Rail unions offered better pay deal to stop strikes, Transport Secretary confirms
RAIL unions have been offered a better pay deal to stop their strikes, the Transport Secretary confirmed yesterday.
Mark Harper said he has given operators a “revised mandate” in their negotiations with unions, including the RMT’s Mick Lynch.
It is understood to be an offer of a nine per cent pay rise over two years, four per cent now and then five per cent the following year.
Mr Harper told Sky News: “The train operating companies have got permission from me to make a new offer to rail unions.
“That is what they are going to be doing.
“That is what I was asked to do, that is my role in the process.”
But he refused to put an “artificial timetable” on when he believed a deal could be struck.
The RMT are still in dispute with Network Rail after a nine per cent offer with no guarantee of compulsory redundancies before 2025 was rejected, earlier this month.
Recently Mr Lynch claimed the Government was “losing the argument” by bringing in anti-strike legislation.