Events | 2010.03.27
Rail strike chaos may still be averted as talks resume
Unions and Network Rail both hopeful of resolving dispute in last-ditch meetings this week
Hopes have been raised that a looming strike by rail workers, which would cause travel chaos for millions of commuters, could still be averted.
Unions have warned that the rail network will "effectively be shut down" by planned strike action between 6-9 April, immediately after the Easter holidays.
But it has emerged that union leaders have drawn up a proposed framework for resolving the dispute over Network Rail\'s plans to axe 1,500 maintenance jobs and change working practices. The unions claim the move would hit safety – a claim denied by the company. NR said it hoped to achieve the vast majority of the 1,500 job losses through voluntary redundancy.
The conciliation service Acas announced last night that talks between the Rail Maritime and Transport union (RMT), the Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA) and Network Rail will take place from Monday.
"We are drawing up a proposed framework for resolving the disputes which will be submitted to Acas in advance of getting back around the table for further talks with Network Rail," said the RMT general secretary, Bob Crow.
"Our members remain rock solid in their support for these disputes and for the planned industrial action and are determined to secure a settlement which addresses all of the key issues."
Network Rail said it had been trying to convene new talks with the unions, adding it had not ruled out legal action to try to prevent the strike, which would be the first national walkout since a signal workers\' dispute in 1994.
Last night it was preparing a last-ditch attempt to try to avert the strike by offering maintenance workers a cash payment. The owner of Britain\'s rail system said it was prepared to make "lump sum" payments to thousands of employees as a sweetener for altered working conditions. The offer will be made at the Acas meeting, a spokesman said.
The start of the planned strike by maintenance workers, signallers and supervisors on 6 April coincides with the day Gordon Brown is expected to announce that the general election will be on 6 May.
Brown said yesterday that the industrial action would be unhelpful and benefit neither side.
"I hope there will be no rail strike," he told reporters at an EU summit in Brussels. "It would be unhelpful for everybody if there was a strike. I think it is possible to see a way forward on this. I believe that nobody wants to lose the services, particularly in April."
A spokesman for the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC) said: "Train companies are working closely with Network Rail to make sure that, if a strike takes place, as many trains as possible run and disruption is kept to a minimum. We would recommend that passengers check the National Rail enquiries website for the latest information."
Revised timetables for the days of the strike are expected to be available from Thursday.
For more information, please visit
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/mar/27/rail-strike-fresh-talks-resume
