NATIONAL MINIMUM WAGE INCREASE – SOUTH WESTERN RAILWAY

Our Ref: BR2/10/2

 

22 April 2024

 

 

Dear RMT Member

 

NATIONAL MINIMUM WAGE INCREASE – SOUTH WESTERN RAILWAY

 

South Western Railway wrote to the union’s Lead Officer recently regarding the National Minimum Wage, advising that some grades would fall below this level and therefore an increase had been made to those grades affected.

 

The company stated, however, that should the pay increase which was due in October 2023 be more than the NMW then it would reclaim the money paid to cover this period.

 

Another area of concern is that, should the offer for October 2023 for all employees be less than the NMW percentage increase, then the gap between grades will be a lot less than they currently are. 

 

The company says that it hopes to enter restructuring talks to address the differentials to where they should be. Your Lead Officer asked that the October pay offer should have a minimum payment as per last years to resolve this issue, however the response received was that the company does not have the authority from the DfT to make such an offer.

 

The matter has been considered by your union’s National Executive Committee, which has instructed me to advise the Lead Officer to take this matter up in the strongest possible way at the pay negotiations which are due to commence this week and demand that the next pay increases suitably reflect the National Minimum Wage and ensure a minimum uplift on any percentage-based pay.

 

I will keep members advised on this matter when any further developments arise during the negotiations.

 

 

Yours sincerely

 

Michael Lynch

General Secretary