The RMT union has announced that railway engineering workers will engage in a series of 48-hour strikes in a dispute over pay.
After rejecting a 5.5% pay offer, more than 100 workers at the infrastructure firm Balfour Beatty will go on strike from March 3 to 5, March 10 to 12, and March 17 to 19.
Mick Lynch, general secretary of the RMT, stated, “These highly skilled employees have had enough of not receiving a decent wage increase.
The rising expense of living has affected all workers, and our members are unwilling to pay the price while the company enjoys enormous profits.” Balfour Beatty is a highly profitable business, and it should use a portion of its surplus funds to reward its employees adequately.
The latest strike dates were revealed two days after the RMT announced additional national train strikes for the months of March and April.
On March 16, 40,000 union members from Network Rail and 14 railway operators will go on strike. Railway personnel will take three additional days off on March 18, March 30, and April 1.
The RMT’s Network Rail members will also implement a six-week overtime ban in maintenance and operations, which the union has warned will disrupt the train.
Mark Harper, the transport secretary, responded to the newest round of national strike dates by stating, “Just days after denying its members a say in their future, the RMT leadership is now attempting to cause them to lose multiple days’ wages through yet more strikes.
“Our railways are presently not financially sustainable, and these best and final offers would have provided workers with what they want and, most importantly, passengers with what they require.”
