London Overground Staff to Get 25 Percent Salary Hike During Olympics

There is something to cheer about for London Overground staff as the rail operator has agreed to pay its workers an extra 25 percent for working during the Olympics and Paralympics Games.

Each staff member working during the Games would get a minimum hike of £650 in 2012, according to an agreement reached between London Overground with rail union RMT.

London Overground Rail Operations Ltd hailed the agreement by describing the Games as an "opportunity" for its employees, says a BBC report.

London Overground is the city's suburban rail network, which operates the East London Line, the Gospel Oak to Barking Line, the North London Line, the West London Line and the Watford DC Line.

Its North London Line trains terminate in Stratford, east London, close to the Olympic Park.

The agreement will see additional pay for station, train care, fleet maintenance and revenue staff who might have to work for additional hours due to more rush.

"It's a common sense approach in planning ahead for the Games," RMT general secretary Bob Crow said.

"This agreement quite rightly recognises and rewards the additional efforts and flexibility required of RMT members during the Olympics to benefit passengers on London Overground routes serving the key hub at Stratford."

"The agreement shows the importance of the workforce having a skilled and experienced trade union on their side in negotiating the best deal possible to the mutual benefit of everyone involved."

A spokesperson for LOROL, which has a contract with Transport for London to run the London Overground network, said: "LOROL views the Olympic Games as an opportunity for all employees to further demonstrate the transformation under way on the London Overground network. The deal will allow LOROL to play its part in making Olympic transport a success in 2012."