The
RMT
union


is
hoping
to
hear
from
the
Rail
Delivery
Group
this
week
following
a
letter
from
the
union’s
general
secretary
Mick
Lynch,
in
which
he
sets
out
a
path
to
a
negotiated
settlement
in
the
long-running
dispute
over
pay
and
conditions,
and
which
the
union
is
describing
as
a
‘road
map’.

The
dispute,
which
began
in
the
spring
of
2022,
is
set
to
cause
more
disruption
later
this
week,
when
20,000
RMT
members
at
train
operators
in
England
are
being
called
out
for
48
hours
over
Friday
and
Saturday.

Drivers
belonging
to
ASLEF
are
also
walking
out
on
Friday,
and
will
be
refusing
to
work
overtime
the
following
day.

Train
operators
have
been
warning
that
most
lines
in
England
will
be
closed
on
Friday
and
that
services
will
be
’limited’
on
Saturday,
where
they
run
at
all.

In
his
letter
to
the
RDG,
which
was
sent
just
before
the
Bank
Holiday
weekend,
Mick
Lynch
wrote:
‘I
believe
that
both
parties
are
of
the
view
that
we
need
to
navigate
a
way
through
the
dispute
and
from
the
RMT’s
position
that
would
mean
the
following
suggested
stages:
a
1-year
pay
proposal
for
all
companies
covering
the
year
2022-23,
with
an
underpin,
backdated
to
the
relevant
anniversary
dates
in
2022.
A
guarantee
of
no
compulsory
redundancies.
An
undertaking
that
discussions
with
RMT
within
the
companies,
including
formal
consultations
and
negotiations,
will
be
deferred
until
the
outcome
and
determination
from
the
ticket
office
closures
consultation
has
been
provided
by
the
Government
and,
in
any
case,
that
these
discussions
will
not
commence
before
1
December
2023.

‘A
commitment
that
in
the
interim,
ahead
of
1
December
2023,
each
Train
Operating
Company
will
provide
to
the
RMT
in
writing,
their
full
agenda,
and
details
of
“Workforce
Reform”
proposals
for
all
functions
and
grades
that
they
are
seeking
to
apply
within
their
organisations.
A
commitment
that
the
existing
collective
bargaining
structures
and
processes
in
each
company
will
be
respected
and
adhered
to
in
full
including
consultation
and
negotiation
as
appropriate
to
the
matters
in
scope
and,
if
necessary,
use
of
Avoidance
of
Dispute
processes.
A
commitment
that
pay
negotiations
for
the
year
2023–2024
will
commence
from
1st
December
2023.’

He
continues:
‘In
using
the
above
staged
programme,
I
believe
that
we
can
bring
clarity
to
everyone
in
the
industry,
that
they
will
receive
a
pay
increment
for
the
previous
year
2022-23,
with
a
guarantee 
of 
employment 
going 
forward,
and 
that 
all 
of 
the 
change 
agenda 
that
the
companies
wish
to
propose
will
be
known
in
full
and
then
addressed
appropriately
through
the
respective
machineries
in
each
of
the
companies.

‘I
am
aware
of
your
initial
view
of
the
suggested
programme,
but
I
do
request
that
full
consideration
is
given
by
the
RDG
and
DfT
to
this
suggested
means
and
that
you
respond
to
this
initiative
next
week.’

The
Rail
Delivery
Group
has
yet
to
publish
its
response.