RMT confirm extra strikes over festive period with industrial action planned on Christmas eve
5 December 2022, 19:08 | Updated: 5 December 2022, 20:09
Extra rail strikes have been scheduled over the Christmas period, with the RMT union confirming that previously planned industrial action will still go ahead.
The union will be instructing its members not to work from 18:00 on 24 December until 06:00 on 27 December.
The action is being staged over a long-running dispute over jobs, pay, and conditions.
The RMT said industrial action set to begin next week, with dates in December and January, will proceed as planned.
Industrial action falls across four 48-hour periods on 13-14 and 16-17 December, and 3-4 and 6-7 January, and will also hit key days in the festive period.
General secretary of the union Mick Lynch said there hadn't been an improved offer on Monday from the Rail Delivery Group (RDG) - which represents train operators - as the dispute continues.
Mr Lynch said it was "unfortunate that that union had been compelled to take this action".
He added: "We remain available for talks in order to resolve these issues but we will not bow to pressure from the employers and the government to the detriment of our members."
At the weekend, the RMT rejected an initial offer from the RDG, which represents train operators.
The group put forward changes to working practices which it said would contribute to funding a 4% pay rise for staff this year.
This would be backdated to the start of the financial year, and be followed by further 4% next year.
These changes include closing or repurposing ticket offices, with workers having new "multi-skilled" roles and Sunday working where it's not already in place.
Other proposals by the group included drivers operating the train doors in more areas, though it insisted that guards would remain on board.
The offer also said there would be a guarantee of no compulsory redundancies until April 2024, The BBC reported.
Its offer is separate to negotiations taking place with Network Rail, which maintains the railways throughout Britain and employs maintenance and signal workers, which represent about half the workers involved in the dispute.
Yesterday, Network Rail made to its staff what it said was its "best and final" offer, it included no compulsory redundancies for workers in its general grades and controllers until 31 January 2025, as well as 5% pay rise this year and 4% next year.
The union put a new offer from Network Rail to its members today in an electronic vote which closes next Monday - the union has recommended that its workers reject that offer.
