RMT Extends Strike Action on Network Rail to Dec 24-27

[Bald Rick]

Mod Note: A number of posts have been moved from this thread. Posts #1 - #25 were originally in the linked thread, all posts from #41 onwards were in this thread, posts #26 - #40 were posted in both threads so may be slightly confused following merging.

More strikes announced.

 

[SuperLuke2334]

More strikes announced.

Can you please provide a link or dates?

 

[Goldfish62]

Just watched BBC News. The NR offer is being put to RMT members with the result being announced on 12th December, so no prospect of the full Christmas chaos being avoided even if members accept the offer.

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

More strikes announced.

Sky reporting this

RMT members will be balloted on whether to go ahead with strikes on 13-14 and 16-17 December, with the union's leader hitting out at a "poor" pay offer.


More strikes have also been announced from 6pm on Christmas Eve to 6am to 27 December.

Why are they balloting over next week again is interesting?

Also virtually no trains are running anyhow over Xmas and just denies those working Xmas bonus on project works

 

[SuperLuke2334]

Sky reporting this



Why are they balloting over next week again is interesting?

Also virtually no trains are running anyhow over Xmas and just denies those working Xmas bonus on project works

It would be a relief to most of us if they were to not go ahead, however its an interestingly odd move I must agree.

 

[Goldfish62]

Sky reporting this



Why are they balloting over next week again is interesting?

Poor reporting from Sky. It's an e-ballot on the NR offer. But crucially the NR strikes aren't being suspended while the ballot takes place.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I heard the 24th to 27th RMT (mostly guards) one announced on LBC just now. What on earth is the point of that? Services stop early on 24th anyway (they'll just stop a bit earlier, but presumably not that early as ASLEF aren't striking and ECSs don't require guards), there's no service on 25th and 26th, and the morning of the 27th will annoy a few people but not that many. I expect it'll kibosh Merseyrail's Boxing Day service but that's lightly used.

There must be a particular reason to announce an almost totally ineffective strike, but I'm struggling to see what that would be.

Is the idea to make a point by saying they'll still strike, but by putting in a basically useless strike they're hinting that there's room for negotiation now a (bad) offer has been made?

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

Poor reporting from Sky. It's an e-ballot on the NR offer. But crucially the NR strikes aren't being suspended while the ballot takes place.

At least they are putting it to NR staff but ops side might be OK with it but will the mtce side. Anyhow an e ballot should be doable in 48hrs.

 

[Goldfish62]

Further update! NR overtime and RDW ban cancelled:

https://twitter.com/philatrail/status/1599834322043031554?s=20&t=ZYsW5wRznyeoqPJTUEkJpA

Note to Mods: for some reason I can't copy and paste the text of the above right now.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Further update! NR overtime and RDW ban cancelled:

https://twitter.com/philatrail/status/1599834322043031554?s=20&t=ZYsW5wRznyeoqPJTUEkJpA

Note to Mods: for some reason I can't copy and paste the text of the above right now.

Phew, that is good news. The strikes are annoying but that sort of lengthy period could do serious damage to both the railway and the hospitality industry.

 

[SuperLuke2334]

Further update! NR overtime and RDW ban cancelled:

https://twitter.com/philatrail/status/1599834322043031554?s=20&t=ZYsW5wRznyeoqPJTUEkJpA

Note to Mods: for some reason I can't copy and paste the text of the above right now.

Is this a potential step towards RMT accepting NRs offer?

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

Further update! NR overtime and RDW ban cancelled:

https://twitter.com/philatrail/status/1599834322043031554?s=20&t=ZYsW5wRznyeoqPJTUEkJpA

Note to Mods: for some reason I can't copy and paste the text of the above right now.

 

[Sly Old Fox]

I heard the 24th to 27th RMT (mostly guards) one announced on LBC just now. What on earth is the point of that? Services stop early on 24th anyway (they'll just stop a bit earlier, but presumably not that early as ASLEF aren't striking and ECSs don't require guards), there's no service on 25th and 26th, and the morning of the 27th will annoy a few people but not that many. I expect it'll kibosh Merseyrail's Boxing Day service but that's lightly used.

There must be a particular reason to announce an almost totally ineffective strike, but I'm struggling to see what that would be.

Is the idea to make a point by saying they'll still strike, but by putting in a basically useless strike they're hinting that there's room for negotiation now a (bad) offer has been made?

I think the 24th to 27th strike is for Network Rail RMT members rather than TOC RMT members. Basically to stuff up the Christmas engineering works.

Is this a potential step towards RMT accepting NRs offer?

It is going out to the members to be voted on, with a recommendation to reject. I guess we’ll see how the members really feel next week when the ballot closes.

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

Is this a potential step towards RMT accepting NRs offer?

According to tweet RMT is recommending rejection. Suspect it will be close if its not split between ops and mtce but at least this avoids the industry going into complete meltdown over Xmas.

 

[Starmill]

I heard the 24th to 27th RMT (mostly guards) one announced on LBC just now. What on earth is the point of that? Services stop early on 24th anyway (they'll just stop a bit earlier, but presumably not that early as ASLEF aren't striking and ECSs don't require guards), there's no service on 25th and 26th, and the morning of the 27th will annoy a few people but not that many. I expect it'll kibosh Merseyrail's Boxing Day service but that's lightly used.

There must be a particular reason to announce an almost totally ineffective strike, but I'm struggling to see what that would be.

Is the idea to make a point by saying they'll still strike, but by putting in a basically useless strike they're hinting that there's room for negotiation now a (bad) offer has been made?

RMT have likely already maximised the damage to their members' wallets which is tolerable in the short term by putting four strike days in two consecutive pay periods, in addition to the overtime ban removing the opportunity to make some of it back. Therefore, they are unlikely to have anything in reserve to use up.

However, set against that, there is so much anger in the membership at Sunday's offer from the perspective of wholesale revisions to terms that the Executive may feel there's no option open to them otherwise than retaliation. Therefore declaring a very minimally effective strike was the only option left open to them.

That's just one line of reasoning however - if it doesn't apply to TOC staff then this may be irrelevant. Perhaps someone can clarify as searching Google I don't see the answer? Thank you.

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

I think the 24th to 27th strike is for Network Rail RMT members rather than TOC RMT members. Basically to stuff up the Christmas engineering works.

It won't stuff up the mega projects NR has too much invested in delivery of those and other than signallers taking the possession its largely in the hands of contractors. Also it just denies the staff the Xmas bonus payments anyhow which many would have planned for to help give them extra funds for other strike days. Seems tactically bad move by RMT.

 

[Starmill]

According to tweet RMT is recommending rejection. Suspect it will be close if its not split between ops and mtce but at least this avoids the industry going into complete meltdown over Xmas.

Is there a realistic chance of the vote being close if the Union are recommending against it?

 

[DDB]

Presumably cancelling Christmas works might put some projects a year behind. It seems unwise to me to do long term damage in what is hopefully a temporary dispute. Also seems very odd to cancel one set of industrial action while introducing a new one with as far as I can tell the same group?

Does the RMT represent planners? I would guess they aren't pleased at doing loads of work that now won't be needed?

If it is a no in the ballot does the other action come back as well?

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

RMT have likely already maximised the damage to their members' wallets which is tolerable in the short term by putting four strike days in two consecutive pay periods, in addition to the overtime ban removing the opportunity to make some of it back. Therefore, they are unlikely to have anything in reserve to use up.

However, set against that, there is so much anger in the membership at Sunday's offer from the perspective of wholesale revisions to terms that the Executive may feel there's no option open to them otherwise than retaliation. Therefore declaring a very minimally effective strike was the only option left open to them.

The T&Cs revision are targeted at the TOCs staff though not NR staff so they maybe less influenced by that.

 

[Starmill]

Presumably cancelling Christmas works might put some projects a year behind.

If a major job were cancelled, the resources probably won't be available to do it next Christmas.

 

[IrishDave]

I heard the 24th to 27th RMT (mostly guards) one announced on LBC just now. What on earth is the point of that? Services stop early on 24th anyway (they'll just stop a bit earlier, but presumably not that early as ASLEF aren't striking and ECSs don't require guards), there's no service on 25th and 26th, and the morning of the 27th will annoy a few people but not that many. I expect it'll kibosh Merseyrail's Boxing Day service but that's lightly used.

There must be a particular reason to announce an almost totally ineffective strike, but I'm struggling to see what that would be.

Is the idea to make a point by saying they'll still strike, but by putting in a basically useless strike they're hinting that there's room for negotiation now a (bad) offer has been made?

It's not guards, it's Network Rail RMT staff only who will undertake the strike on 24-27 Dec - so signallers and engineering staff out on the ground. And yes, it will have little impact on passenger trains, but that's not the point, I don't think.

This completely kills basically all Christmas engineering work. You need signallers in the boxes over Christmas to take the possessions and hand them back. If you can't take the possessions, you can't do the work. And if the engineering staff doing the work are on strike, then there's not much they can do anyway.

I can see the logic of their position - they have made it clear they are protesting at maintenance jobs being cut, so best to hit Network Rail when the biggest chunk of maintenance is being done. Not saying I agree with that, but there is a kind of logic there, I think.

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

Presumably cancelling Christmas works might put some projects a year behind. It seems unwise to me to do long term damage in what is hopefully a temporary dispute. Also seems very odd to cancel one set of industrial action while introducing a new one with as far as I can tell the same group?

The ten day projects need to go ahead and several won't need engineering trains so once the possessions are set up contractors can just get on with it.

 

[Goldfish62]

If it is a no in the ballot does the other action come back as well?

Only with 14 days notice.

 

[185143]

The thousands of conductors facing potential redundancy would disagree.

In other words, a significant amount of the RMT members expected to accept the "deal"!

 

[43066]

Clearly the DOO/DCO thing is being thrown in to a) provoke the RMT and b) break the relationship between the RMT and ASLEF. The next step will be offering ASLEF members a big fat pay rise but only the proviso that they accept DCO/DOO being added into their contracts.

Ahem...

Mindful of @ainsworth74 ‘s request, so perhaps best not to develop this any further for now, but ASLEF have today confirmed they are not currently having any discussions re. DOO in their negotiations with the RDG.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

The BBC is reporting that RMT has extended its strike action to include the period 1800 Dec 24 to 0600 Dec 27.
As there will be next to no passenger services running in this period, the action looks squarely to impact Network Rail's Christmas engineering work, for which there will be no/little signalling cover.
They are also saying no improved offer was tabled by RDG today for the NR dispute.

December train strikes: Extra walkouts planned over Christmas

The new walkout threatens to hit celebrations and travel over the festive weekend.

www.bbc.co.uk

Further rail strikes have been scheduled over Christmas, with the RMT union confirming planned industrial action will still go ahead.
It will be instructing its members not to work from 18:00 on 24 December until 06:00 on 27 December.
The action is being taken over a long-running dispute over pay, jobs and conditions.
Strike action set to begin next week, with dates in December and January, will go ahead as planned, the RMT said.
Industrial action will be held across four 48-hour periods on 13-14 and 16-17 December, and 3-4 and 6-7 January, as well as over the key festive period.
Mick Lynch, general secretary of the RMT union, said that said no improved offer on pay and working conditions came from the Rail Delivery Group (RDG) on Monday as the ongoing row continues.

 

[DanNCL]

Of course if the Network Rail offer is accepted, the disruption wouldn't quite be as severe as in previous strikes, as TOCs such as GTR that aren't striking would still be able to run, and services such as Tyne & Wear Metro wouldn't be prevented from accessing Network Rail infrastructure like they have been in the most recent strikes.

 

[Bayum]

It’s making a nightmare of travelling in a day without strike action. Though I love travelling and I love London, I’m wholly supportive of the strike action. Will have to see what the strike timetable holds when it gets drafted for Friday!

 

[dk1]

The BBC is reporting that RMT has extended its strike action to include the period 1800 Dec 24 to 0600 Dec 27.
As there will be next to no passenger services running in this period, the action looks squarely to impact Network Rail's Christmas engineering work, for which there will be no/little signalling cover.
They are also saying no improved offer was tabled by RDG today for the NR dispute.

December train strikes: Extra walkouts planned over Christmas

The new walkout threatens to hit celebrations and travel over the festive weekend.

www.bbc.co.uk

Very clever move by the RMT. The £££Millions now committed to much of the Christmas engineering programme will be thrown down the drain without adequate signalling & other NR staff cover.

 

[Peregrine 4903]

Overtime ban getting cancelled is big news.