Network rail strike action email

[Editrain2]

Did anyone else who works for network rail receive the email from Andrew Hines - and what do you make of it…

I’ve attached their attachment…

 

[142blue]

Personally think a national strike, and action, is the worst thing the RMT can do

 

[JohntyRogers]

Personally think a national strike, and action, is the worst thing the RMT can do

Why so?

 

[nedchester]

Personally think a national strike, and action, is the worst thing the RMT can do

Yep the letter makes perfect sense and the reality is that the railway is in the financial brown stuff following Covid.

Strikes will reduce revenue to pay for services and ultimately pay for staff. The RMT think there’s a magic railway money tree.

 

[Starmill]

Is someone able to post a transcript of the letter please?

 

[Darandio]

Of course. Thank goodness for Google Lens!

RMT ballot for industrial action
If you're an RMT member invited to take part in the ballot, you're being asked to make a difficult decision. Make sure you have all the facts you need before you make your decision.
You are not obliged to vote and there is certainly no rush to make your decision. The ballot does
not close until Tuesday 24 May, so you have time to consider your vote and what is best.
What are the facts?
1. Strike action would cost us up to £30m a day in lost income. That will make our financial hole even deeper.
2. We want to help colleagues and are working hard to look at ways to deliver cash savings so we can afford to increase pay.
3. If you're on strike, you don't get paid. Every day of strike means you lose 0.4% of your annual pay. Five days of strike would be like having a 2 % pay cut. You should ask your trade union rep if they will be paying you strike pay. 4. We'll never make changes that make the railway less safe. Any changes will need to be approved by our safety regulator.
5. We have no plans to change Network Rail pension schemes.
6. Operations is not affected. Over several years we've continuously improved so we don't need
the reforms that we are looking for elsewhere.
7. If colleagues strike, our problems don't go away - they will get worse.
What's the alternative?
1. Our modernisation plans include financial provision for the payment of some performance related pay both for the last financial year and for this one. But that will only be possible if we make the necessary savings and don't incur the enormous costs of strike action.
2. We make cash savings by modernising, so a pay rise is possible.
3. Our costs don't keep increasing every year, so we're able to afford future pay rises and performance related pay.
4. The best way to guarantee jobs is to keep the railway running for passengers and freight
customers every day, without delays or cancellations. 5. We continue talking with colleagues and trade unions to find ways to modernise and deliver the cash savings.

 

[Starmill]

Fab thank you.

 

[Editrain2]

Here’s the actual email also..

Dear colleagues, The RMT is asking members across the rail industry, including Network Rail, to vote to strike over pay and the ideas for change we have been discussing with them to protect our railway. I'll be frank, any industrial action will have a devastating effect and would be a real own goal for our railway. We're facing a huge and immediate financial challenge. Fares from passengers are not consistently at even three quarters of pre-pandemic levels. Our costs have increased and as an industry we are billions of pounds in the red. The reality is, strike action would cost us up to £30m a day in lost income. That will make our financial hole even deeper and jeopardises everything we are doing to recover from the pandemic. I know it's been a tough two years, and right now everyone is feeling the effect of paying higher prices for food, goods and services. Many, many colleagues went above and beyond to keep the railway running during the pandemic and we are hugely grateful for everything you continue to do to help our railway recover and keep people and our freight customers moving. To attract future Government investment, we must show we can make long-term savings, win back passengers and grow rail freight. We must offer a service that is modern, reliable, safe and affordable. Put simply, we must show the country that rail means business. Strike action will only work to undermine this. If you're an RMT member invited to take part in the ballot, you're being asked to make a difficult decision. I urge you to take your time and think carefully about what's best for you. Make sure you have all the facts you need before you make your decision. You are not obliged to vote and there is certainly no rush to make your decision. The ballot does not close until Tuesday 24 May, so you have time to consider your vote and what is best. Understandably, some of you will be worried about industrial action causing bad feeling in teams. I'd ask everyone to be respectful of different points of view and make time to discuss the facts amongst yourselves and with your supervisor. If there is a strike or action short of strike, everyone loses. It would be damaging for you, your colleagues and for our railway. If you are a member of RMT, you are not obliged to vote, but if you do, I encourage you to vote no.​ Thank you and keep safe, Andrew​

 

[43066]

The RMT think there’s a magic railway money tree.

There’s seemingly a magic money tree that funds the ever increasing budgets of the NHS…

 

[Economist]

£17 billion on Covid loan losses, £5 billion of which is estimated to be fraudulent and the government is happy to write the whole lot off.

£37 billion on a Test and Trace system which offered very little tangible benefit.

Yet a pay rise for key workers who kept the country moving throughout the pandemic at arguably some risk to themselves is deemed too expensive. Give me a break...

 

[JonathanH]

£37 billion on a Test and Trace system which offered very little tangible benefit.

That includes setting up testing laboratories and all those lateral flow tests people took. Ironically, people were calling for free tests to continue to be made available. Nevertheless, you are right that it is a lot of money.

 

[Cowley]

For the sake of everyone’s sanity we’re not doing another union thread tonight.

I know that you all like each other and completely understand where each other is coming from really, so I’m sure you’ll understand...