Members of the RMT union have voted to continue taking industrial action in their long-running dispute over pay, jobs and conditions. The union said over 90% of balloted members supported further strike action across Network Rail and against the 14 train operating companies. RMT said the average turnout among its members was 70.2%, exceeding the legal turnout threshold of 50%. The result means RMT members in these areas will be able to take strike action for potentially another six-month period. The union’s general secretary, Mick Lynch, said: “The national executive committee will now look at these fantastic results and negotiations will continue with Network Rail and the train operating companies. “This union is determined to continue with this campaign until the employers understand that they need to respond to our members’ aspirations on job security, pay and working conditions.” The fresh mandate for strike action from its members follows the RMT cancelling three 24-hour strikes that had been due to be held on Saturday 5, Monday 7 and Wednesday 9 November, after it said it had secured “unconditional talks” with Network Rail and the promise “of an offer from the train operating companies”. The transport secretary, Mark Harper, who has indicated a willingness to meet union leaders, said Wednesday’s announcement was “disappointing” and urged RMT to “keep working with employers, not against them”. The Department for Transport said Harper had invited the general secretaries of the RMT, Aslef and TSSA rail unions to meetings “in the near future”. The three unions have all been locked in industrial disputes and joined forces on 1 October for one of the largest train strikes in decades. The ongoing dispute shows little sign of abating. Last week, Aslef, which represents train drivers, said its members would strike on 26 November after the union said it was still waiting for a pay offer from the employers despite a series of talks. Responding to the latest vote, Tim Shoveller, Network Rail’s chief negotiator, said: “The only way to solve this dispute, for both our people and our passengers, is around the negotiating table, which is why we look forward to continuing intensive talks in the days ahead with the hope of finding a breakthrough and an amicable solution for all. “What’s clear for all of us is that striking is not changing the railway’s precarious financial position, but actually only making it worse. The railway has not recovered from the pandemic and is currently losing millions a day, which makes reaching a deal both tough and essential.” Steve Montgomery, the chairman of the Rail Delivery Group, said passengers would be “dismayed” and said that further strike action would “heap more misery on our customers and struggling businesses in the run-up to Christmas”.