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Rail union leaders have told MPs there is much left to agree if further national strikes are to be averted.

RMT leader Mick Lynch said in evidence to the transport committee that they were “a long way” off on the pay issue.

He said Network Rail and train operating companies were offering well under half what his members deserved to navigate the cost of living crisis, after years of pay freezes.

Watch and follow live as rail union leaders appear before MPs – strikes latest

His colleagues at the Aslef and TSSA unions declared they were as far away as was possible to be from deals to end their separate disputes when asked to give a reply on a scale of one to 10.

Mick Whelan, general secretary of the drivers’ Aslef union, told the MPs: “I think you can include zero. We are further away than where we started”, when asked about the state of play in its row with train operators.

He also criticised the way an offer was made by the Rail Delivery Group (RDG), which represents the train firms, last Friday.

THE OFFERS ON THE TABLE TO RAIL UNIONS

The national rail disputes that have disrupted travel involve two unions and multiple employers.

The larger RMT union is locked in a pay and work reform battle with Network Rail and 14 operating firms. It is seeking a pay rise to shield its members from the cost of living crisis.

The good news here, for simplicity purposes, is that the 14 train operators are represented by a single entity, the Rail Delivery Group (RDG).

The RMT has dismissed a pay offer of 4% for 2022 and 4% for 2023 from the RDG. This includes a rejection of a demand for driver-only operated trains.

The union has also rejected an offer from Network Rail (which manages the signalling and track maintenance) of a 5% pay rise for 2022 and 4% for 2023.

The Aslef union, which represents train drivers, is yet to respond to a RDG offer of a 4% pay rise for 2022 and 4% in 2023.

This offer is, however, expected to be rejected when the union’s executive committee meets next week.

He claimed it was leaked to sections of the media first and contained details which “smashed” agreements with the union.

Mr Lynch was especially critical of the government’s role in the negotiations.

He accused the Department for Transport of seeking an expansion of driver-only train operation in its talks with the RDG, saying it would never agree to such a move.

“It’s daft. To me, it’s sabotage. They wanted these strikes to go ahead,” he claimed.

The TSSA has agreed a deal with Network Rail but remains in dispute with train operators – with London’s Elizabeth Line set to be hit by a first walkout on Thursday.

The committee is due to hear later from RDG chair Steve Montgomery and Tim Shoveller, Network Rail’s chief negotiator.

They have consistently argued that the railways can not sustain the pay hikes being demanded, especially given the damage inflicted on passenger numbers since the pandemic.

This article was originally published by Sky.com. Read the original article here.