Railroad workers voted overwhelmingly to strike in a dispute over jobs, pay and conditions, the RMT union said.
The result was announced within four hours after the end of the voting of more than 40,000 railway workers.
RMT said: “Railway workers voted overwhelmingly in favor of strikes on Network Rail and train companies, as the biggest approval for industrial action by railway workers since privatization.
Of the 71 percent of eligible voters, 89 percent are on strike – representing 63 percent of the voted workforce and more than 25,000 workers.
RMT members working for Network Rail and 14 of the 15 train operators voted for “strike and strike-free action”.
Train operators whose RMT members voted for the strike include Avanti West Coast, Greater Anglia, GWR, LNER, Northern and South Western Railway.
LNER issued a statement saying: “We are aware of the potential industrial action announced by RMT. We will review the outcome of this proposed industrial action and provide updates on how this may affect LNER’s services. “
Employees working for the GTR – covering Southern, Thameslink, Gatwick Express and Great Northern – voted only in favor of a “strike-free action”.
RMT Secretary General Mick Lynch said: “Today’s huge approval from the railway workers is a justification for the union’s approach and sends a clear message that members want a decent increase in wages, job security and no mandatory cuts.
“Our NEC [National Executive Committee] they will now meet to discuss a strike schedule from mid-June, but we sincerely hope that ministers will encourage employers to return to the negotiating table and find a reasonable agreement with the RMT.
The union says it will now “require urgent talks with Network Rail and the 15 companies operating trains that were voted on to find a negotiated settlement on the pay, jobs and safety dispute.”
Andrew Haynes, CEO of Network Rail, said: “RMT skipped the gun here because everyone loses if there is a strike.
“As a public body, we are working on proposing a salary increase that taxpayers can afford, and we continue to discuss this with our unions.
“We call on RMT to sit down with us and keep talking, not walk, so that we can find a compromise and avoid harmful industrial action.
“We are at a crucial moment in the recovery of the railway from the pandemic. The taxpayer has provided the industry with additional life support worth £ 16 billion over the last two years and this cannot continue. Travel habits have changed forever, and the railroad also needs to change to adapt to this new reality.
“Any industrial action now would be disastrous for the recovery of our industry and would affect extremely important supply and cargo chains. It would also undermine our collective ability to afford the wage increases we want to make. “
Steve Montgomery, chairman of the Rail Delivery Group, representing train operators, said: “Our railways need to adapt to attract more passengers back and reduce our running costs. It is not fair to require taxpayers to continue to bear the burden when there are other vital services that need public support.
“No one wins when industrial action threatens to disrupt the lives and livelihoods of passengers and businesses and puts the recovery of industry at risk. We call on the management of RMT to act responsibly and talk to us in order to find a way to avoid the damage of industrial action and to ensure the long-term future of the industry.
“Every business wants to support its staff and the railway is no exception. All train operators want to offer their staff a salary increase and are working hard to make that happen. But as an industry, we need to change the way we work and improve productivity to help pay for our own way.
“Alternatives to asking taxpayers to take the burden after the government contributed more than £ 16bn to the industry during Covid, or asking passengers to pay even higher prices when they are struggling, are simply not fair.
Transport to Wales and ScotRail were not included in the RMT vote – but ScotRail is currently canceling 700 trains a day as a result of a dispute involving the Aslef drivers’ union.
The White Collar Union, TSSA, is threatening what its secretary general called a “summer of discontent.” Members are consulted before a possible vote on a strike if pay does not keep pace with inflation – which reached 9 percent last week.
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