NETWORK RAIL REVISED OFFER REJECTED

Network Rail members participated in their thousands in live debates through the RMT democratic structures and overwhelmingly gave our executive a clear message that we regard the “revised” offer as being the same offer in principle as the one rejected in December's referendum, highlighting the point that the revisions only apply to a small number of workers in particular areas.

We have sent a clear message that we remain vehemently opposed to and wish to continue to fight Modernising Maintenance. Network Rail's plans to meet £400m DFT mandated 'savings' are clearly unsafe, unhealthy for our members and unworkable without any contingency plan for when things inevitably go wrong. It is a recipe for disaster.

Indeed, when RMT met with the Office of Rail and Road (ORR), they concurred with us over many of these very concerns.

The membership has shown that they know that these plans to cut jobs and slash maintenance and inspection tasks in half, and to impose huge changes to working arrangements without agreements, will lead to a crisis in safety on our railway.

Their only solution to tackle any contingency planning is to flood the railway with subcontractor usage which many of us will recall was a major contributing factor to Potters Bar and other rail disasters. Is that where they want to take us? We have already seen broken rails only being picked up by chance where maintenance inspections have been slashed.

As Network Rail are hellbent on forcing through these changes our NEC have instructed the General Secretary to prepare a legal challenge against any imposed changes to conditions of employment, and to write to the company noting outstanding responses have not been received suspending local consultation and to fail to agree in all route councils.

As with the separate TOC dispute it is our members who decide whether they wish to accept any offer, but it is clear that the offer does nothing to address the three fundamental points members were balloted on; namely, Jobs, Pay and Conditions. RMT will communicate to members the availability of dispute fund payments which can be applied to members facing financial hardship due to industrial action.

We deserve better, and we must stand united until the end.

Next Strike Dates

TOCs

Thursday 16th March

Saturday 18th March

Thursday 30th March

Saturday 1st April

Network Rail

Thursday 16th March

Overtime bans (Network Rail only)

Ops: 26th-March-1st April, 9th April-15th

April, 23rd April-29th April

Maintenance: 17th March-23rd March, 31st

March-6th April, 14th April-20th April