Further RMT strike action Friday 2 June

[N0G83]

Circulated on news outlets and here on RMT’s website

18 May 2023
RMT Press Office:
RMT members working for the 14 train companies in the national rail dispute will walkout on Friday June 2.
The union found the RDG’s previous offer and associated conditions unacceptable and despite contact between the parties since the strike on 13 May, no new proposals have been formulated for the RMT to consider.
The strike on June 2 will see 20,000 railway workers in catering, train managers and station staff all take action, affecting train services throughout the country.
RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said: "The government is once again not allowing the Rail Delivery Group to make an improved offer that we can consider.
"Therefore, we have to pursue our industrial campaign to win a negotiated settlement on jobs, pay and conditions.
"Ministers cannot just wish this dispute away.
"They underestimate the strength of feeling our members who have just given us a new 6-month strike mandate, continue to support the campaign and the action and are determined to see this through until we get an acceptable resolution.
"The government now needs to unlock the RDG and allow them to make an offer that can be put to a referendum of our members.

 

[Jamesrob637]

Expect Northern to run naff all on the 1st then even though they could and should provide 90% of services that day.

 

[pokemonsuper9]

Between RMT and ASLEF they're preventing a lot of rail travel during the half term break.

 

[ChrisC]

View attachment 135371
Between RMT and ASLEF they're preventing a lot of rail travel during the half term break.

Lots of people who were planing to travel on 31st May or 3rd June will have already changed their travel plans and hotel bookings, including many from Manchester attending the FA Cup Final, to travel on the 2nd June. I have cancelled a 9 night hotel booking for a holiday in Aberdeen as I was due to travel home on 31st May. I was going to try to stay extra nights and travel back on 1st or 2nd June but not now going to risk overcrowding and cancelled trains by trying to travel on 1st June. I’ve booked 5 nights in Liverpool next week instead, when there are no planned strikes.

 

[MikeWM]

View attachment 135371
Between RMT and ASLEF they're preventing a lot of rail travel during the half term break.

ASLEF overtime ban on the 1st June too, which I'd forgotten about until just now.

 

[CaptainHaddock]

Childish and vindictive action by the RMT. They're already striking on the Wednesday and Saturday of that week, how will striking on the Friday as well help their cause?

 

[footprints]

And when this strike action fails to achieve anything, just like all the rest, what next? Another week of lost wages for Glastonbury?

 

[dk1]

ASLEF overtime ban on the 1st June too, which I'd forgotten about until just now.

Me too lol

 

[Iskra]

It’s the workers and businesses that rely on customers arriving by rail that I feel sorry for in all this.

 

[pokemonsuper9]

ASLEF overtime ban on the 1st June too, which I'd forgotten about until just now.

I'd also forgotten, I don't write those down since they never end up affecting me.

 

[winks]

This all dampens the economic figures in terms of economic growth and consumer spending too. You would think the govt would allow the RDG to de-couple the pay years at the very least. Let year 1 go through without strings as people will need this money soon. Year 2 should be up for discussion but I do think it’s wrong to say the Unions cannot strike over any matter related to the agreement. Totally unreasonable.

 

[ARIC]

Childish and vindictive action by the RMT. They're already striking on the Wednesday and Saturday of that week, how will striking on the Friday as well help their cause?

The RMT aren't striking on any day but the Friday.

For some, the whole concept of striking is "vindictive and childish" - but they certainly aren't designed for passengers to feel happy about if that's what your issue is.

And when this strike action fails to achieve anything, just like all the rest, what next?

Unfortunately, there's a body of evidence that goes against your argument there - there's been (granted, often only slight) movement towards the RMT's goal after almost every round of strikes.

It's not rocket science to see that there's correlation between striking and getting closer to what you want - which is incredible seeing as most people (including myself) assumed that the RDG and DfT would want to "make an example" of the railways when it came to industrial action!

 

[CFRAIL]

Childish and vindictive action by the RMT. They're already striking on the Wednesday and Saturday of that week, how will striking on the Friday as well help their cause?

Different unions...

This all dampens the economic figures in terms of economic growth and consumer spending too. You would think the govt would allow the RDG to de-couple the pay years at the very least. Let year 1 go through without strings as people will need this money soon. Year 2 should be up for discussion but I do think it’s wrong to say the Unions cannot strike over any matter related to the agreement. Totally unreasonable.

This!

 

[JonathanH]

Childish and vindictive action by the RMT. They're already striking on the Wednesday and Saturday of that week, how will striking on the Friday as well help their cause?

When are they supposed to strike then?

As they put in their press release they think the government is acting as if the dispute will just fizzle out.

 

[ARIC]

there's been (granted, often only slight) movement towards the RMT's goal after almost every round of strikes.

...and I suspect this will be the next small movement forward for the RMT...

You would think the govt would allow the RDG to de-couple the pay years at the very least. Let year 1 go through without strings

 

[footprints]

It's not rocket science to see that there's correlation between striking and getting closer to what you want - which is incredible seeing as most people (including myself) assumed that the RDG and DfT would want to "make an example" of the railways when it came to industrial action!

Is "getting closer to what you want" the same deal that Mick Lynch recently described as "a pay offer based on mass job cuts and major attacks on terms and conditions"?

 

[Clarence Yard]

Decoupling Year 1? And there lies the problem.

The DfT attitude is there is no money for a pay rise in Year 1. You get a pay rise but you have to lose some conditions to pay for it. And if you do agree, you can’t strike again until those new conditions have been agreed.

There is genuine amazement at RDG level that the Unions have not put the offer to members, given the financial position of some members. They completely underestimate the feeling (rightly or wrongly) amongst a lot of the staff that if you give up the conditions, you are going to end up in a worse situation than now.

All the time the clock is ticking on the DfT rail budget.

 

[GalaxyDog]

Sorry, but if they had decoupled the Year 1 offer ie no terms and conditions, I think a lot more of us would have been amenable to year 2 discussions, as a lot of us figure that these can be worked out and compromised - not solid RMT wins but certainly not Tory/RDG bulldozer victories either - one example in the small print is Sundays. There's a clause saying that if TOCs have already prcedures for Sundays such as committed Sundays, these would be allowed to continue instead of full inclusion in the working week.Year 1 with no Ts and C strings was what was originally promised, until the DfT kyboshed it - then they playact surprised that we turned round and said non?

Also; why should groundworkers' terms and conditions be made worse so that they can financially survive the cost of living crisis exacerbated (not fully blamed, am aware of Ukraine etc etc) by this scum Tory government? I don't see Tory MPs changing their conditions every year they award themselves a grotesque 4-5k rise....

 

[JonathanH]

I don't see Tory MPs changing their conditions every year they award themselves a grotesque 4-5k rise....

Some of them are likely to be out of their job before 2025 though.

 

[350401]

The sad fact is that the government do not view the railways as any kind of priority; as shown by tonight’s Times article on GBR. They will let the railways keep striking, and then use the impact on the passenger numbers as evidence that the railways aren’t used enough to justify the current subsidy. The unions are acting as the DFT’s unwitting Co-executioners of the industry.

 

[ARIC]

Is "getting closer to what you want" the same deal that Mick Lynch recently described as "a pay offer based on mass job cuts and major attacks on terms and conditions"?

In comparison to the offer before the one you quote Lynch talking about? Yes. And that one was better than the one before that.

Progress towards a deal, that's what strikes have consistently achieved. That's why people continue to vote yes. They've been shown, categorically, that strikes move the negotiations in their favour.

 

[Smidster]

The beatings will continue until morale improves.

Another day of lost pay for these staff for nothing and more punishment for the regular traveller.

I have a trip in two weeks I can't cancel - I have already had to pay for an extra night and now probably have to leave three days in advance.

This has to stop.

 

[43096]

You would think the govt would allow the RDG to de-couple the pay years at the very least. Let year 1 go through without strings as people will need this money soon.

Why would they do that? Keeping the money as tight as possible for those on strike is a pressure to end the dispute. You're not going to give away that lever in return for nothing.

 

[shawmat]

There's no "RMT" or "Aslef" in "Teamwork". Yet a complex industry like the railways can only function, and can only attract customers, if the team works. The taxpayer is on the hook for an inordinate amount of money to keep the railways afloat until after the next election. Labour might win, and the railways might get nationalised, so goodbye high wages RMT/Aslef. Or the Tories might scape though, and they will have their revenge. Lots of closures. Does anyone win? Is there ANY upside for the RMT and Aslef members for their strike days? I don't think so.

 

[DaventryRabbit]

The sad fact is that the government do not view the railways as any kind of priority; as shown by tonight’s Times article on GBR. They will let the railways keep striking, and then use the impact on the passenger numbers as evidence that the railways aren’t used enough to justify the current subsidy. The unions are acting as the DFT’s unwitting Co-executioners of the industry.

I'll second that opinion.

 

[nanstallon]

There's no "RMT" or "Aslef" in "Teamwork". Yet a complex industry like the railways can only function, and can only attract customers, if the team works. The taxpayer is on the hook for an inordinate amount of money to keep the railways afloat until after the next election. Labour might win, and the railways might get nationalised, so goodbye high wages RMT/Aslef. Or the Tories might scape though, and they will have their revenge. Lots of closures. Does anyone win? Is there ANY upside for the RMT and Aslef members for their strike days? I don't think so.

Personally, I have no time for either the Tories or Labour, but as a taxpayer I don't like being treated as a mug. I believe the Tories will win the next election, and that will be bad news for the 'I've got a job for life and can do (or not do) what I like' brigade.

 

[shawmat]

Personally, I have no time for either the Tories or Labour, but as a taxpayer I don't like being treated as a mug. I believe the Tories will win the next election, and that will be bad news for the 'I've got a job for life and can do (or not do) what I like' brigade.

It will take many years to repair the damage of these strikes. Passengers sucked up several years of fare increases to pay for "investment" and now find their trust was unwarranted.

The subsidies are now so high that the "Luxembourg solution" might become viable. Which is: stop collecting fares. It isn't worth the bother. Run the railways as a free service, and pay RMT and Aslef members as though they are charity workers.

 

[Magdalia]

Yet a complex industry like the railways can only function, and can only attract customers, if the team works.

Absolutely. And it is 100% management responsibility to ensure that the team works.

 

[shawmat]

Absolutely. And it is 100% management responsibility to ensure that the team works.

I don't agree. Teams work by consensus, and that comes from leadership.

Managers don't lead, they implement

 

[father_jack]

Decoupling Year 1? And there lies the problem.

The DfT attitude is there is no money for a pay rise in Year 1. You get a pay rise but you have to lose some conditions to pay for it. And if you do agree, you can’t strike again until those new conditions have been agreed.

There is genuine amazement at RDG level that the Unions have not put the offer to members, given the financial position of some members. They completely underestimate the feeling (rightly or wrongly) amongst a lot of the staff that if you give up the conditions, you are going to end up in a worse situation than now.

All the time the clock is ticking on the DfT rail budget.

The first part of your statement CY is 100%.

The issue with RMT having a referendum once at the commandment of "RDG/government/whoever" is then at every twist and turn of the negotiations that it will then need a referendum !!!
The union rules which have worked for years really is the EC Executive Committee is trusted up to a certain point to lead. It's the constant propaganda from the MDs etc with "nothing" from the RMT when there really is nothing to report is what is getting to the members who in a social media age "demand" instant and continuous response.