Network Rail staff will no longer strike on 16 March after receiving a new pay offer, suggesting some light at the end of the tunnel for commuters.
The National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) called off the walkouts, due to be part of wider action by rail staff, on Tuesday, providing hope that pay and condition disputes, which have seemingly become deadlocked, will be resolved.
“The RMT National Executive Committee has taken the decision to suspend all industrial action on Network Rail following receipt of a new offer from the employer,” it said, adding a vote would be held among Network Rail workers.
"We are relieved for our people, passengers and freight customers that industrial action in Network Rail has now been suspended,” chief executive Andrew Haines responded.
Train drivers from 14 companies are still due to strike on 16, 18 and 30 March, and then again on April 1, adding to 27 days of walkouts in the past year.
Prior to walkouts in February, strikes on Britain’s railways were estimated to have cost the economy £6.6bn since August, with the industry taking a £25mln hit per weekday of action, according to the Centre for Economic and Business Research.
Though little information has been given about the new offer, RMT previously rejected a backdated pay rise of 5% for 2022, and 4% this year, arguing it should reflect retail price index rises, over 13% in December according to ONS data.