Merseyrail: Have your say on 2023 pay

In 2022, TSSA members in Merseyrail managed to achieve a one year pay deal equating to 7.1% and for those who were on less that £22,535 there was a minimum payment of £1600. The 7.1% was equivalent to Novembers 2021’s RPI.

November 2022’s RPI was 14% a much higher sum reflecting the cost of living for you and your colleagues.

As we approach the General grades anniversary date in April and the Management grades anniversary in July this year we invite all our members in Merseyrail to have a say on your priorities for the TSSA pay claim in our pay claim survey.

Your reps will use the survey responses to produce our written claim which we will present to Merseyrail on your behalf at the start of negotiations.

The strength of our negotiating position is determined by the democratic and industrial mandate of our members; if a large proportion of staff are members who confirm that they have a clear demand, your reps are more able to achieve success. In this way, every member who has a say in our pay claim survey and every colleague who joins our union will have a direct impact on our ability to ensure that your wages aren't eroded by inflation and that your terms and conditions are as good as you deserve.

The survey closes midnight Sunday 26 February

Have your say on Merseyrail Pay 2023.

Pay talks in context

As well as identifying priorities such as more flexible company policies, fewer working hours and more annual leave, negotiations give members an opportunity to predict and manage the effect of past, present, and future economic impacts on wages. If members have already been impacted by or expect inflation levels to increase significantly, substantial pay increases will be necessary to make sure that your standards of living aren't reduced because of a reduction in the value of your pay over time.

Traditionally, Merseyrail members use the February Retail Prices Index (RPI) figure for the General grades and the May RPI figure for Management grades as a measure of inflation to determine whether an offer made by the company could be recommended to members. The February and May figures are the latest RPI percentages to be published at the time of the respective pay anniversary dates and are often assumed to give an indication of the impact of inflation for the year. 

Last year, we negotiated a pay increase of 7.1% on salaries, with a minimum increase of £1,600 on salaries. Negotiations weren’t as difficult compared with other Train Operating companies in 2022 despite inflation reaching a forty-year high. Unlike other Train Operating Companies, we didn’t need to consider Industrial action to achieve a reasonable settlement even though it was below February’s 2022’s RPI figure of 8.2% and May’s 2022 RPI figure of 11.7%.

RPI levels continued to rise in 2022 until the rate finally slowed from 14.2% to 14% in November and then to 13.4% in December. Although this may signal a slowing down in the rate of inflation, the cost-of-living crisis continues to have a huge impact on members' household incomes. We need a strong and active Trade Union membership to get a good deal in 2023!

Initial discussions with your reps have suggested that you are looking at other grades who have recently secured pay and terms conditions that include a strong headline pay increase along with better overtime rates. If you identify your aspirations in the survey, you will help our negotiators determine your priorities to incorporate into our pay claim.

Make sure that you have your say and please share this message with your colleagues, also consider encouraging non members to add to your collective strength by joining TSSA online.