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Legal action to stop rail strike | Legal action to stop rail strike |
(30 minutes later) | |
Network Rail is taking legal action in a bid to avert next week's planned strikes by signallers. | Network Rail is taking legal action in a bid to avert next week's planned strikes by signallers. |
The RMT and the Transport Salaried Staffs' Association (TSSA) is planning a four-day strike from 6 April, which it says could hit 80% of services. | The RMT and the Transport Salaried Staffs' Association (TSSA) is planning a four-day strike from 6 April, which it says could hit 80% of services. |
The dispute centres on Network Rail plans to cut 1,500 jobs and increase evening and weekend maintenance work. | The dispute centres on Network Rail plans to cut 1,500 jobs and increase evening and weekend maintenance work. |
The RMT union said its ballot was "perfectly above board" and it would respond with a "most robust defence". | |
'Sabotaged' | |
An RMT spokesman said: "We have spent two days in talks making some significant progress, only to find the progress has been sabotaged by a threat of Network Rail to use anti-trade union laws to drag us into court tomorrow. | |
"We have conducted a perfectly above-board ballot of our members. Our legal team is going through the papers tonight and we will announce the most robust defence of our legal position." | |
If the walkout goes ahead, it would be the first national rail strike since 1994. | If the walkout goes ahead, it would be the first national rail strike since 1994. |
TSSA supervisors and RMT maintenance workers are set to walk out from 6 to 9 April, while RMT signal staff will strike from 0600-1000 and 1800-2200 on those days. | TSSA supervisors and RMT maintenance workers are set to walk out from 6 to 9 April, while RMT signal staff will strike from 0600-1000 and 1800-2200 on those days. |
It is estimated that the worst-hit routes could be the commuter lines into London Victoria, Waterloo, Liverpool Street and London Bridge, where only one-in-10 trains could be in operation. | |
Easter strike fears | Easter strike fears |
Network Rail has said it hopes to achieve the vast majority of the 1,500 job losses through voluntary redundancy. | Network Rail has said it hopes to achieve the vast majority of the 1,500 job losses through voluntary redundancy. |
Unions say the plans would adversely affect railway safety - a claim disputed by Network Rail. | Unions say the plans would adversely affect railway safety - a claim disputed by Network Rail. |
There were fears the strike would be called over Easter, but the unions said they deliberately avoided this in order not to disrupt the public over the bank holiday. | There were fears the strike would be called over Easter, but the unions said they deliberately avoided this in order not to disrupt the public over the bank holiday. |
However, the start of the strike coincides with the day on which Prime Minister Gordon Brown is widely expected to announce the date of the general election. | However, the start of the strike coincides with the day on which Prime Minister Gordon Brown is widely expected to announce the date of the general election. |
Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Transport Secretary Lord Adonis have both urged the two sides to try to resolve the row. |