Avanti Dispute Update: Joint Statement agreed by TSSA, RMT and Avanti

On Tuesday 30th November and Wednesday 1st December 2021, a meeting was held under the disputes resolution procedure attended by representatives of Avanti West Coast and the joint Trade Unions RMT and TSSA.

At the outset of the meeting the company stated for the record that they acknowledged the seriousness of the situation, along with the depth of feeling shown by staff due to the strong mandates given to the unions via the result of their respective ballots. 

The company is also committed to working with the joint unions to address and find solutions to the points within the ballot, to avert any potentially damaging strike action or other actions short of strike and the consequential break down in industrial relations.

It is jointly believed that the majority of the issues at the heart of this dispute can be addressed and resolved through genuine and meaningful negotiations, whilst some matters are still subject to Department for Transport approval.

A number of generic and grade specific issues were addressed positively, and we were able to reach agreements on some of the issues during the meeting.

Other issues for individual grades will be addressed at a series of further dispute resolution meetings involving company council members in the next seven days, and we’re committed to focusing attention positively to finding a lasting settlement for the remaining issues, avoiding the need for industrial action.

We will provide a further update together with the full details, following the conclusion of meetings planned for Monday 6^th and Wednesday 8th December 2021.