Rail News
RMT has received new pay offer from train operators, union says
The Guardian
19 January 2023 (UK)
Companies have made a ‘final offer’ to union including pay rise of 9% over two years
Train operators have made a fresh offer to the RMT union of a 9% rise over two years for onboard crew and station staff, raising hopes of a breakthrough in the long-running pay dispute.
The increased pay package has watered down controversial clauses that resulted in the RMT immediately rejecting a deal from the Rail Delivery Group (RDG), representing train operators, in December.
The RMT leader Mick Lynch said he would put the proposed deal to the union’s executive committee. However, the union warned that some of the reforms could lead to widespread ticket office closures, which it did not support.
Talks have been ongoing in London this week between the RMT and RDG as well as separately with Network Rail.
The RDG said it had made a “best and final offer” including a pay rise of 4% from this January and 5% (or a minimum £1,750 rise) backdated to January 2022.
Source
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/jan/19/rmt-has-received-new-pay-offer-from-train-operators-union-says
Recommended for you
JR East to raise fresh graduates' salaries for 1st time in 3 yrs, welcome back ex-staff
Mainichi Japan January 20, 2023 East Japan Railway Co. (JR East) is set to raise the initial salary for fresh graduates by 8,000 yen (about $62) across the board starting April 2023, the company announced on Jan. 18. It will mark the first pay hike for new graduates in three years since April 2020, when the starting salary was raised by 400 to 575 yen (approx. $3 to $4.5), according to the railway operator. College graduates on the career track assigned to work in central Tokyo's 23 wards from April will be entitled to 233,630 yen (around $1,814) per month. Employees currently in their first through fourth years will also get a pay raise of 2,000 to 6,000 yen (roughly $16 to $47) per month. In addition, the company will also introduce a system to welcome back former employees who have switched jobs or left the firm due to family matters. Under the new initiative, ex-staffers' titles when they left the railway operator, and their job history and experiences at their new jobs will be taken into consideration when assessing their pay and other work conditions. JR East aims to secure personnel who are well-versed in its operations while having acquired a variety of experiences outside, and tap their abilities as work-ready forces. "We will continue to develop an environment and systems to allow diverse human resources to display their potential," the company commented. (Japanese original by Shuhei Endo, Tokyo Business News Department) Source https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20230120/p2a/00m/0bu/002000c
3 days ago
Read MoreHS2 may not run through to central London - report
BBC 27 January202 (UK) The government says it is committed to delivering the HS2 rail line to Manchester after a report the scheme may no longer reach central London. The Sun reported that rising inflation and construction costs meant HS2 trains may terminate in the suburbs of west London instead. The paper said bosses were considering pushing back its Euston terminus to 2038, or scrapping it completely. The government has not denied the report. The move would mean trains would run from a new hub at Old Oak Common, about 8km (five miles) away, and commuters would have to use the Elizabeth Line or Tube to travel to central London. A two to five-year delay to the entire project is also being considered, the newspaper said. A Department for Transport (DfT) spokesperson said the government remained committed to "delivering HS2 to Manchester, as confirmed in the Autumn Statement". HS2, or High Speed 2, was originally intended to connect London with Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds. The leg to Leeds has since been scrapped. Work on the first phase of the project - between London and Birmingham - is well under way and that part of the line is due to open by 2033. But the project has faced delays and mounting concerns over the exact route and its potential environmental impact. Pressure group Stop HS2 said it believed the project would increase carbon emissions and damage areas of natural beauty. Protesters, including veteran eco-protester Swampy, have built tunnels in an attempt to disrupt HS2 construction. The estimated cost of HS2 was between £72bn and £98bn at 2019 prices. A budget of £55.7bn for the whole of HS2 was set in 2015 - but this was made before the Leeds leg was cancelled. A report published last October found it was unlikely that the £40.3bn target for the first section of the line would be met. Transport Secretary Mark Harper has said HS2 was "experiencing high levels of inflation" and it was working with "suppliers actively to mitigate inflationary increases". Research from the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy and Office for National Statistics published in September showed that construction materials across the UK experienced inflation of 18% from August 2021 to August 2022. Mr Harper said inflation was not affecting the "overall affordability of HS2 in real terms" but it was "creating pressures against its existing annual funding settlements". The head of the National Infrastructure Commission told BBC News in November that cutting back on the HS2 rail route would be "silly". "I think you've got massive investment, which has happened in Birmingham ahead of HS2 - it just shows what can happen. And Manchester of course equally is now seeing investment off the back of HS2. I think that would be a very strange decision," he said. A senior figure at the DfT warned last week that "quite tough decisions" could lie ahead for the scheme. Source https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-64421566
3 days ago
Read MoreJR East to offer sightseeing train ‘Satono’ for southern Tohoku
The Asahi Shimbun January 27, 2023 ( Japan ) The Satono sightseeing train is set to make its debut in or around spring 2024 in the southern Tohoku region. (Provided by East Japan Railway Co.’s Tohoku Area Headquarters) East Japan Railway Co. (JR East) announced plans to introduce a new sightseeing train that will operate mainly in Miyagi, Fukushima and Yamagata prefectures of the southern Tohoku region in or around spring 2024. With a maximum passenger capacity of 59, the train, named “Satono,” will be remodeled from the two-car Resort Asunaro sightseeing service currently running on the JR Ominato Line in Aomori Prefecture and other routes. Accommodating 25 passengers, the first car will mainly be fitted out with box seats for up to four people. The base color of the exterior will be painted green in tribute to the mountains and natural features in the region. The second car, which can carry up to 34 passengers, will feature reclining seats. It will be painted in blue and other colors in a nod to the sea and rivers of Tohoku. JR East plans to operate the Satono in conjunction with seasonal events in the three prefectures and other special occasions. Source https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14813860
3 days ago
Read More