Talk over driver pay has resurfaced as train workers prepare to walk out on strike.
On Saturday, the RMT confirmed that strikes at Network Rail and 13 train operators will go ahead on Tuesday, Thursday and next Saturday, and on London Underground on Tuesday.
Industry bosses insisted that a settlement is still possible – with further talks taking place on Monday – but that the union had to accept the need for reform of “outdated” working practices.
Steve Montgomery, the chairman of the Rail Delivery Group, told the BBC: “We are now meeting them again tomorrow. We do want to offer them something but we have to have reform.
“There is room for compromise. We have got to work together, but we can resolve it. This is resolvable.”
RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said the union had no choice but to act after the train operators had still not made a pay offer when talks adjourned on Thursday.
“We have to fight this because we haven’t had any pay rises, we are faced with thousands of job cuts and they want to rip up our terms and conditions in a form of hire and re-hire that is internal to the railway,” he told Sky News’s Sophy Ridge on Sunday programme.
He warned that industrial action would continue if there was no settlement with other rail unions balloting their members on strike action.
“If there is not a settlement we will continue our campaign. I think there are going to be many more unions balloting across the country because people can’t take it any more,” he said.
RMT has also warned people not to “fall into the media trap” of believing they only represent train drivers.
“Many of our members earn minimum wage,” the union tweeted. “Many earn between £25 – £30k. The median salary of RMT rail members is £31k.”
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