Government response

Transport Secretary condemns rail strike action

Patrick McLoughlin condemns RMT rail strikes.

• From: Department for Transport and The Rt Hon Sir Patrick McLoughlin
• Published: 28 May 2015

This was published under the 2015 to 2016 Cameron Conservative government

This news article was withdrawn on 18 August 2021

The proposed strike of June 2015 were suspended.

Keep informed about the June 2015 rail strike.

Secretary of State for Transport Patrick McLoughlin has condemned new plans for Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union rail strikes as totally unreasonable.

Patrick McLoughlin said:

Millions of hardworking people will be disrupted by this unnecessary and unreasonable strike action. I condemn it wholeheartedly and urge the union to reconsider.

Over the past 4 years Network Rail staff have enjoyed pay rises 8 times higher than other public sector workers. By any measure RMT members already get a fair deal.

It is very disappointing that RMT has now rejected a deal delivered through Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS) talks that the union’s leadership agreed was a reasonable offer.

The government will do everything it can to help keep people and goods moving during the strike.

The offer that has been rejected:

• 2015: 1.0% increase, consolidated, with minimum £250
• 2016: 1.4% increase, consolidated, plus up to a further 0.7% available subject to agreement on productivity measures
• guarantee of no compulsory redundancies for the 2 year period

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Published 28 May 2015