Our Rail, Our Future: next steps for members

TSSA’s Our Rail, Our Future campaign seeks to achieve pay rises and job security across Network Rail and train operating companies which fall under the Department for Transport. 

 What we want: 

• No-one forced out of their job 
• Pay rises that reflect the rising cost of living 
• No forced changes to your terms and conditions 

Rail employers have so far failed to make any reasonable offer to protect jobs, deal with the cost-of-living crisis or underwrite your terms and conditions. 

Despite pay claims being submitted in time for January, March and April pay anniversary dates, most companies had not responded to our pay claims by the time they received the letter from your General Secretary last month. At TSSA annual conference earlier this month, your delegates passed a motion in support of moving to action when necessary.  

TSSA Reps met last month and decided overwhelmingly to give companies one final chance to make pay offers and resolve our dispute. Should your company make an offer that meets the needs of members, or provide assurances to that effect, then we can avoid any unnecessary action. Not showing up or refusing to meet with the company takes the decision away from you as a member, which is something your reps were not prepared to do. 

Not doing anything will mean that companies will continue to ignore the crisis you are living thorough and will continue to delay and extend any discussions. That’s why TSSA is prepared to take action. 

Your union, your choice 

TSSA members are given these assurances from our General Secretary: 

• You will get to decide what is the best next steps for your company. Your Reps will engage with members and listen to what you want on all matters and make an action plan best for you.  
• Your Reps will be the ones who will take part in any pay talks and will engage with the company to represent your interests. You elect your Reps for that purpose, and because they work alongside you, they know what you are facing in your company. TSSA Reps are extremely experienced negotiators and strategists and will explore any offers from your company, before asking members to take any action.  
• You will get to determine what action you want to take. Take part in your ballot to have a say. Your hugely experienced Reps will discuss with you what action our union will take and will only look to implement action which has been fully consulted with our members. TSSA believes that giving members a say is what a strong trade union is all about. 

Next Steps 

Each company is at a different stage, but deadlines for companies are running out fast. Our legal team and staff are poised to set ballots in motion and some are already well advanced in this process, with ballots imminent. Speak with your TSSA Reps to know where your company is at right now. 

We know that deciding to take action is always a hard decision, especially now in this cost-of-living crisis. That’s why you are assured that your reps and the union, are listening to you as a member, and you will get to have your say as to what you want to do. 

But remember, until TSSA moved to dispute with employers, our calls for pay talks and job security assurances were being ignored. We want to resolve these issues in the best way possible, however, doing nothing is not an option that will best serve TSSA members.  

The situation is changing daily, so keep checking for updates on the Our Rail, Our Future campaign hub. 

And please ask any of your colleagues who are not already part of our TSSA family to join today – the more members, the greater our collective voice and chances of winning better pay rises, job security and strong terms and conditions for you at work.