Rail unions

The AGM of the RMT rail union (Bournemouth, 23-27 June) unanimously adopted a resolution from the union’s Bakerloo line branch committing RMT to call a national demonstration

An RMT union reps’ meeting on 30 May produced a strong consensus for further strikes in the long-running London Underground dispute over jobs, pensions, and conditions. Early July was mentioned as a timeframe, but we’re past the point where the union would have had to notify such dates. Transport for London (TfL) is committed to pension changes, London Underground (LUL) is rolling out cuts including “Trains Modernisation”... where’s the union response? Meanwhile, LUL’s latest pay offer to our unions is for a 4% increase, covering 2023-2024. The amount is well below inflation. The RPI rate of...

Rail and Tube workers started the current strike wave, back in March 2022 (Tube) and June 2022 (rail Train Operating Companies (TOCs) and Network Rail). A year later, the Tube and TOCs disputes are deadlocked, and Network Rail has settled on a bad deal, but workers remain determined to defy government-directed attempts to restructure jobs and worsen conditions. Representatives in the RMT union (the main union in the industry and the only all-grades union) from the mainline Train Operating Companies (TOCs) in dispute over pay and conditions met on 14 June, with a strong consensus for resuming...

By most statistical measures — levels of union density; number of members covered by collective bargaining agreements; numbers of workplace reps — workers in the railway, including the London Underground, and in the postal service can be considered among the best organised in Britain. They are also able to hit their bosses’ or the government’s income directly by strikes, unlike most public service workers. Despite ostensibly extensive strikes, neither group has been able to win victories in their 2022-3 campaigns, while gains have been won by some weaker-placed workers. Why? Part of the reason...

The text below is a statement circulated among RMT members in the Train Operating Companies for a change in direction and pace to win the dispute. Our year-old industrial action strategy for the TOC dispute has not delivered an acceptable deal. Recent comms from the union leadership have sought to talk up the gains we’ve made and suggest that there are now only two ways for the dispute to go: carry on as before or TOC by TOC negotiations. As expressed by an overwhelming majority of TOC reps at a meeting in January there is a third way; escalate the action. Multiple branches representing...

RMT union reps and activists on London Underground met on 30 May to discuss how to implement their 96% majority vote for continued industrial action in their dispute to defend staffing levels, pensions, and agreements. The union is expected to name dates for action in the coming weeks, and also plans further public activity outside stations aimed at building public support. London Underground Ltd (LUL) and Transport for London (TfL) bosses have recently significantly escalated attacks by announcing an intention to move the TfL pension scheme into the Local Government Pension Scheme, which has...

Pay talks on the Elizabeth Line in London continue at a snail’s pace, with an extra 0.5% over the previous offer. A further meeting is scheduled for 11 June and patience is starting to wear thin on the ground. There is a growing mood that we need to escalate, potentially with the threat of a ballot to force the company’s hand. Our reps say it’s too soon to ballot, as we haven’t received the “final” offer. But how often have we seen a “final” offer suddenly improved after strikes? London Overground staff have informed bosses that if they don’t receive a decent offer before the end of May then...