Net Rail 'pay deal' and the RMT

[21C101]

Im just wondering what the politics behind this.

A nationalised company with a known militant union representing its staff offering 0% at a time when it will likey result in industrial action in a general election campaign. Is it:

NR management trying to impress on government that they will continue to set their own pay policy.

Government deciding now NR is nationalised they will impose government policy

A Tory Government imposing crap pay rise in the hope strikes in an election campaign damaging Labour.

NR management deciding they are going to manage and take on RMT at the most politically iffy time to do so.

NR shroud waving at government in response to imposed funding cuts

C*ckup

Other?

 

[Sanatogen]

There's also a feeling that Mick Cash is being tested.

 

[Legzr1]

The RMT's summary of the offer is:



So I think that means this year they have a guarantee they'll keep their jobs but no pay rise. In future years there's a guarantee of a pay rise but no guarantee people won't be made redundant.

Don't make the mistake of confusing 'no redundancies' with 'no compulsory redundancies'

All NR have to do is offer a job on the south coast for Scottish employees knowing that no-one will take up the offer therefore making themselves voluntarily redundant.

It's a game played many times.

 

[Flamingo]

Im just wondering what the politics behind this.

A nationalised company with a known militant union representing its staff offering 0% at a time when it will likey result in industrial action in a general election campaign. Is it:

NR management trying to impress on government that they will continue to set their own pay policy.

Government deciding now NR is nationalised they will impose government policy

A Tory Government imposing crap pay rise in the hope strikes in an election campaign damaging Labour.

NR management deciding they are going to manage and take on RMT at the most politically iffy time to do so.

NR shroud waving at government in response to imposed funding cuts

C*ckup

Other?

Probably all of the above, a pie chart would cover it nicely.

 

[Mojo]

Im just wondering what the politics behind this.

A nationalised company with a known militant union representing its staff offering 0% at a time when it will likey result in industrial action in a general election campaign. Is it:

<snip>

I'm not sure how far progressed the talks at Network Rail are, but surely it's all a standard part of negotiation, i.e. the company starts low, the union starts high and both parties work out a sensible agreement?

It sound similar to the first offer LUL made to the unions (in this case it's all unions, not just RMT) which was for 0.5% this year, RPI next year plus two one-off payments of £250 in return for all night running.

 

[Agent_c]

Given that Inflation today was announced as being zero, sounds like its not just a zero one year deal after all....

 

[theironroad]

While February's CPI came in a 0% today, rpi was 1%. So it seems that nr want to cut the pay of their staff in real terms, as that is what this is- a pay cut. Good to see the 93% result and a majority turnout as well.

 

[Flamingo]

While February's CPI came in a 0% today, rpi was 1%. So it seems that nr want to cut the pay of their staff in real terms, as that is what this is- a pay cut. Good to see the 93% result and a majority turnout as well.

Sounds like strong feelings, allright.

 

[the sniper]

And NR staff are on considerably higher salaries, along with T&C, than TOC staff.
But then, other than drivers, the unions pay lip service to TOC staff.

A very sweeping statement... Platform staff at New Street for example only get £200 more per annum than the London Midland equivalent grade. NR get £21,677 according to this, LM platform staff at Tamworth are on £21,465 according to this. I can't see that NRs T&Cs are any better for this grade, certainly their travel perks are much worse.

I pretty sure Virgin's dispatchers at WVH and BHI are on more money than both of those.

They were letting any Network Rail staff buy the 16-25 railcard, regardless of age.

They're still having a laugh. It's bad enough that they can't get PRIV facilities, fobbing them off with a 16 to 25 Railcard is almost an insult to these railwaymen...

 

[AntoniC]

I feel for them, but as another said previously, this is happening to *nearly* everyone else.

In my case I am a Civil Servant of 26 years, and I have suffered a pay freeze for the last 3 years.

Pay awards have been given to me over the last years , but they have all been non-consolidated, ie my base pay hasnt increased and neither do they count towards my pension.

So, I feel sorry for them BUT this is the world of work we now live in.

 

[carriageline]

Just because no one else has the back bone or the union to stand up for themselves and their T&Cs doesn't mean everyone else should lay on their back and take it. I do understand and sympathise with the people year on year getting no extra.

And when I said everyone else was getting pay rises, most of the TOCs, and the "big 4" maintenance companies have all got 4-5% pay rises.

And we was never told about the railcard. All we was told is we get one of the publicly available railcards. All over the intranet people were saying how useless it was for most people, yet not one person (management or otherwise) corrected us and said it was available to EVERYONE

 

[ringi]

If you don't like this get a new job with TOCs, or one of the "big 4" maintenance companies.....

It will not take long for the message to get across to NR!

 

[Llanigraham]

If you don't like this get a new job with TOCs, or one of the "big 4" maintenance companies.....

It will not take long for the message to get across to NR!

Oh dear!! :roll::roll:
If you haven't realised it, the TOC's don't employ signallers, or P'way bods, or S & T Technicians!!

 

[LowLevel]

I feel for them, but as another said previously, this is happening to *nearly* everyone else.

In my case I am a Civil Servant of 26 years, and I have suffered a pay freeze for the last 3 years.

Pay awards have been given to me over the last years , but they have all been non-consolidated, ie my base pay hasnt increased and neither do they count towards my pension.

So, I feel sorry for them BUT this is the world of work we now live in.

Only if you take it. So long as managers and executives receive pay rises the shop floor should too. If not then action is required - it should be everyone or no one.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

If a Labour government came into power, would all immediately be all "sweetness and light" in the matter of this thread?
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

There's also a feeling that Mick Cash is being tested.

Perhaps, if the Labour Party were to be elected to power, he could be given the position of Chief Advisor to the Secretary of State for Transport...:roll:

 

[ADRboy]

If a Labour government came into power, would all immediately be all "sweetness and light" in the matter of this thread?
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Well it's NR's pay offer, not Labour's.

Not sure if you're aware that RMT don't fund Labour anyway as a party.

 

[21C101]

Well it's NR's pay offer, not Labour's.

Not sure if you're aware that RMT don't fund Labour anyway as a party.

And Unite (aka Transport and General Workers Union) which the Bus and Truck drivers generally belong to is I belive by far Labours Biggest funder.

 

[WatcherZero]

Yeah, though only 1/2 of the Unions members are former members, 1.2m came from Amicus.

 

[plastictaffy]

Damn right they should have turned it down. 0% is an absolute insult - and as for the 33% discount on rail tickets goes, they should tell NR to shove it. Why shouldn't NR staff get free travel?? The rest of us that only work for the companies that rent the track staff do.

 

[Bald Rick]

Only if you take it. So long as managers and executives receive pay rises the shop floor should too. If not then action is required - it should be everyone or no one.

Quite right.

And this is the first year for a while where managers and executives at Network Rail are likely to be offered the same pay rise as the 'shop floor'.

Thing is, for the managers the rise has been lower than the shop floor (and inflation) for at least 3 years.

 

[AnonymousUser1]

That is fair enough, but seeing as everyone else is getting (in my mind anyway) damn good rises, I can't see how it is any different.

in the same way the health sector unions forget aobut the rises that were locked in before Brown 'abolished boom and bust' so dramatically in 2008 ...

 

[Muttley]

The current offer is 0% this year, then RPI for the next 2-3 yeara

...and seeing as NR reneged on a multi-year pay deal a few years ago, only a fool would trust them and vote for a pay rise next year.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Well it's NR's pay offer, not Labour's. Not sure if you're aware that RMT don't fund Labour anyway as a party.

Is not Network Rail still a state-owned company, limited by guarantee? It was in that respect that I made my comment query of a Labour Party that may be returned to power after the next General Election and as such, not being beholden to the ethics of the past ones espoused by New Labour, but those of the Labour Party from a time period prior to that, would be then sympathetic to the aspirations of the union members of ANY trades union movement.

Of course I am, even at my advanced age with recovery from a major stroke in 2012 still ongoing, still aware of the political realities of the Trades Union movement that so occurred and of the reasons why these took place.

 

[bengley]

LUL offered us 0.5% this year, the year of the Night Tube. More work for £150 extra a year!