RATES OF PAY & CONDITIONS OF SERVICE 2024 – MERSEYRAIL (GENERAL GRADES)

Our Ref: BR2/0001/M(GG)

 

2 October 2024

 

 

Dear RMT Member

 

RATES OF PAY & CONDITIONS OF SERVICE 2024 – MERSEYRAIL (GENERAL GRADES)

 

Following the massive rejection from you and your colleagues over both options tabled by management with regards to this year’s pay offer, a further meeting has been held with the company.

 

During this meeting, your RMT negotiators continued to push for an improvement on pay, pension and Sunday working enhancements. However, the employer did not make a further offer, only saying they would take the matter to a forthcoming meeting of their shareholders to seek approval to table a revised offer. To remind you, the existing offer containing two options fell way short of members’ aspirations, particularly as the percentage rise offered was 0.8% below the deal with was settled with the driving grades.

 

These matters were reported to a mass meeting of members in Liverpool last Sunday, which was attended and addressed by your Regional Officer and national officials. Following a constructive debate, it was clear from the meeting that your union should enter into a trade dispute with the company.

 

Based on views expressed at the meeting, the Lead Officer made a number of recommendations to your union’s National Executive Committee (NEC), which endorsed these views and has instructed me to:

 

• Formally advise Merseyrail that a trade dispute exists between our organisations
• Prepare a ballot matrix
• Produce propaganda including press releases to highlight the unfair and divisive nature of the company’s offer
• Remain open for further negotiations
• Seek an updated report following the next meeting with the employer and to ballot our affected members for industrial action ballot for strike action and action short of strike if a satisfactory offer is not tabled by Merseyrail

 

I am currently carrying out the above instructions.

 

In the meantime, I urge all members to ensure that their details are up to date with the RMT. Members can contact the union if their job title, address, or workplace has recently changed. If any of these changes apply, then please contact the RMT Helpline by Email atinfo@rmt.org.uk or call the Freephone Helpline number on 0800 376 3706. 

 

Yours sincerely

 

Michael Lynch

General Secretary