Recognition of RMT Strike - Recognition of Workplace Agreements

That the Parliament welcomes the 70% vote in favour of strike action by signaller members of the RMT union; considers that the breakdown in industrial relations centres on the failure of Network Rail to honour the spirit and intention of the signallers’ 35 hour week agreement and that management have abused the rostering agreements and have continued carrying out Cognisco testing in signal boxes, despite a commitment not to do so; recognises that throughout this situation the union and its members have been, and continue to be, available to talk to the management to resolve these issues; believes that RMT members should not be forced to resort to such action and that Network Rail should enter into meaningful negotiations concerning all the many issues at the heart of this dispute and seek to reach agreement with the RMT, and calls on all elected members to exert the strongest pressure on Network Rail to talk to the RMT and to resolve this dispute by honouring the spirit and intention of all workplace agreements with the signallers.