Rail union cancels strike action after members accept pay deal

Members of the Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA) have voted to accept offers by train companies in the long-running dispute over pay, job security and conditions, the union has announced.

“Given this result, TSSA will notify employers that the ballot for Industrial Action has also been withdrawn,” the union said in a statement.

“Accepting the offer ends the dispute on which the ballot was based. Any live industrial action will also be cancelled.”

The union’s 3,200 members involved in the row overwhelmingly supported offers from 14 train companies – operators that were represented in negotiations by the Rail Delivery Group (RDG) – following months of unrest.

While the development represents some good news for passengers, the spectre of further strikes on the railways remains.

Separate disputes – on similar issues – between tens of thousands of RMT members at Network Rail and at the train operators are yet to be resolved.

RMT revealed last week a series of 24-hour strikes due to begin on 16 March.

The Aslef drivers’ union also remains in talks with the RDG, which was yet to comment on the settlement agreed by the TSSA membership.

A TSSA spokesperson said: “This is a clear decision from our members which will end our long-running dispute – something which could have happened months ago had it not been for government intransigence.

“The incredible resolve we have seen from our members has resulted in a significantly improved pay deal over two years, commitments for no compulsory redundancies, improved opportunities for redeployment, as well as full consultation over proposed reforms to ticket offices and any changes to terms and conditions.”

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“Thanks to the great commitment of our members across the train companies they have collectively won a better future and can be rightly proud of their actions in this historic dispute.

“We will continue to hold the train companies and the government to account as we go forward because Britain needs a fully functioning rail network at the heart of our green industrial future, and as a means of rebuilding our economy in the wake of the COVID pandemic.”