Angry TSSA withdraws ballot

The TSSA union withdrew a ballot on a pay offer on July 29, after what it claimed were “bad faith” actions by Network Rail and the Department of Transport.

The ballot had been put to its Network Rail members earlier in the week. The union claimed that NR and the DfT “changed the substance of the deal”.

The electronic ballot was sent to members working for NR in bands 5 to 8 (and equivalent) and Controller Representatives. It asked whether members wanted to accept or reject the latest deal from Network Rail, without a recommendation from the TSSA.

But the TSSA withdrew the referendum after NR “tabled proposed new changes to terms and conditions” for Maintenance Grades at a meeting on July 28. The union said these changes would have a significant adverse impact on members’ working conditions.

It further claimed that the new changes, including details of job cuts, were published in the Daily Telegraph at 1517, while its meeting with NR was still ongoing.

The union is angry that details appeared in the press before representatives had a chance to read all the paperwork associated with these changes.

TSSA General Secretary Manuel Cortes said: “We presented our members with details of a pay offer, in good faith, so they could let us know what they thought of it. The offer was presented to our members as we understood it at the time. We did not offer any comment for or against it. We can’t negotiate in good faith if NR keeps shifting the goalposts.”