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Legal attempt to stop rail strike | |
(about 2 hours later) | |
Network Rail is taking legal action in a bid to avert next week's planned strikes by signallers and maintenance staff over job cuts and work changes. | |
The RMT and the Transport Salaried Staffs' Association (TSSA) are planning a four-day walkout from 6 April. | The RMT and the Transport Salaried Staffs' Association (TSSA) are planning a four-day walkout from 6 April. |
As talks were adjourned, Network Rail said it had served papers on the RMT over the validity of the signallers' ballot and was seeking a court ruling. | |
The RMT said it would "fight this assault on our union to the hilt". | |
The union's general secretary Bob Crow said: "I can confirm tonight that RMT is putting together an experienced legal team, including some of the most high-profile employment law experts in the country. | |
"We will be mounting the most robust defence possible in the High Court tomorrow against this attack by Network Rail on our internal democracy. | |
'Sabotaged' | 'Sabotaged' |
"This is a scandalous attempt by Network Rail to use the full weight of the anti-union laws to deny our members their basic human right to withdraw their labour and we will fight this assault on our union to the hilt." | |
An RMT spokesman earlier said the ballot of its members had been "perfectly above-board". | |
The spokesman added: "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." | |
The conciliation service Acas, which is brokering talks between Network Rail and the unions, said discussions would resume on Wednesday morning. | |
Network Rail's legal move has angered the RMT's Bob Crow | |
In a statement Network Rail said it had a "responsibility to all our passengers and freight users, and to the country as a whole, to do everything we can to avert a strike. | |
"Talks continue and our aim is a negotiated settlement, but we must explore all avenues at our disposal and that includes legal ones." | "Talks continue and our aim is a negotiated settlement, but we must explore all avenues at our disposal and that includes legal ones." |
It said the legal papers served on the RMT highlighted "scores of discrepancies and inaccuracies" in the signallers' ballot and would be raised at a hearing on Wednesday. | It said the legal papers served on the RMT highlighted "scores of discrepancies and inaccuracies" in the signallers' ballot and would be raised at a hearing on Wednesday. |
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. |
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. |
Easter strike fears | Easter strike fears |
It is estimated one in five trains could be affected on average but that the worst-hit routes could be the commuter lines into London Victoria, Waterloo, Liverpool Street and London Bridge, where only one in 10 services could be in operation. | |
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. |
Mr Brown and Transport Secretary Lord Adonis have both urged the two sides to try to resolve the row. | Mr Brown and Transport Secretary Lord Adonis have both urged the two sides to try to resolve the row. |