grades
to
9.2
per
cent
for
the
highest
paid,
plus
a
further
increase
of
1.1
per
cent
for
all
grades.
Backpay
will
be
increased,
and
a
‘no
compulsory
redundancies’
agreement
has
been
renewed
until
January
2025.

Network
Rail
has
withdrawn
its
requirement
that
the
RMT
accepted
its
‘modernising
maintenance’
proposals,
and
staff
will
also
benefit
from
discounted
rail
travel.

RMT
general
secretary
Mick
Lynch
said
that
when
the
union
first
declared
its
dispute
with
Network
Rail
a
year
ago,
the
union
was
told
that
Network
Rail
workers
would
only
get
two
to
three
per
cent.

He
continued:
‘However,
since
then
strike
action
and
the
inspiring
solidarity
and
determination
of
members
has
secured
new
money
and
a
new
offer
which
has
been
clearly
accepted
by
our
members
and
that
dispute
is
now
over.’

However,
further
strikes
have
been
called
at
14
train
operating
companies
for
30
March
and
1
April.

Mick
Lynch
added:
‘Our
dispute
with
the
Train
Operating
Companies
remains
firmly
on
and
our
members’
recent
highly
effective
strike
action
across
the
fourteen
train
companies
has
shown
their
determination
to
secure
a
better
deal.

‘If
the
government
now
allows
the
train
companies
to
make
the
right
offer,
we
can
then
put
that
to
our
members
but
until
then
the
strike
action
scheduled
for
March
30
and
April
1
will
take
place.

‘The
ball
is
in
the
government’s
court.’

Transport
secretary
Mark
Harper
reacted
swiftly:
‘I
am
pleased
Network
Rail’s
RMT
members
have
voted
to
accept
a
fair
and
reasonable
5
per
cent
plus
4
per
cent
pay
offer
over
two
years
that
the
government
worked
hard
to
facilitate,’
he
said.

He
continued:
‘While
this
is
good
news,
unfortunately,
RMT
members
who
work
for
train
operating
companies
are
not
being
given
the
same
chance
to
bring
their
dispute
to
an
end.
That’s
because
the
RMT
has
refused
to
put
the
Rail
Delivery
Group’s
very
similar
offer
to
a
vote,
denying
these
members
the
pay
rise
they
deserve.

‘That’s
why
I
am
once
again
urging
the
RMT
to
call
off
their
upcoming
strikes
across
train
operating
companies,
put
the
Rail
Delivery
Group
offer
to
a
vote,
and
give
all
of
their
members
a
say.’