Rail workers to strike for another two days in August

Workers at Network Rail and 14 train operators are to strike for another two days in August in a row over jobs, pay and conditions, the RMT union has said.

Members of the union will walk out on 18 and 20 August.

The RMT had already announced a strike for 27 July, the day before the Commonwealth Games opens in Birmingham.

It comes after thousands of train operator and Network Rail workers walked out in a national strike in June – the biggest of its kind in decades.

Separately, train drivers at eight rail companies have also agreed to strike on 30 July in a dispute over pay, union Aslef has said.

During the strikes in August, some 40,000 workers across Network Rail are expected to walk out.

RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said the government and rail industry needed to understand that the “dispute will not simply vanish”, calling for a pay offer which “helps deal with the cost-of-living crisis, job security for our members and provides good conditions at work”.

Mr Lynch told the BBC’s Today programme that union representatives had “made some progress” with Network Rail on terms surrounding job security and other matters, but added the wages offered were “not good enough”.

“We have also got the problem that the train operating companies, which is half of this dispute [involving] 20,000-plus members, have not made any offer at all.”

Mr Lynch said he believed the public was “right behind us”.

“Everybody is getting poorer in this country and everyone deserves a pay rise,” he added.

He said the union was open for talks with rail companies and was planning to meet Network Rail bosses on Friday morning.

Andrew Haines, chief executive of Network Rail, said: “By announcing even more strike dates, the RMT has dropped any pretence that this is about reaching a deal.”

He said the best interests of passengers and staff is taking “second place to the union’s bosses’ political campaign”.

Earlier this week, Network Rail made workers a fresh offer of a two-year deal with a 4% pay rise in the first year, and up to 4% more in the second year if “modernisation reforms” are carried out.

Mr Haines previously said Network Rail could only fund a pay increase from its own budgets. He said it would only have enough money to do that by modernising the working practices.

A Department for Transport spokesman said the strikes will be a “kick in the teeth for millions of people”.

“As the secretary of state said only yesterday, recent talks have merely been for show while the RMT have been planning how best to create further misery for passengers across the UK.”

They said the rail industry “has to modernise and be brought into the 21st century” and “we’re extremely disappointed to see more strikes announced”.

The industrial action in June, Britain’s largest strike in 30 years, brought the rail network to a standstill or caused disruption.

The RMT held three strikes over a course of a week which severely disrupted services across the country.

Workers across London tube services also walked out for one day in June.

The Rail Delivery Group said it was a “hugely disappointing announcement” that would upset summer plans for passengers, undermine struggling businesses and “upend the industry’s recovery”.

“We want to give our people an increase in pay, but asking the taxpayer to shoulder more of the burden… isn’t fair or sustainable.”

They asked RMT’s leadership to continue talking to find a deal that works for “our people, our passengers and for taxpayers”.

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