Railway engineering workers are to stage a series of 48-hour strikes in a dispute over pay, the RMT union has said.
More than 100 workers at the infrastructure company Balfour Beatty will walk out from 3-5 March, 10-12 March and 17-19 March, after rejecting a 5.5% pay offer.
The RMT general secretary, Mick Lynch, said: “These highly skilled workers have had enough of not being offered a decent wage rise.
“The cost of living crisis has affected all workers and our members are not prepared to pay the price while the company enjoys huge revenues. Balfour Beatty is a highly profitable company and they need to use some of their excess wealth to reward their workers properly.”
The latest strike dates come two days after the RMT announced further national rail strikes in March and April.
The union’s 40,000 members across Network Rail and 14 train operators will strike on 16 March. Train staff will stop work for three further days, on 18 and 30 March and 1 April.
The RMT’s Network Rail members will also start an overtime ban lasting a total of six weeks in maintenance and operations, which the union warned would prove disruptive to the railway.
Responding to the latest round of national strike dates, the transport secretary, Mark Harper, said: “Just days after denying its members a say on their own future, the RMT leadership is now trying to make them lose multiple days’ wages through yet more strikes.
“Our railways are not currently financially sustainable and these best and final offers would have given workers what they want and, crucially, the passengers what they need.”
2023-02-18 06:32:44
Article from www.theguardian.com
The Rail, Maritime and Transport Union (RMT) today announced plans for a 48-hour strike of its rail engineers in March in a dispute over pay.
The strike, which is due to begin just before midnight on March 8 and last until March 10, follows an overwhelming vote by union members in favour of industrial action in response to rail operators refusing to increase wages for rail engineers.
The dispute is centred around the pay, and in particular pay progression, for train engineers. RMT General Secretary Mick Cash explained: “The flexibility and commitment of our members has kept the country moving under huge pressure during the pandemic and it is only right that their dedication and loyalty is rewarded with a share of the fair pay increase which has been secured by other transport workers.”
He went on to highlight the huge gap between managers and front-line staff salaries:”The pay inequality between managers and front-line staff on the railway is now at an unacceptable level and needs to be immediately addressed through a substantial pay rise for our members.”
RMT urged operators to “come back to the negotiating table with a genuine offer of substantial pay increases to end this dispute” and praised the union’s members for their commitment and dedication to rail in the face of Covid pressures.
The 48-hour strike is due to take place amongst rail engineers working for companies such as Avanti West Coast, Greater Anglia and CrossCountry. Should this industrial action take place, disruption for rail users may be expected. The operators involved are expected to make further statements at a later date.