More rail strikes could be on the way as unions ballot their members working in infrastructure and operating companies on changes to the industry’s pension scheme.
The RMT union today began sending out ballot papers to its members across the rail industry, while Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association will begin the process tomorrow. Results will be declared at the end of the first week in June.
The move follows claims by unions that employers failed to give guarantees that the Railway Pensions Scheme would remain open to all employees, cap employee contributions to a reasonable level and maintain benefits.
“We have asked the employers to negotiate a sensible industry-wide solution to the very real threat of a pensions meltdown and we have asked the government to facilitate talks, but so far we have drawn a complete blank,” RMT general secretary Bob Crow said.
Unions give rail employers 10 days to respond to pensions
