Night Tube: RMT union to consider new London Underground pay offer for delayed service

The Night Tube negotiations between London Underground (LU) and the unions could see a breakthrough at the start of December as the RMT is set to consider a new pay offer. The union, which represents workers and drivers on the network, said its executive and Tube representatives would discuss the proposed pay settlement on 1 December.

The move comes after Underground bosses promised to keep a £500 ($752) one-off bonus for Night Tube workers and as part of the new deal the employees would see an inflation-linked pay rise plus 0.25% in the fourth year of the Night Tube.

This salary rise is on top of an average 2% increase in the first year of service, a Retail Price Index (RPI)-linked, or 1%, rise in year two and an RPI-linked increase, or 1% ,in year three. Mick Cash, the general secretary of the RMT, told his members: "This offer will be considered by your representatives on 1 December 2015 and then by the union's executive. Following these meetings, we will keep members advised of all developments."

The update comes after Finn Brennan, a negotiator for train drivers' union Aslef, told IBTimes UK that his organisation would consider the new offer. "We will consider the offer but it still doesn't deliver on any of the commitments on improvements in work-life balance our members have been asking for," he said. "[The new deal] simply offers work-streams on changes, not a guarantee that they will happen."

However, the latest offer from LU leaves drivers worst off as the operators will no longer get a £200 bonus per shift. The fresh deal is the latest attempt from Underground bosses to break the deadlock in negotiations after months of talks at mitigation service Acas.

The service, which will run across four major lines on weekends, was meant start on 12 September. But because of a row over work and pay conditions, the rollout of the Night Tube was delayed until later in the autumn. However, after the latest batch of negotiations between the unions – including the RMT, TSSA, Unite and Aslef – and LU failed to produce a resolution, the new service is now expected to be launched some time in 2016.