RMT to ballot Heavy Haul Rail members over job cuts and restructuring

Rail union RMT will ballot members at Heavy Haul Rail Ltd for industrial action. This is after the company refused to rule out compulsory redundancies and pressed ahead with sweeping restructuring plans.

The union says the employer is seeking to cut jobs, merge grades and impose revised job descriptions. This will range across control, rosters, TOPS, train planning, administration and management grades.

Heavy Haul Rail only came into existence at the start of 2026, following a buyout of part of the Freightliner business.

RMT warns the company is asking members to take on extra duties and flexibility without any guarantee of additional pay. Also, members may have to relocate hundreds of miles away.

Heavy Haul Rail supports critical infrastructure building programmes, as well as renewal and maintenance work on Network Rail. It has rejected the union’s call for a no compulsory redundancy agreement.

The company has also dismissed proposals to protect existing roster clerk jobs and mitigate further redundancies in the crucial function of controller grades.

Bosses are trying to load extra duties onto staff, including control and delay attribution work, while refusing to guarantee they will be properly paid for it.

RMT general secretary Eddie Dempsey said:

Heavy Haul Rail is trying to force through job cuts, merged grades and extra duties while refusing to guarantee no compulsory redundancies.

Our members keep this operation running and they will not accept attacks on their jobs, pay and conditions.

The company’s proposals are unworkable, damaging to the business and completely unacceptable.

We will ballot our members for industrial action and we will be urging them to send a clear message to the employer that they will not accept these proposals.

Featured image via the Canary