Some Great Western Railway workers have voted to strike in a row over pay and working arrangements, BBC News reported.
Union Members Vote to Strike
Members of the Transport Salaried Staffs Association working in areas such as rostering, service delivery, and performance strategy are involved in the dispute. The union represents management members across several roles at Great Western Railway, including Rostering and Resources, Train Service Delivery, Performance Strategy, and Network Delivery. These staff perform work linked to the Control Centre to keep trains and crew where they need to be.
Members in Rosters and Resources voted 85 per cent in favour of strike action, and they voted 95 per cent in favour of action short of a strike, such as work-to-rule measures.
For members in Train Service Delivery, Network Delivery, and Performance Strategy, 71.5 per cent voted to strike, and they voted 95 per cent for action short of a strike.
Clerical grades working for the Finance Directorate within Retail Accounts voted to take action short of a strike in a separate dispute, and they voted 100 per cent for action short of a strike, though they rejected strike action by a narrow margin.
Union Demands Shift Allowances Protect Salaries and Pensions
The union is calling for flexible allowances related to shift work to be incorporated into basic pay to protect salaries and enhance pension rights. Night shift workers face increased risks of poorer health outcomes and lower life expectancy. Maternity and similar leave pay is calculated mainly on basic pay.
“Our members at GWR have voted decisively to take industrial action across these two disputes having already made their feelings clear in an earlier indicative ballot,” said Maryam Eslamdoust, TSSA General Secretary.
The clerical dispute stems from a reorganisation that added accounts receivable work—chasing unpaid bills from other organizations—to roles graded lower than equivalent clerical positions, Eslamdoust said.
“Our union only uses strike action as a last resort, so the ball is very much in GWR’s court. We stand ready to get back around the table and talk at any time,” Eslamdoust told the TSSA Union.