UK rail union chiefs see little prospect of deal to end strikes

The bosses of three UK rail unions said they’re a long way from resolving disputes over pay and conditions with employers, suggesting months of damaging strikes are set to drag on.

Appearing before the House of Commons Transport Committee on Wednesday, the chiefs of the RMT, the train drivers’ union Aslef and the TSSA were asked to rate how close to a resolution they were in their disputes, on a 1 to 10 scale. Committee chair Iain Stewart described 1 as representing “you remain on different planets.”

“I think you can include zero in your 1-10,” Aslef General Secretary Mick Whelan replied. “We’re further away than when we started.” 

TSSA boss Frank Ward said he agreed with Whelan, while RMT chief Mick Lynch said “we haven’t got an agreement and until we get an agreement we’re not close to it really.”

Speaking later to the same committee, the employers were more optimistic about resolving the standoff.

Steve Montgomery, chair of the Rail Delivery Group, which represents train companies, said there’s an opportunity to move forward in talks with the RMT and TSSA with further discussions on Thursday, while there’s “more work” to do in dealing with Aslef.

Tim Shoveller, the chief negotiator for Network Rail, said it only has an ongoing dispute with the RMT, after reaching agreement with the TSSA and Unite unions in December. He rated the chances of achieving a deal with the RMT at 7, saying “there’s every chance by some very carefully targeted discussions” reaching a resolution.

Cost of Living

Still, the divide in expectations between the industry and unions suggests there’s little prospect of a quick end to industrial action that’s dragged on for months, snarling journeys for commuters and disrupting travel over the Christmas period. The unions are demanding bigger pay rises in the face of double-digit inflation that’s driven a record cost-of-living squeeze, and are pushing back against changes to working conditions demanded by train companies and the government.

The rail strikes are part of a wider pattern of industrial action that’s dogging Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s administration across industries including public transport, the National Health Service and the Border Force, as unions protest against real-terms cuts in pays. The government on Monday organized a series of meetings between ministers and unions involved in the various disputes, but so far has failed to stem the workforce unrest.