The RMT says that Avanti West Coast has created the dispute by ignoring train managers’ concerns and presenting offers those members deemed unacceptable.
The RMT’s General Secretary Mick Lynch has slammed Avanti West Coast for ripping off taxpayers and fare-payers, amid an ongoing dispute between the union’s members and the train company.
Avanti West Coast train managers took strike action on December 31st and January 2nd after overwhelmingly rejecting the company’s latest offer to resolve an ongoing dispute over rest day working.
In an interview with the BBC, the RMT’s general secretary Mick Lynch claimed that train companies have chosen to pay their own managers “extortionate rates” for working on their days off, while those who are union members are paid lower rates.
The RMT says that Avanti West Coast has created the dispute by ignoring train managers’ concerns and presenting offers those members deemed unacceptable.
Lynch told the BBC: “We don’t have an agreement with Avanti and many other train operating companies for rest day working, which is obviously working on the day you’re scheduled to be off. And that’s because for many years, the railway companies have been short staffed, so we’re simply looking for an agreement with the company.
“Instead of paying our people a premium rate for working on their rest days, they have decided to pay their management grades much more than our members, up to double what our members can earn, and we simply want an agreement on that so we can get an incentive for our people to come in on those days when they’re meant to be at home with their families.”
Basit Mahmood is editor of Left Foot Forward
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