LNER: Ballot now open

Ballot papers should start arriving from today following the opening of the ballot for LNER members yesterday. It’s vitally important for you to vote in this ballot and have your say on the future of your employment and your industry.

Yesterday we reported on the offer being made to our train operator members of 2% plus a further 1% in six months’ time, which is conditional on agreeing to significant proposals on Travel Centre closures, Stations Multiskilling, 7-Day Railway to cover Sundays, and Pension Scheme changes. Basically, less of you, doing more work, during unsociable hours, for a real-terms pay cut and reduced pension. This is just the tip of a very big iceberg, as work is already underway across the industry to examine where further “efficiencies” (job cuts) can be made, including in Stations, Controls, managerial and support roles.

 Discussions on the proposals, which cover all TOCs that come under the Department for Transport, will commence next Thursday. The offer falls woefully short of expectations with inflation running at over 11% and contains some very worrying proposals that make our demand for a no compulsory redundancy agreement even more critical. Be assured, as your trade union, we will not agree any attacks on your job security or your terms and conditions. So, it’s now even more important for you to vote YES to both questions in the ballot to give your negotiators the best possible chance of securing a good deal.    

We will update with you with more details once we have them. In the meantime, please vote YES in your TSSA ballot, please speak to your reps and please encourage any colleagues not yet a member of our union to join today – this is a crucial moment to have union representation.

 If you haven’t received your ballot paper by Monday 27 June, please email membership@tssa.org.uk for a replacement and ensure you return your ballot paper before the ballot closes at midday on Wednesday 6 July.