RMT members rejected an offer of 4 per cent this year followed by inflation plus 0.25 per cent for subsequent years of the wage agreement as MPs debated Tory backbencher Dominic Raab’s Ten-Minute Rule Bill intended to make it harder for transport workers to strike.
The RMT said it is seeking, instead, a “substantial” above-inflation 12-month agreement in recognition of what it called the additional staff workload caused by repeated breakdowns in Tube services, large increases in passenger numbers and staff reductions.Doug Blundell of the TSSA and ASLEF’s Keith Norman indicated that their smaller LU memberships were also set to formally reject the offer.
The RMT announcement came as Downing Street said it was prepared to look at arguments in favour of tighter restrictions, however it has no current plans to change strike legislation. A spokesman for Prime Minister David Cameron said he thought current legislation was working well.London Underground had hoped securing a multi-year agreement would avoid the threat of industrial action during next year’s London Olympics and allow it to run services until 2.30am or even round the clock.
