Network Rail RMT Union Talks To Avert UK National Rail Strike

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Crow announces strike ballot by rail workers

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sourced by Paul Conneally

Network Rail  has announced plans to meet with  The Rail, Maritime and Transport Union (RMT) next week to try and avert the first national rail strike for 16 years.

Yesterday the RMT announced the result of it's second ballot in under two weeks in favour of industrial action including strike action and it was expected that they would move quickly to announcing a national strike. However last night RMT general secretary, Bob Crow, was sounding more concilliatory announcing that the union would meet for talks with Network Rail at Acas (Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service).

Mr. Crow still insisted that he had a mandate to acll astrike although the 54% in favour of strike action result must have been a little dissapointing. 77% voted for industrial action of somekind.

Crow said: "Nobody should be under any illusions about just how determined RMT members are to win our fight against Network Rail's cuts programme"

The RMT are taking action over proposed layoffs of 1,500 and changes to working practices that the union claim pose a danger to the safetey of rail passengers. Network Rail have said that the union's safetey concerns are unfounded and that the dispute is essentially about jobs and pay. Robin Grisley, Ntwork Rail's director of operations labelled the RMT as 'militant' urging them to "get back round the negotiating table". It appears that the RMT union have taken this on board with talks at Acas scheduled to commence on Monday or Tuesday.

The rail dispute comes at the same time as the British Airways dispute and should the proposed air and rail strikes go ahead then UK travellers are set for Easter chaos.