Rail strikes: ‘Achievable’ salary deal between train companies and unions, says RMT boss Mick Lynch | Politics news

[ad_1]

Mick Lynch, president of the RMT union, said a deal between train companies and rail unions was “achievable”, as the biggest day of transport strikes causes travel hardships for commuters.

A meeting, convened by Railways Minister Hu Merriman, was held on Thursday to try to resolve the bitter row over wages, jobs and conditions, but failed to break the deadlock.

But Lynch indicated that a way forward could be found to avoid further rail strikes.

“I am always an optimist,” he told Sky News.

Labor wins another by-election – recent politics

“Dispute resolutions are about settlements. We understand what companies want and they understand what we need.

“So we need to make some concessions on some of the terms that they’re putting in the offer and we’ll need to improve the payment offer.

This is achievable in my opinion.”

RMT union members began another 48-hour strike today, after making no progress after Thursday’s meeting.

The union said that “further discussions” had been agreed upon but that “in the meantime, all industrial strikes remain”.

Please use the Chrome browser for an easily accessible video player

1:48 Strikes have hit rail services

Read more: Strikes every day before Christmas – which sectors have been affected and why nurses consider the biggest ‘turning point’ strike

The RMT union is involved in two disputes – one with Network Rail, in which it represents around 20,000 signalmen and maintenance workers, and the other with the Rail Delivery Group, in which it represents around 20,000 workers in 14 train companies.

Members of both groups will be striking today and tomorrow, and then on January 3, 4, 6 and 7. Network Rail’s RMT members will also be striking from 6.30pm on Christmas Eve until 6am on December 27th.

Mr Lynch said: “I know there are some very simple steps that employers can take together to find a solution to this.

“It means a logical approach – both sides take a position where they are some common positions.

“And I think we can do that in the coming period. And if it’s done very quickly, we can look at moving forward with the industrial work.”

Click to subscribe to Sky News Daily wherever you get your podcast

He added: “If they can communicate with us a little bit, we can maybe find some solutions.

“People have time now to make plans, and I hope they’re successful with that, and that we can make progress in these talks to maybe get some solutions in the next week or so.”

Members of Network Rail’s Salaried Transport Employees Association voted yesterday to accept the pay offer, but members at Avanti West Coast will continue their strike today.

Commuters across the rail network have been warned not to travel.

Lynch told Sky News that TSSA members who accepted a payment offer from Network Rail were “not affected by the changes” proposed.

“They’re supervisors and white-collar workers. They’re not doing the work that our members who are deeply affected by the changes, including the safety system, are doing, as the public will be,” said the RMT president.

“Whether they are in dispute or not does not really affect the course of the dispute. For our members, the proposals are completely inadequate at this time.”

Rail, bus and highway workers are among the hundreds of thousands of workers who have gone on strike this winter because of inflation and other cost-of-living pressures leaving their paychecks.

Among those on strike today are more than 900 employees of the Rural Payments Agency, DVSA staff in Scotland and Northern Ireland and Eurostar security guards.

[ad_2]