Responses to Network Rail Pay Offer – January 2023
Below is a guide to the pay offer to explain in more detail what it may mean to you
We believe that the offer below is no better than the one that you have already rejected and, in some areas it is worse.
In some areas whilst proposing to offer clarity, we believe that misleading and inaccurate statements have been made.
In other areas, the company are trying to sell you things that you already have such as commitments around the use of sub-contractors.
Whilst previously giving a commitment that ‘nothing is agreed till everything is agreed’ the company have broken this by now trying to impose on you their Modernising Maintenance agenda. We believe that these proposals are unsafe and that they will put you at greater risk. They amount to a huge change to the way that you will be expected to work. We have now seen more detail to the extent of this in Route Council proposals.
Newly Revised Pay Offer to employees covered by the National Maintenance Council and the National Operations Council, including Bands 5-8
Extensive pay and reform discussions have taken place within both our National Operations Council and our National Maintenance Council culminating in an offer tabled in December 2022. Following further discussions, we set out a fresh set of proposals to be put to our employees represented by the bargaining groups of the National Operations Council and National Maintenance Council. We have listened, reflected, and believe this supports the RMT’s ambition for improvements
Reduction to the working week
Reducing the working week for colleagues currently on an Amey contract volunteering to adopt the existing GTRM/Carillion/IMC 25 contract, we propose a transition from the current 40-hour contract to a 35-hour week contract on an improved basis. We will see an hour reduction for each year whilst maintaining their salary on a red-circled basis. Overtime premium on GTRM/Carillion/IMC 25 would kick in after each phase of reduction in the working week.
This creates a pathway for Amey contract colleagues to reduce the working week. This also has the additional benefit of an increase in their pensionable pay, with a restructuring premium applied if they are a member of the Railway Pension Scheme. This transition will start at the commencement of 2024.
Response
Those on Amey terms and conditions who earn more than the GTRM equivalent will see their pay frozen until it matches GTRM. This could see their pay frozen for many years
Standardising working week to 35 hours progressively: Commitment to a joint review of any other contract above a 35-hour week to understand the impact and propose a way forward.
Response
This only offers a joint review for others on contracts above 35 hours. There is no guarantee that this will see any reduction for these people, and it is likely that it won’t.
Work life balance/Well-being
Improved Carers leave - Improve the current unpaid leave arrangements and provide the option to transfer up to 5 days paid volunteering leave to a maximum 5 days paid carers leave for registered carers.
Response
Whilst this is positive, it will benefit a very small number of people
Recognition of company service
✓ Long Service Award: Introduce an improved, standardised long service award framework where vouchers are issued, and a meal funded for colleagues. This will replace the existing Network Rail standard of £250 for 25 years and all other awards. The current 25-year award will therefore be removed as of 31 December 2023, employees who have been impacted by this change will receive the award closest to their current anniversary.
Response
It is wrong and misleading to state that this is a improved long service award framework. Many would be forced onto a worst scheme than the one that they are currently on
Below is the current long service awards
Privileged Staff Travel: Discretionary privileged leisure travel which provides a 75% discount on all leisure travel and includes family members.
Response
This is no different to previous offers. From other grades who now already have this, we have received reports that it can often be the case that tickets can be bought cheaper without this discount.
Commitment to continue to explore furtherenhancements to privileged staff travel Response
This does not promise anything. There have been such commitments in previous pay offers that have always amounted to nothing. It is an attempt to sell you nothing
Job Security
No compulsory redundancies - for all general grades and bands 5-8 until 31 January 2025
Voluntary redundancy scheme - opened to Section Planners and Section Admin before 31 March 2023
Response
Whilst this states that the scheme will be offered to these grades, there is no assurances that anyone who applies would be allowed to leave.
Earning potential / pay and enhanced benefits
Premium London allowances – GTRM/Carillion/IMC 25 contract increase to the most favourable London and South-East allowances.
Inner London £3300
Outer London £1950
South- East £975
Response
This is only of a benefit to very few who opt into GTRM and are based in these areas
Managed Stations CSAs, SCAs SSSs and Tour Guides - we confirm that on settlement of this dispute the back payment for managed stations employees as previously agreed will be paid.
£1,225 per person in full and final settlement of the backpay for those employees who worked rostered Sundays in their base roster between the 01 January 2020 and the 01 July 2020.
Response
This is money that is already agreed to these grades and should have already been paid.
To be paid at the earliest pay date possible following acceptance of the offer Response
months away. It doesn’t even say what is to be paid. Is this the money that is owed to Managed Stations CSAs, SCAsSSSsand Tour Guides, or is it the back paythat everyone would be owed if they accepted this offer?
Transfer window opens earlier - Carillion/GTRM IMC25 contract transfer window will open as an expression of interest (employees who have accepted an offer to leave under VR are not eligible). Dates will be agreed in local consultation.
o Employees will remain on their existing contract and will be given data to compare earnings between the two contracts once the new working arrangements have gone live in their area.
Response
There has been no discussion on what this data is. During previous attempts to discuss this with RMT, Network Rail have been unable to supply the data to demonstrate that staff would benefit to the extent that they are claiming, despite multiple requests for this. We also believe that much of the data that they have supplied is incomplete and is misleading
o We commit to work with unions representatives to make information available to people while they decide, and this may include 1-1s, roadshows, helplines for both HRSS and pensions
o Regardless of date of transfer – any arrears on difference of actual earnings will be backdated to 01 October 2023
Season ticket subsidy - cap of £2,750 will be removed and a discount of 75% uncapped will be applied for the total cost of the season ticket
Response
This is no improvement from the previous offer
Pay 2022 - A minimum uplift of a consolidated £1,750 or a 5% increase (whichever is greater) up to a maximum uplift of £3,500 to the annual base rates of pay effective from 01 January 2022.
Response
This is no improvement from the previous offer
Back pay - for annual base pay, shift, and overtime, will be paid on the first possible pay day following acceptance of this offer
Response
This is no improvement from the previous offer
Pay 2023 - 4% increase to the annual base rates of pay effective from 01 January 2023
Response
This is no improvement from the previous offer
• With the 2022 underpin+2023uplift=increasefrom9.2%-14.4% on base pay
Response
This is misleading. This takes the higher increase that is only applicable to those who would receive the minimum £1750 and presents this to suggest that we will receive a 14.4% pay increase. This is not the case. For most, this is 5% in 2022 and 4% in 2023. This amounts to huge real terms pay cut when compared against inflation.
GTRM / CARILLION / IMC25 Opt – in - for 4,800 (45%) earnings would increase on average 6%if they transferred to the standard contract - this is separate from and in addition to the general pay award uplift
Response
Again, this is misleading and inaccurate This compares basic rates of pay but fails to include the difference to take home pay once the lower shift premiums are considered. This would see many people worse off
Colleagues on Role Clarity contracts - the usual practice of using performance ratings to distribute pay increases will not be applied for 2022 or 2023.
• We will revise the top and bottom of the salary bands by the percentage increases offered.
• For colleagues who have reached the maximum of the revised salary band, any difference will be made as a one-off, non-consolidated payment
This is same as the previous offer
Colleagues paid £24,000 or below (excluding Apprentices) - £250 uplift to employees who currently earn £24,000 pa or less in base pay for FY21 financial year, this will be backdated to 01 January 2021
This is same as the previous offer
• Any employee that earns above £24,000 but earns below £24,250 will be levelled up to £24,250. For example, an employee on £24,150 will have their salary increased to £24,250
This is same as the previous offer
Apprentice Pay - An uplift to £19,838 per annum or the percentage base pay uplift (whichever is greater) for Year 1 for company-wide apprentices, back dated to 01 April 2022
• £22,814 per annum for Year 2 & 3 Maintenance Apprentices only, back dated to 01 April 2022
This is same as the previous offer
• Ex-Apprentices who completed the endpoint assessment but have not yet been appointed to a role and are awaiting a contract will have the choice of the relevant IMC or the GTRM/Carillion/IMC 25 contract on first appointment.
Modernising Maintenance – commitments. Sub-Contract Labour
The company will maximise the use of its own employees in the first instance. Where local arrangements do not allow for efficient delivery of local commitments, subcontractors may be used to supplement resource levels as required by workload, including requirements for specialist skills and access issues. The need for subcontract labour will be discussed at local level as part of the terms of roster meeting.
Response
This wording is already in the existing phase 2bc agreement. The company is trying to sell you something here that you already have. Again, this is another attempt to deceive you.
Opting into the GTRM / CARILLION / IMC25 contract.
✓ This IMC25 is the standard contract for new starters only on appointment to first role. The standard contract (IMC25) will be offered on promotion to current colleagues but isn’t compulsory so individuals can stay on existing contract.
This is same as the previous offer
✓ A significantly higher mean for maintenance base pay as well as mean total pay
Again, this is misleading. This compares basic rates of pay without considering changes to shift premiums and roster premiums. Once these are included, many are worse off
Holiday entitlement provides a maximum of 32 annual (after 10 years) and 6 public holiday days, which is the best annual leave benefit for maintenance / works delivery.
This is same as the previous offer
Attached presentation in Appendix D which sets out the GTRM / Carillion / IMC25 contract against each respective IMC contract
A comparison calculator is available on our internal SharePoint site to help colleagues decide on their future and what makes the best sense for them. We share a vision of maximising better ways of working with attractive total reward packages – for some people that might mean changing contract – for others it may mean staying with current arrangements – that’s why it’s a choice.
Response
Concerns have been raised about this calculator as we believe that it is misleading and inaccurate. Despite this, it is still being used.
Overtime Working
When fully implemented we expect the changes to working practices for the Maintenance and Works Delivery organisations to reduce the need for overtime working.
• For example, the introduction of joint incident response teams will impact the requirement to call on colleagues to attend incidents and work in addition to their rostered hours at short notice. As a result, colleagues can expect less disruption to their home lives.
In summary, overtime working is expected to be at a lower level than today. It will remain a mechanism that allows us to provide a reliable service for passengers.
Response
We believe that the proposed changes are unworkable and will lead to subcontractors being used in greater numbers than they are today. We tried to secure against this by asking for a core work agreement. This was refused. We believe that this was because it is the intention of the company to use more contractors to replace your jobs.
Modernising maintenance implementation
Following months of discussions (both informally and formally), it is acknowledged that National Maintenance Council consultation has concluded regarding changes to working practices and numbers of colleagues employed without agreement. Local consultation regarding implementation of those national principles is underway
Our fresh proposals are offered, and it is requested that a further referendum commences (without a recommendation to reject) in good faith and that there is time
for effective communication allowing answers to questions from employees. If the offer is accepted, it will exhaust and resolve the current dispute (as notified to the Company in April 2022) and no further industrial action shall be taken in respect of the current dispute.
Response from your NOC
1. You’ve come this far sacrificing 10 days of pay (& counting), don’t let that be for nothing
2. Follow this through to the end, history shows us if you go on strike & stay on strike, you will win. The gov. beat the miners because Nottinghamshire split away from the rest, we mustn’t allow a split in our industry.
3. You told us through the re-ballot in November that you were prepared to continue industrial action to achieve a fair deal & more recently you voted to reject the slightly improved offer of 0+5+4%. The company were convinced you would vote no to continued industrial action & yes to accept the latest offer. Returning the ballot as strong as you did has given the purse holders in Westminster an unwelcomed fightback.
4. Ex NWR Signallers & Track Workers now transferred to another public body; Transport for Wales, have been awarded a 1 year 7.1% pay increase backdated to 1st Jan. If they can do it for them, they can do it for us.
5. Next year’s pay negotiations will commence at some point this year, if we end up settling for a deal you have already rejected then future negotiations will be entered into from a position of defeat, I’ll let your own imagination conjure up the impact this could have on your expectations for future inflation related pay increases & what will happen to our hard fought for T&Cs.
6. Response from your NMC
RMT does not accept Modernising Maintenance. We have suggested many alternates that are both safe and workable whilst delivering most of the savings that the company are seeking. Nearly all of these have been rejected.
Only recently the company stated that they gave a firm commitment that ‘nothing is agreed until everything is agreed’. Whilst giving this commitment, at the very same time, they were moving to impose their changes on you. We feel that this is a disgraceful way to treat a workforce who, not so long ago, were being hailed as heroes.
This offer seeks to get you to agree to these changes that will mean the following to you
• Changes to your conditions
• A huge cut to staffing levels
• New ways of working that we believe are unsafe and have not yet withstood the rigour of full safety validation with the involvement of your trade union representatives
• An increase in antisocial shift working with a detriment to your health and wellbeing
• Less opportunity for overtime
• Changes that undermine your ability to receive a fair and equitable roster that is negotiated by your representatives
You are being asked to accept that, the only way that you can receive a pay increase is through selling your hard-fought conditions and working practices.