Strikes planned by Avanti West Coast staff who are members of the RMT union have been called off.
Members voted to accept a settlement in the long-running rest day working dispute with a yes vote of 86.5 per cent, RMT said today (13 March).
Avanti staff had been due to continue Sunday walkouts until 25 May, causing severe disruption between London Euston and southern Scotland.
Walkouts began on 31 December in a series of strikes regarding payments to train managers for working on their rest days.
RMT members say they are poorly rewarded compared with the sums earned by “management train managers”. These are senior managers employed in desk-based roles for Avanti West Coast, who have been trained to stand in as train managers when essential to keep trains running – such as during strikes.
According to RMT, the agreement includes increased pay rates to time plus a quarter, with time plus a half for weekend shifts.
Minimum shift payments will also rise from six hours to seven and a half hours, with enhanced rest day working payments backdated from 10 February 2025.
RMT said train managers will be “prioritised for rest day and spare shifts” before senior management is called upon.
Avanti West Coast has committed to “review the impact of these changes” before the December 2025 timetable to suggest any further improvements.
RMT general secretary Eddie Dempsey said: “Our members have stood firm, taking significant industrial action, and have won a deal that delivers real improvements to pay, and working conditions.
“This result shows through a strong industrial campaign and robust negotiation we can and do win improvements at work for our members.”
An Avanti West Coast spokesperson said: “We are pleased that our train managers have voted to accept our latest offer to resolve the dispute over rest day working.
“We’ve worked together to find a resolution that is right for our train managers as well as the company and are now looking forward to continuing to grow our business.
“This is a significant step in the right direction providing certainty for both colleagues and customers, as we head into what is traditionally one of our busier periods as leisure travel increases during the spring and summer.
“We would also like to thank our customers for their patience during this industrial action. Customers are advised to check the Avanti West Coast website for the latest updates on tickets and timetables for Sundays, which were due to be affected by strike action up to and including 25 May.”
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