UK rail workers are set to strike again, within one month of previous industrial action, over an ongoing dispute over pay and working conditions, the RMT union has announced
The strike will last for 24 hours from 2am on 27 July. Members on the train operating companies (TOCs) will take action from 00.01 until 23:59, also on 27 July.
Union leaders announced the renewed action after turning down a new pay offer from Network Rail, which they described as “paltry”.
RMT claims it has “yet to receive a pay offer or guarantees over job losses from the TOCs”.
Mick Lynch, RMT general secretary, said: “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.
“We have made progress on compulsory redundancies. But Network Rail is still seeking to make our members poorer when we have won in some cases double what they are offering, with other rail operators.
“The TOCs remain stubborn and are refusing to make any new offer which deals with job security and pay.
“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, until we get a negotiated settlement.
“The public, who will be inconvenienced by our strike action, need to understand that it is the government’s shackling of Network Rail and the TOCs that means the rail network will be shut down for 24 hours.
“We remain open for further talks.”
The offer was for a 4% pay increase backdated to January, with an additional 2% in 2023 and a further 2% conditional on reaching certain “milestones”.
