UK rail workers are to hold a new one-day strike on 27 July as part of an ongoing dispute over pay with train operators and Network Rail.
Members of the RMT union held three days of strike action last month causing massive disruption to the rail network across the entire UK.
The RMT announced the new one-day strike despite Network Rail tabling a new 5 per cent pay offer for rail workers on Tuesday (12 July).
This new offer was rejected by the RMT after a national executive committee meeting today (13 July), with the union dismissing the Network Rail deal as “paltry”.
“Railway workers will once again take strike action over job security, pay and working conditions on Wednesday July 27,” added the union.
The RMT added that it has yet to receive a pay offer or guarantees over job losses from the train operating companies. It will also be consulting with other rail unions whose members have voted for strike action.
Members of train drivers’ union Aslef working for eight UK train operating companies have voted to take strike action in their own pay dispute. But the union has yet to announce any strike dates.
RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said strike action was the “only course open to us” and vowed that it would continue until there was a negotiated settlement.
"The offer from Network Rail represents a real terms pay cut for our members and the paltry sum is conditional on RMT members agreeing to drastic changes in their working lives,” said Lynch.
“We have made progress on compulsory redundancies but Network Rail are still seeking to make our members poorer when we have won in some cases double what they are offering, with other rail operators.
"The train operating companies remain stubborn and are refusing to make any new offer which deals with job security and pay.”
Lynch added the RMT remained “open for further talks" with Network Rail and the train operators.
Andrew Haines, Network Rail’s chief executive, called the RMT’s move to call another strike “incredibly frustrating”, particularly as the union had decided not to put its latest “fair and affordable” two-year pay offer to RMT members.
“We have been clear that we can only fund an increase from our own budgets, and the only way we can afford that is by modernising working practices,” added Haines.
“The RMT’s rejection of our latest offer can only mean they want a pay increase to be funded either by more taxpayer support or higher passenger fares, neither of which we think are fair. We urge the RMT to call this action off, get back round the table with us and show some willingness to compromise.”