TSSA ballot results at West Midlands Trains

Hundreds of TSSA members at West Midlands Trains (WMT) have voted for industrial action short of a strike in results revealed today.

This is the latest ballot result in a dispute with train operators over pay, job security and conditions with the union also balloting members at Network Rail and other train companies across England.

TSSA is not naming dates for any industrial action today but will now consider next steps with workplace Reps at WMT.

The ballot result was as follows:

Prepared to take industrial action short of a strike -

Yes – 83.1 per cent

No – 16.9 per cent

Turnout was 66.8 per cent

Commenting, TSSA General Secretary, Manuel Cortes said: “Well done to all our members at West Midlands Trains. This is a great result for our union and reflects similar votes at other companies.

“Our members are determined to fight for their pay, jobs and conditions. They are right to do so amid the escalating Tory cost of living crisis and with a chaotic government hell bent on making swingeing cuts to our rail network.

“It would be unwise for any rail company to ignore the feelings of our membership. We will soon speak to our workplace Reps to consider next steps in the forthcoming days.

“Be in no doubt our union will not rest until we have a fair settlement for our members who were hailed as heroes in the pandemic."

*Impact at West Midlands Trains

TSSA has 269 members at West Midlands Trains, including control staff, Duty Train Crew Managers, Driver Managers, Senior Conductor Managers (on board staff responsible for guards), station management and duty station management, as well as HQ staff at Birmingham Edmund St working on planning, heads of dept etc.

TSSA members work out of Birmingham commuter stations, including: Birmingham New Street, Birmingham Snow Hill, Bletchley, Coventry, Kidderminster, Rugby, Northampton, Tamworth, Wolverhampton, Walsall. Control staff work from the Saltley (Birmingham) centre and Rugby.

The last time these staff had a pay rise was 2020.

*TSSA is currently also balloting members over strike action and action short of a strike in a dispute over jobs, pay and conditions at Southeastern, Great Western Railway, Greater Anglia ,TransPennine Express and Network Rail.

Members have voted for strike action at East Midlands Railway, CrossCountry, LNER, c2c, Northern and in station grades at Avanti West Coast.