► Negotiations
between
train
operators
and
two
rail
unions
have
broken
down
again,
and
both
the
RMT
and
ASLEF
have
called
more
24-hour
strikes.

► RMT
members
at
most
English
train
operators
are
set
to
walk
out
on
13
May,
while
drivers
belonging
to
ASLEF
are
due
to
strike
on
12
and
31
May,
and
also
on
3
June.

► The
Rail
Delivery
Group
said
it
had
been
‘blindsided’,
while
transport
secretary
Mark
Harper
accused
the
RMT
of
‘snubbing’
passengers.

There
had
been
detailed
discussions
between
the
unions
and
the
Rail
Delivery
Group,
but
without
result.

RMT
general
secretary
Mick
Lynch
said:
‘The
RDG
have
reneged
on
their
original
proposals
and
torpedoed
these
negotiations.

‘No
doubt
their
decision
is
due
to
pressure
exerted
on
them
by
the
Tory
government.

‘Therefore,
we
have
no
alternative
but
to
press
ahead
with
more
strike
action
and
continue
our
campaign
for
a
negotiated
settlement
on
pay,
conditions
and
job
security.

‘We
are
re-balloting
our
members
and
if
we
beat
the
draconian
anti-trade
union
laws
on
turnout,
we
will
have
a
renewed
mandate
for
action.

‘We
will
then
put
on
a
further
programme
of
strike
action
to
make
the
employers
and
the
government
who
continue
to
hold
the
puppet
strings,
see
sense
in
this
dispute.’

Railnews
understands
that
the
RMT
had
been
considering
a
new
offer
from
the
RDG,
but
that
the
union
claims
that
its
hands
have
been
tied
by
the
conditions
surrounding
a
first
year
payment
of
5
per
cent,
which
would
only
be
payable
if
the
union
then
‘terminated
its
industrial
mandate’
–
in
other
words,
promised
to
stage
no
more
industrial
action
when
Stage
2
discussions
had
begun.
The
union
said
‘discussions
which
are
part
of
the
offer
made
by
the
employer
would
then
have
to
begin
without
the
union
having
any
industrial
leverage
at
the
negotiating
table’.

Meanwhile,
drivers
belonging
to
ASLEF
are
set
to
strike
on
three
days
in
May
and
June.
ASLEF
said:
‘Most
of
the
drivers
have
not
had
a
pay
increase
at
all
since
2019
and
with
inflation
still
well
over
10
per
cent
and
the
cost
of
living
spiralling,
this
is
not
acceptable.

‘Train
drivers
and
ASLEF
as
a
union
are
in
favour
of
modernising
the
industry.
We’re
keen
to
negotiate
on
a
range
of
industrial
issues
that
would
make
running
the
railway
more
efficient.
Lots
of
modernisation
and
changes
to
how
drivers
work
have
already
been
agreed
at
different
companies
–
everything
from
using
tablet
computers
to
Sundays
being
part
of
the
standard
working
week.
These
agreements
were
made
because
negotiations
took
place
in
good
faith
and
drivers
were
compensated
fairly.’

It
continued:
‘Drivers
won’t
accept
modernisation
forced
upon
them
with
no
compensation,
and
they
won’t
accept
a
return
to
draconian
Victorian
conditions
or
being
expected
to
work
harder,
for
longer,
for
less.
All
workers
deserve
better
than
that.’

RDG
chair
Steve
Montgomery
said:
‘We
are
blindsided
by
the
RMT
executive’s
announcement
–
nothing
has
changed
in
the
offer
agreed
two
weeks
ago
by
the
RMT
leadership
in
the
negotiating
room.

‘The
RMT
are
negotiating
in
bad
faith,
again
denying
their
members
a
say
on
a
fair
pay
deal,
needlessly
disrupting
the
lives
of
millions
of
our
passengers,
and
undermining
the
viability
of
an
industry
critical
to
Britain’s
economy.’

Transport
secretary
Mark
Harper
was
also
critical,
saying:
‘Passengers
have
been
forced
to
endure
the
RMT’s
strike
action
for
almost
a
year,
yet
the
RMT
executive
is
intent
on
continuing
to
force
its
members
to
lose
even
more
pay.
That’s
despite
having
a
best
and
final
offer,
similar
to
the
pay
offer
their
Network
Rail
members
recently
voted
to
overwhelmingly
accept.

‘By
yet
again
denying
their
members
a
chance
to
have
a
say,
and
then
striking
over
the
UK’s
first
Eurovision
event
in
25
years
the
RMT
are
simply
further
snubbing
the
very
passengers
they
serve.’

The
RMT
strike
on
13
May
will
coincide
with
the
Eurovision
final
in
Liverpool,
which
is
being
held
on
behalf
of
Ukraine.

The
Rail
Delivery
Group
said
the
ASLEF
walkouts
were
‘disappointing’.
It
continued:
‘More
strike
action
is
totally
unnecessary
and
will
only
heap
more
pressure
on
an
industry
already
facing
an
acute
financial
crisis.
Senselessly
targeting
both
the
final
of
Eurovision
and
the
FA
cup
final
is
disappointing
for
all
those
planning
to
attend.

‘After
many
weeks
of
negotiations
with
the
ASLEF
leadership
today,
we
made
a
revised
and
fair
offer
including
a
pay
rise
of
8
per
cent
over
two
years.
It
would
have
introduced
overdue,
common-sense
improvements
already
in
place
in
parts
of
the
network,
which
would
will
see
more
trains
running
on
time
for
passengers.
Sadly,
this
has
been
rejected.

‘We
urge
the
ASLEF
leadership
to
re-join
us
at
the
negotiating
table
and
work
with
us
to
find
a
solution
to
the
issues
our
industry
faces
and
so
we
can
give
our
people
the
pay
rise
we
have
always
said
we
wanted
to
do.’