Rail Dispute Update: 13th May 2023 Latest update: Members in Train Operating Companies taking strike action on 13th May ▪
Rail union, RMT will launch strike action across 14 train operators on May 13th after rejecting the latest offer from the Rail Delivery Group.
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On 4th May, RMT announced that it had won a massive renewed mandate for further strike ction in its re-ballot, required under anti-trade union laws. All the ballots passed the 50 per cent participation threshold imposed by the government’s anti-trade union laws and included massive votes for further strike action. On an average turnout of nearly 70%, over 90% backed strike action.
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The strike action is taking place after the Rail Delivery Group, under pressure from the government, reinterpreted their original proposals and torpedoed negotiations.
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RMT suspended action scheduled for 30 March and 1 April after the employers tabled a complex two-year offer, comprising 5% for the first year, conditional on entering a dispute resolution process and 4% for the second year on condition of ‘successful conclusion of meaningful discussions’ around proposals for workforce reforms at local level.
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On 27th April the employers issued a ‘clarification’ saying that the 5% for the first year would only be payable if RMT terminated its industrial mandate, meaning no further strike action could take place over jobs pay and conditions, including the workplace reform agenda.
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Consequently, RMT announced that it would take action on 13th May, the last day of its mandate, ahead of the re-ballot return.
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Meanwhile the government is pressing on with plans to ban strike action, introducing legislation which gives the Secretary of State the power to impose Minimum Service Levels during industrial action, even though the government’s own impact assessment has said this could lead to more strike action and different types of industrial action
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At the same time as attacking workers’ right to strike and their jobs, terms and conditions, the Government has continued to protect the private train operators’ ability to profit from the publicly funded rail network. RMT recently reported that the Government had permitted two private rail companies to pay dividends totalling £82 million during