RMT signals, maintenance members accept new pay offer

Rail signal workers and maintenance staff in the RMT union have voted to accept a pay offer from Network Rail.

The decision ends a the long-running dispute over pay, jobs and working condition, but RMT members who work for 14 train operating companies are still due to walk out on March 30 and April 1.

RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said the dispute was now over, but said union members at the train operating companies would continue to strike unless they received the "right offer".

"The ball is in the government's court," he added.

Network Rail amended its previously rejected offer of a 5% pay rise for 2022 and a 4% increase this year with this year's pay increase backdated by three months, meaning workers end up with a bigger lump sum upfront. The package also included heavily discounted leisure travel.

The RMT said the offer amounted to an uplift on salaries of between 14.4% for the lowest paid grades to 9.2% for the highest paid.

Reporting by Frank Prenesti for Sharecast.com