RMT members reject harmonisation terms

RMT rail union members have overwhelmingly rejected the terms proposed by Network Rail for bringing maintenance workers onto a single structure for pay and conditions. The union and employers have been attempting to agree on harmonising the 50-plus different sets of terms and conditions for the last three years. Rail maintenance workers were brought back in-house by Network Rail but had previously worked for a number of independent contractors under separate contracts.

In the last year, demands for cuts by the rail regulator led to talks being “hijacked” by managers “who saw harmonisation as an opportunity to attack pay and conditions as part of their £3 billion cuts plan,” according to Bob Crow, RMT general secretary.

“Because the rail regulator said they needed big changes, they introduced home start, multiskilling, 24-hour call-out and moving to a productivity related pay deal. There was pay protection but they wanted a lot of additional things for the same money,” said Mick Cash, senior assistant general secretary. One spokesperson described the proposals as a “the worst aspects of modern management techniques”.

The rejection of the deal leaves workers on their previous terms and conditions. According to Cash, the RMT believes Network Rail “will try to cherry-pick bits of the current package, buy off people and get it done through the back door.” The union wants to bring employers back to the negotiating table within a year.