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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| Rail strike union considers offer | |
| (about 6 hours later) | |
| A union involved in a rail strike on some of the busiest railway lines in England has said it is considering a pay offer from National Express. | |
| The train company, Aslef, the RMT and the Transport Salaried Staffs' Association failed to reach an agreement on Wednesday night. | |
| The third 48-hour walk-out affects trains between London and Essex, Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire. | |
| RMT general secretary Bob Crowe said its members would resume talks later. | |
| National Express East Anglia warned that only limited services will be available and are likely to be "extremely busy". | |
| The industrial action started at 0001 on Thursday and will end at 2359 BST on Friday, in a dispute over pay and conditions. | |
| Progress had been made during the talks on Wednesday, Mr Crowe said, with National Express management offering a 3.5% pay increase over two years. | |
| He said the union was in talks about the offer, which National Express said would be taken away if members went ahead with a strike. | |
| Earlier, a spokesman for Aslef said the union's executive had also decided to call a full week of strike action next month. | |
| 'Another planet' | 'Another planet' |
| An Aslef spokesman said negotiations had become "increasingly fractious and unproductive" and three days of meetings had resulted in "no notable progress". | An Aslef spokesman said negotiations had become "increasingly fractious and unproductive" and three days of meetings had resulted in "no notable progress". |
| Aslef leader Keith Norman accused National Express management of living "on another planet". | Aslef leader Keith Norman accused National Express management of living "on another planet". |
| We have asked them as a sign of good faith to halt the strikes, they refused National Express East Anglia managing director Andrew Chivers | |
| "Train drivers voted by 95% to 5% to back industrial action: the RMT vote was of a similar level and this week the TSSA has joined the three-week dispute," he said. | "Train drivers voted by 95% to 5% to back industrial action: the RMT vote was of a similar level and this week the TSSA has joined the three-week dispute," he said. |
| National Express East Anglia management seemed not to realise it had a problem and showed "no sign of doing anything to remedy it", added Mr Norman. | National Express East Anglia management seemed not to realise it had a problem and showed "no sign of doing anything to remedy it", added Mr Norman. |
| The rail company said it had done "everything possible" to halt the strikes and will run a limited service on some routes, similar to previous strike days but with a few additional trains. | The rail company said it had done "everything possible" to halt the strikes and will run a limited service on some routes, similar to previous strike days but with a few additional trains. |
| It claims it improved its pay offer to a further 1.5% in 2009, and a minimum of 2% again in 2010, which in the case of train drivers is on top of the 4.6% increase received in 2008. | It claims it improved its pay offer to a further 1.5% in 2009, and a minimum of 2% again in 2010, which in the case of train drivers is on top of the 4.6% increase received in 2008. |
| 'Determined to disrupt' | 'Determined to disrupt' |
| Managing director Andrew Chivers said Aslef's expectations were out of touch with what most workers in the UK are experiencing during the current economic climate. | Managing director Andrew Chivers said Aslef's expectations were out of touch with what most workers in the UK are experiencing during the current economic climate. |
| "We have improved our offer further, putting more cash on the table, but after reaching what we believed to be a deal, Aslef withdrew their agreement," he added. | "We have improved our offer further, putting more cash on the table, but after reaching what we believed to be a deal, Aslef withdrew their agreement," he added. |
| "Aslef are simply determined to continue to disrupt the lives of thousands of people completely unnecessarily. | "Aslef are simply determined to continue to disrupt the lives of thousands of people completely unnecessarily. |
| "We have asked them as a sign of good faith to halt the strikes, they refused. We have asked them to table the improved offer to staff, they refused." | "We have asked them as a sign of good faith to halt the strikes, they refused. We have asked them to table the improved offer to staff, they refused." |
| There will be an hourly service to Liverpool Street from Stansted Airport, Southend Victoria Norwich and Colchester. | There will be an hourly service to Liverpool Street from Stansted Airport, Southend Victoria Norwich and Colchester. |
| National Express said it also planned to run a small number of off-peak services between Norwich and Colchester, with connections to and from London, and a morning and evening peak train between Cambridge and Liverpool Street. | National Express said it also planned to run a small number of off-peak services between Norwich and Colchester, with connections to and from London, and a morning and evening peak train between Cambridge and Liverpool Street. |
| Tickets will be accepted on services run by c2c, First Capital Connect and East Midlands Trains during the strike. | Tickets will be accepted on services run by c2c, First Capital Connect and East Midlands Trains during the strike. |