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Virgin staff strike is called off Virgin staff strike is called off
(39 minutes later)
A planned strike by Virgin Trains booking office staff at five mainline stations has been called off after a legal challenge by the company. A planned rush hour strike by Virgin Trains booking office staff at five mainline stations has been called off.
About 100 union members were to walk out at London Euston, Birmingham New Street, Coventry, Preston and Glasgow during Friday evening's rush hour. Transport Salaried Staffs Association members were to strike on Friday night at London Euston, Birmingham New Street, Coventry, Preston and Glasgow.
The Transport Salaried Staffs Association said Virgin was planning to close several ticket office windows. Virgin Trains said the strike was abandoned after legal advice questioned the ballot procedures.
Virgin Trains denied it was planning to reduce ticket office windows or staff. The union said Virgin Trains was planning to close several ticket office windows, a claim the firm denied.
Gerry Doherty, of the Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA) said: "We are very disappointed that Virgin have left it to the last minute to resort to anti-trade union legislation to challenge the legality of a ballot which saw a 70% majority in favour of strike action." About 100 members of the Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA) union were expected to have taken part in the strike.
They claim Virgin plans to cut back on the number of ticket windows open to the public which would force people to use more expensive ticket machines.
Union claims 'bizarre'Union claims 'bizarre'
He said the union did not want to fight the issue in the High Court but instead wanted to negotiate directly with Virgin "on an issue about which our members and the general public feel very strongly". Gerry Doherty of TSSA said: "If this goes ahead we could end up with 10% fewer booking office staff," he added.
The union claimed that Virgin plans to cut back on the number of windows open to the public which would force people to use more expensive ticket machines. However, Virgin Trains said this claim was "bizarre" as it had no intention of reducing ticket office windows or staff.
"If this goes ahead we could end up with 10% fewer booking office staff," he added. Virgin Trains chief executive Tony Collins criticised the union.
However, Virgin said this was not planned and accused the TSSA of seeking extra payments for members over the installation of new ticket machines. "It is shameful that the TSSA leadership has deliberately confused its own members and our customers over what the dispute is about," he said.
A Virgin spokesman said: "We find the union's claim that we are planning to cut ticket office windows and staff bizarre because we have no intention of doing that." However, Mr Doherty responded: "We are very disappointed that Virgin have left it to the last minute to resort to anti-trade union legislation to challenge the legality of a ballot which saw a 70% majority in favour of strike action."
He added the union did not want to fight the issue in the High Court but instead wanted to negotiate directly with Virgin.