LONDON (Reuters) – Workers at British rail operators and Network Rail will strike on July 27 following a “paltry” pay offer, the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers [RMT] said on Wednesday.
Last month Britain’s rail network was brought close to a standstill as tens of thousands of rail workers walked out in what unions said was the biggest rail strike in 30 years.
The RMT said Network Rail, the owner and infrastructure manager of most of the rail network in Britain, had made an offer of 4%, followed by a possible 4% the following year dependent on staff accepting changes to their terms and conditions.
“The offer from Network Rail represents a real terms pay cut for our members and the paltry sum is conditional on RMT members agreeing to drastic changes in their working lives,” RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said in statement.
“Strike action is the only course open to us to make both the rail industry and government understand that this dispute will continue for as long as it takes.”
Earlier this week British rail and transport workers from two other unions also voted in favour of strike action as the threat of more disruption continues to loom across transport network.
The Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen (ASLEF) and the Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association (TSSA) have not yet announced proposed dates for their industrial action.
(Reporting by William James and Farouq Suleiman, Editing by Kylie MacLellan)
