RMT to ballot members on Northern Rail strike action

RAIL union RMT is to hold a vote on industrial action on services in the north of England in a dispute over pay.

The union described Northern’s pay offer as “unacceptable” but Northern said it was “disappointed” at the ballot and had offered staff an above inflation pay rise.

Voting will take place at the end of January.

RMT general secretary Mick Cash claimed Northern staff were being offered “a below the rate for the job pay deal”.

“Industrial relations with the firm were already at a low and the latest pay offer shows continued contempt for the workers who run the service and make the company’s profits,” he said.

“Our members deserve to paid properly for the work that they do.”

A spokesman for Northern said: “Northern has offered over 5,000 employees a guaranteed, above inflation pay rise over the next three or four years.

“The offer is a 2% increase in year one, followed by Retail Price Index (RPI) plus 0.1% in each of the following two or three years.

“We are disappointed to have now been notified by RMT that it intends to ballot its members following the negotiations in which the pay increase was offered.”

Northern, which is owned by Arriva Rail North, took over the franchise in April 2016.