Workers at Britain’s rail network operator on Monday voted overwhelmingly in favor of accepting a pay deal to end a long strike, union RMT said.
The government called the deal, backed by 76% of RMT members, “good news” after several strikes since last year have caused severe hardship for millions of commuters.
According to the Ministry of Transport, employees including signaling and maintenance will receive an additional 4% on top of the 5% increase over two years.
The RMT’s general secretary, Mick Lynch, described the deal as a rise of 14.4% for minimum-paid workers and 9.2% for top-paid workers.
It also includes increased late payments, a mandatory no-resignation agreement until January 2025 and rail travel concessions.
UK Transport Secretary Mark Harper has urged the union to offer a “very similar” offer to its other members who work at the 14 private companies that run the railways.
Rail workers were the first to strike in the UK’s public and private sectors last year against below-inflation pay rises as the cost of living rose.
Next week, two more strike days are planned for RMT members working in railway companies.
“The ball is in the court of the government,” which is expected to offer a new deal, Lynch said.
Last week, public health professionals’ unions accepted a 5% pay rise after government negotiations.
Its members, which include nurses, paramedics, emergency call workers, doulas and others, are expected to vote on the package and have so far called off planned strikes.
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© Agence France-Presse
