RMT accepts three-year pay deal for London Underground staff

The RMT union has accepted a three-year inflation-plus pay deal for London Underground workers, ending the dispute that led to travel chaos in London in September and increasing drivers’ pay to nearly £80,000 by 2027. The deal, with an initial 3.4% increase backdated to this April, means London Underground staff pay will rise in line with RPI inflation – higher than the CPI rate normally used for index-linked pay rises – with guaranteed minimum rates if inflation falls, making the total deal worth at least 9.2%. The RMT said it would seek similar increases across the transport sector, ascribing its success to a week of strikes two months ago that caused widespread disruption in the capital. The offer still needs to be formally accepted by the other unions: Aslef, Unite and TSSA, but none are expected to object. The RMT’s general secretary, Eddie Dempsey, said the pay deal was “a clear demonstration of the effectiveness of strike action and strong negotiation by our members”. He said the deal was significant for not “linking pay to flawed productivity discussions and measures of inflation that do not include housing costs” and added: “RMT members will expect to see a similar approach in other parts of the transport industry.” The union had sought a reduction in the working week to as little as 32 hours, a demand that Transport for London (TfL) rejected as unworkable and unaffordable. Rolling strikes in September closed the underground for four days, with Londoners staying home, walking or turning to buses, overground trains and bikes to get around. No changes to working hours have been made under the deal. A TfL spokesperson said: “We welcome the decision from the RMT to accept our pay offer. This multi-year offer is fair, affordable and provides certainty for our colleagues over pay for several years. We are engaging with all of our unions on this offer and look forward to their responses.” The current basic salary for tube drivers is £71,170. Station staff typically earn between £30,000 and £45,000.