ENGINEERING CHANGE

RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: may/june 2026 :: RMTnews 22 The organising conference for engineering grades meeting in Ashford discussed the rapid introduction of new technologies across the rail network and London Underground. Sam Ashley, LU Engineering said that the deployment of new signalling systems, use of drones and Artificial Intelligence (AI) in automation posed an industry-wide challenge to members. “The bosses are closely coordinating to advance their own interests, and our response must be equally unified. “Therefore, we must establish regular contact amongst all engineering workers to share information, monitor technological rollouts and plan industrial strategies to deal with it,” he said. Conference unanimously backed the call to organise a national meeting to develop policies on the impact of AI on reactive maintenance, new signalling systems, drones and other emerging technologies. Rhys Harmer, LU Engineering said that between London Underground and Network Rail, engineering and ops members made up over half the union membership. “We need to establish a robust network to ensure we are collectively planning and responding to these threats to jobs, safety, and working conditions. “In unity, there is strength and we must ensure we are as coordinated as the employers we face,” he said. RMT assistant general secretary Daren Ireland said that the union was fighting attempts by employers to use pay negotiations to undermine and terms and conditions of employment. “We broke that employer’s model with this year’s pay deal with a no-strings pay deal based on Retail Price Index (RPI) not the lower CPI inflation index. “But Network Rail has made clear that it wants to move away from pay awards being aligned to RPI and are looking make other attacks on the workforce,” he said. He outlined how the government was still interfering in negotiations with public and private rail employers despite not attending one meeting with the union. “This is a direct assault on our right to free collective bargaining with the employers. “We know there has also been an erosion of wages so if we are going to fight for something better, we need to fight for it. “We need to get the message into the workplace that only by organising ourselves to build the union’s strength everywhere,” he said. Use of Temporary Variations Delegates demanded that all Temporary Variations (TVs) ie short-term changes to operating procedures and safety standards implemented by Network Rail must be logged, risk-assessed and shared with the union. Yet TVs can bypass established safety validation routes and weaken nationally agreed protections, effectively undermining the integrity of the Life Saving Rules and safety standards. Steve Allen, South East London Engineering said that Network Rail was increasingly relying upon the use of TVs to under the justification of improving efficiency or reducing disruptions. “Such variations have been introduced without consultation with trade union safety reps or adequate assessment of their potential ENGINEERING CHANGE Engineering grades call for unified action on new technology