Rail union confirms maintenance staff have voted to strike
Rail union confirms maintenance staff have voted to strike
Friday 12th March 2010
Passengers could face train travel disruption over the Easter period, as members of the RMT union have voted 77 per cent in support of strike action.The Rail Maritime and Transport union (RMT) union said the ballot was instigated by plans by Network Rail to cut 1,500 jobs and alter working conditions.
RMT said that union members voted by 77 per cent for strike action and by 89 per cent for action short of a strike. The union said its executive will now discuss the next steps in the dispute at a meeting next Friday in light of the "massive mandate for action that has been delivered by the members and to consider the ballot result in sister rail union TSSA".
RMT general secretary Bob Crow said: "RMT members were faced with a stark choice in this ballot. They could either sit back and wait for these cash-led maintenance cuts to lead to another major disaster on Britain's railways or they could vote to take action to stop the attack on rail safety. They have overwhelmingly voted to take action.
"Nobody should be under any illusions about just how determined RMT members are to win this dispute and to stop this reckless gamble with rail safety. Nearly 150 MPs have signed the Early Day Motion opposing Network Rail's cuts plans and have urged the government to intervene to call a halt to this jobs carnage on the tracks. We are reissuing that call today."
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