Rail union to plan fresh strike ballots in row over jobs

A four-day strike has already been outlawed by the High Court
12 April 2012

Union leaders will meet today to set out a timetable for a fresh ballot among thousands of rail workers in their row over jobs and working practices.

The executive of the Rail Maritime and Transport union will gather to draw up plans for the re-balloting of more than 5,000 signal workers and 12,000 maintenance staff across the rail network.

The workers were due to stage four days of industrial action from yesterday, which would have crippled rail services on the day Prime Minister Gordon Brown announced the date of the General Election, but the action was halted by the High Court.

Network Rail made a successful legal challenge in the High Court, leading to the strikes being called off.

But the RMT announced yesterday that fresh ballots will be held, raising the prospect that the new government will have to deal with a spate of rail strikes early next month.

The timetable for the new ballots was not revealed, but it is possible that strikes could be held just before the May 6 election.

RMT general secretary Bob Crow said: "Our dispute with Network Rail remains alive. The fight to defend 1,500 safety-critical jobs out on the tracks, and safe working conditions for both our signals and maintenance staff, will not be kicked aside by one highly political court ruling. Our fight against Network Rail's cuts programme goes on.

"This dispute is about safety on Britain's railways and, despite the barrage of abuse, lies and distortions that have been thrown at this union and its members over the past few days, we will not sit back and allow our industry to be dragged back to the dark days of Railtrack, Hatfield and Potters Bar.

"Last week 1,200 track workers at rail company Jarvis were dumped on the dole in another move tied in with Network Rail's £5 billion cuts programme and the Government have not lifted a finger to help those men and women.

"Those staff should be replacing dangerous sections of track on our railways, not queuing up at the benefits office. That's what's at stake in the fight against the jobs massacre on the UK's railways and we will make it a high-profile political issue throughout the election campaign."

Network Rail strongly argued that the plan to cut 1,500 jobs will not compromise safety and said it needed new working practices to allow more maintenance and other work to be carried out in the evenings and at weekends.

The Transport Salaried Staffs Association, which also called off a planned strike by NR supervisors this week, is also planning to re-ballot its members.

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