Rail Workers To Strike On Bank Holiday Monday

Network Rail workers are to strike over bank holiday Monday, it has been announced.

The strike will be held on 25 May and last for 24 hours.

The UK-wide action will see signallers, maintenance staff and station workers strike in a row over pay. The action follows a vote for industrial action by members of the union RMT. It is the thought to be the first UK-wide rail strike in 20 years.

Mick Cash, RMT General Secretary, said Network Rail had left members with "no option but to move to a rolling programme of industrial action."

Members have rejected a four-year deal, worth around £500 per worker this year, which would then be followed by three years of increases matching inflation, plus a no compulsory redundancy commitment for the next two years.

Mr Cash added that the proposals by Network Rail are "wholly inadequate".

Network Rail has said it will endeavour to do anything possible to keep services going if strikes go ahead.

Mark Carne, Chief Executive of Network Rail, added: "It cannot be right that the unions can hold the country to ransom in this way.

"Our employees have received pay rises eight times higher than other public sector workers over the last four years and have now been offered a deal for the next four years that is unmatched elsewhere.

"Despite the very clear need to modernise our railways, we have offered a guarantee of no compulsory redundancies for the next two years. The unions have also rejected a number of proposals that would boost productivity, removing our ability to offer them more.

"We will do everything we can to keep our railways moving during these times of uncertainty and to stop the RMT from behaving in a way that will cause untold misery to our passengers and will hurt the economy."

(JP)