Norfolk Southern reaches tentative agreements with five more labor unions

Aug 30 (Reuters) - Norfolk Southern NSC.N has reached tentative, five-year labor agreements with five unions, the U.S. railroad operator said on Friday, at a time when thousands of employees in the industry are for better pay and working conditions.

Of its 13 unions, the company has reached tentative agreements with , which cover about 55% of its unionized workforce, over the past two weeks.

The agreements, which still to be ratified by the unions, provide a 3.5% average annual wage hike over the five years and offer more time off for workers and better healthcare benefits.

(Reporting by Abhinav Parmar in Bengaluru; Editing by Shilpi Majumdar)

((Abhinav.Parmar@thomsonreuters.com))