Network Rail refuses bonuses for staff who went on strike

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Network Rail has sparked anger among its workforce after refusing to pay bonuses to employees who went on strike in a months-long dispute with the management of the state-owned rail network operator. 

The decision is expected to affect up to 20,000 members of the RMT union, who staged a series of walkouts over an eight-month period in a stand-off over pay and plans for reform.

The dispute ended in March when RMT members voted to accept a 9 per cent pay rise, with more for lower paid staff, tied to major reforms of working practices. 

But in a move that is expected to damage relations with the workforce, RMT general secretary Mick Lynch told his members in a recent message that Network Rail management had refused to pay an annual performance-related bonus to anyone who took part in the strikes. 

“The decision to exclude trade unionists from this bonus scheme is disgraceful and is understandably causing significant consternation among members,” Lynch wrote in an email seen by the Financial Times.

The bonus is expected to be worth around £300 this year because the company’s performance was affected by the strikes. In previous years, workers have had payouts of around £1,000.

Network Rail confirmed the decision and said it had warned employees they would not receive a bonus if they went on strike. The policy is also included in the conditions of the bonus scheme, it added. 

“Our position was made very clear — any discretionary payments would focus on those who continued to support rail services during industrial action,” Network Rail said.

David Hopper, a partner in the employment team at law firm Lewis Silkin, said the state body’s stance went “against current market practice,” adding: “Except for not paying them for strike days, employers risk human rights claims if they treat employees who went on strike worse than their colleagues.”

Eddie Dempsey, the RMT’s assistant general secretary, said the decision not to pay bonuses was ill-judged as it had soured relations just before the start of a new round of talks over 2024 pay.

An online petition for Network Rail workers to be paid “their rightful bonus” had received 12,000 signatures on Organise, an online platform that allows workers to co-ordinate collective action, as of the end of last week.

Roxana Khan-Williams, head of campaigns at Organise, said the decision not to pay bonuses appeared to be “a clear move to deter workers from their right to strike.”

She added: “It is our collective hope that Network Rail will rectify the situation by granting bonuses to all workers without discrimination.”

The RMT remains locked in a protracted dispute with train companies and caused widespread disruption when it staged strikes at 14 operators on Saturday. A further one-day strike is planned for Saturday September 2.