To suggest that these people are earning fortunes is just nonsense." Lots are of them are on the living wage, or just above - they're on about £20,000 a year. RMT members are guards, cleaners, back office staff, signallers. "You hear about train drivers' wages, but most train drivers are not in the RMT, they're in a different union. They're talking about the removal of guards. We get time and quarter for working Sundays at the minute. They want to bring Sunday within the working week for no additional pay. They are looking at closing ticket offices. "For example we currently work a 35 hour, four day week, they want us to do a 40 hour, five day week for no additional pay. All the improvements we have made since the railways were privatised would be lost. "The reforms that have put forward would take this industry back 30 years. "For most people it's not about pay, it's about conditions, it's about redundancies," he said. Speaking to the M.E.N, Steve explained why he took the decision to take industrial action. An RTM rep, he was on the picket lines outside Wigan Wallgate and Wigan North Western stations during June's strike. Steve Shaw, 53, from Wigan, has worked as a train guard for Northern Trains since 1994 and earns around £30,000 a year. We remain open for talks, but we will continue our campaign until we reach a negotiated settlement." "Now Grant Shapps (Transport Secretary) has abandoned his forlorn hopes for the job of prime minister, he can now get back to his day job and help sort this mess out. And the train operating companies have not even made us a pay offer in recent negotiations. "Recent proposals from Network Rail fell well short on pay and on safety around maintenance work. RMT general secretary, Mick Lynch (Image: PA) They need to get serious about providing an offer on pay which helps deal with the cost-of-living crisis, job security for our members and provides good conditions at work. Speaking after the announcement of more days of strikes, RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said: "The rail industry and the Government need to understand that this dispute will not simply vanish. A 24-hour strike by the union is also set for July 27 - the day before the Commonwealth Games are due to start in Birmingham. Ballots are to close at Avanti West Coast and CrossCountry on Wednesday 27 July and at Northern Trains, TransPennine Express and Transport for Wales on Thursday August 25.Īnd the RMT Union have announced two further days of walkouts on August 18 and 20. Later this month, on July 30, members of Aslef at Arriva Rail London, Chiltern Railways, Greater Anglia, Great Wester, Hull Trains, LNER, Southeastern and West Midlands trains will also walk out. Major disruption was caused to passengers in Greater Manchester using Avanti West Coast, East Midlands, Northern and TransPennine Express services. It comes after the biggest train strike in a generation which took place across the country's railways last month, with members of the RMT and Network Rail co-ordinating industrial action. More strikes on the railways are coming across the region in the coming months due to an ongoing row over pay, job security and better working conditions among members of the RMT and ASLEF unions. Victoria Station during RMT train strikes in June (Image: Adam Vaughan) One union leader has warned of strike action in response to the public sector pay deal, with members of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) in England to be balloted on industrial action.Īs the region prepares for a summer of disruption, this how Greater Manchester will be impacted. Unions warned the announcement amounts to a real terms pay cut as inflation rose to 9.4pc. It comes as the government announced more than one million NHS staff will receive an increase of at least £1,400, with the lowest earners to receive up to 9.3 pc, while dentists and doctors will get a 4.5 pc rise, police 5pc and teachers between 5 and 8.9pc. Postal workers across the country and barristers working in Manchester's crown courts have also began industrial action in a row over pay, as the cost of living crisis tightens its grip. READ MORE: Ambulances treated as 'extra wards' as patients stuck outside hospitals for hours Staff on the nation's railways and buses have already staged mass walk-outs, causing major travel disruption, with the chaos set to continue as more strike action was announced for July and August. The country is set for a level of industrial action unseen since the winter of discontent in 1978, which was characterised by widespread strikes by private, and later public sector trade unions. Thousands of workers are set to strike across the region in the coming months in what has been branded the summer of discontent.
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