TSSA begins Amey strike ballot over pay

Rail union TSSA is to ballot hundreds of members employed by Amey after the engineering company implemented a below-inflation pay offer amounting to a real-terms cut in wages. 

TSSA members employed by Amey across Scotland, Wales, North East, Midlands, London and all Southern regions will be asked to support strike action in the ballot which opens on Wednesday 3 December and closes at 12 noon on Monday 15 December. 

This action follows Amey’s decision to proceed with a pay offer of 2.2 per cent or £900 underpin, despite the offer being rejected by TSSA members.  

Industrial action would likely lead to delays and disruption in surveying and maintaining railway infrastructure which is key to a safe running network. Around three hundred TSSA members will be balloted. 

TSSA General Secretary, Maryam Eslamdoust, said: "This ballot is about securing a fair pay deal for our members. Amey’s decision to move ahead with a previously rejected offer shows they are acting in bad faith towards their workforce. 

“TSSA members, who are highly skilled, work hard to maintain a safe railway. They deserve a fair deal that takes into account inflation and the rising cost of living." 

 Members are being asked to vote YES for strike action and YES for action short of strike (ASOS), including bans on overtime, on-call, and extra duties. 

Amey provides services to many sectors including transport. It provides those services to Network Rail, London Underground and Transport for Wales including the maintenance and enhancement of rail systems including track, signalling, power systems and electrification along with associated civil engineering works. It manages and inspects rail assets.  

TSSA is the only union that has collective bargaining rights for staff employed by Amey Consulting, Amey Infrastructure and parts of Amey Highways Geo Tech, including Rail Design, CEFA and CAFA staff. The union represents managers at all grades within these areas of the business.