Pay freeze for rail workers

THE UK’s Secretary of State for Transport Grant Shapps spoke to the Transport Select Committee on February 3 and confirmed that there would be a pay freeze for workers this year. He said: “There will have to be pay freezes outside of things like healthcare, and I think most people understand why, given people aren’t actually using our rail system at the moment. Protecting jobs and employment in rail is, frankly, higher on my agenda right now than pay rises this year.”

The Department for Transport has written to the Train Operating Companies to clarify its decision to treat railway staff as ‘public sector employees’, meaning they will be subject to a pay freeze unless they are earning below £24,000, where a small increase already promised by the Chancellor will be honoured.

In response, the RMT union has suggested that it may seek a mandate for co-ordinated general action across industry. However, it is unlikely to gain much support as people have been furloughed and nobody has lost their job, and as a result little public support is likely to be forthcoming. However, the government is to honour any multi-year deals agreed before the pandemic.

A proposal for strike action at ScotRail was rejected by members and this is likely to be the case at many other TOCs. In addition, several members remain furloughed and could be so for some time, and there are those off sick with COVID-19 or selfisolating. As a result, it is likely that only a 75% to 80% timetable will be resourced in the medium term.