Members of the RMT union in Network Rail have voted to accept a pay offer, it has been announced.
The largest rail union said their Network Rail members “overwhelmingly” voted to accept an improved deal.
The union said its 20,000 members voted to accept a “new and improved offer” covering pay, jobs and conditions by a margin of three to one.
Although they have agreed a deal with Network Rail, it does not mark an end to their dispute with train operating companies.
RMT said key features of the offer include an uplift on salaries of between 14.4% for the lowest paid grades to 9.2% for the highest paid.
There is also a total uplift on basic earnings between 15.2% for the lowest paid grades to 10.3% for the highest paid grades. This represents an additional 1.1% over the duration of the deal,
RMT said the offer included increased backpay and a renewal of a no compulsory redundancy agreement until January 2025.
The union’s general secretary Mick Lynch said that when they first declared the dispute a year ago in the Spring of 2022, RMT was told that Network Rail workers would only get two per cent to three per cent.
“However, since then strike action and the inspiring solidarity and determination of members has secured new money and a new offer which has been clearly accepted by our members and that dispute is now over,” he said.
“Our dispute with the train operating companies remains firmly on and our members recent highly effective strike action across the fourteen train companies has shown their determination to secure a better deal.
“If the government now allows the train companies to make the right offer, we can then put that to our members but until then the strike action scheduled for March 30 and April 1 will take place. The ball is in the government’s court.”
Transport secretary Mark Harper said he was “pleased” Network Rail’s RMT members voted to accept a “fair and reasonable” pay offer that the government “worked hard to facilitate”.
The Tory MP added: “While this is good news, unfortunately, RMT members who work for train operating companies are not being given the same chance to bring their dispute to an end. That’s because the RMT has refused to put the Rail Delivery Group’s very similar offer to a vote, denying these members the pay rise they deserve.
“That’s why I am once again urging the RMT to call off their upcoming strikes across train operating companies, put the Rail Delivery Group offer to a vote, and give all of their members a say.”