Thirty-four female middle managers at Network Rail are to confront the firm with an equal pay claim.

The claim, which is due to be filed before the end of May, will ask for back-pay of £25,000 for each claimant.

The rail union, the Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association (TSSA), have backed the claim. According to TSSA, an equal pay survey of 2,000 staff found a gender pay gap of £4,500 at National Rail.

Manuel Cortes, general secretary at the TSSA, said: “This [pay gap] is completely unacceptable in a firm that receives the majority of its funding, £4 billion a year, from the taxpayer.”

A spokesperson from National Rail said the firm was “committed to fair pay practices and has agreed to work with the TSSA to review our current systems”.

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