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| Version 4 | Version 5 |
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| Court halts RMT rail strike plans | Court halts RMT rail strike plans |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| A planned national rail strike by the RMT union has been called off after it was challenged in the High Court. | |
| Network Rail was granted an injunction after it alleged discrepancies in the RMT's ballot for industrial action. | |
| It means a four-day strike over job cuts and working hours, due to start next Tuesday, will not go ahead. | |
| Bob Crow, general secretary of the RMT, said the judgement was "an attack on the whole trade union movement" and the executive would recommend a re-ballot. | Bob Crow, general secretary of the RMT, said the judgement was "an attack on the whole trade union movement" and the executive would recommend a re-ballot. |
| Mr Crow said: "Workers fighting for the principle of a safe railway have had the whole weight of the law thrown against them." | Mr Crow said: "Workers fighting for the principle of a safe railway have had the whole weight of the law thrown against them." |
| Earlier, a QC representing Network Rail told Judge Mrs Justice Sharp, who made the order, that "unlawful" strike action would cause "immense damage to the economy". | Earlier, a QC representing Network Rail told Judge Mrs Justice Sharp, who made the order, that "unlawful" strike action would cause "immense damage to the economy". |
| Robin Gisby, head of operations at Network Rail, said: "The signallers' strike is off and train services next week will run as normal. | |
| "This is good news for the millions of passengers who rely on us every day, for our freight users and for the country. | |
| "A dispute with the unions remains, however, and we have a responsibility to our people to continue talking to the unions to find a settlement that works for us all." | |
| The RMT had planned to strike over Network Rail's plans to cut 1,500 jobs and increase evening and weekend maintenance work. | The RMT had planned to strike over Network Rail's plans to cut 1,500 jobs and increase evening and weekend maintenance work. |
| The union says the plans would affect rail safety. | The union says the plans would affect rail safety. |
| 'Huge relief' | |
| Network Rail's legal challenge concerned only the ballot of signallers, and did not relate to the RMT's ballot of maintenance workers and the Transport Salaried Staffs' Association (TSSA) ballot of supervisors. | |
| The company alleged that the RMT balloted 11 signal boxes that do not exist, and that in 67 locations the numbers of union members balloted exceeded the total number of employees working. | |
| It also claimed that 26 workplaces were missed out, giving RMT members at these locations no opportunity to vote. | |
| Responding to the strike cancellation, Transport Secretary Lord Adonis said the strike cancellation would be "a huge relief" to passengers. | |
| "It is now vital that the two sides in this dispute get back round the table as soon as possible to negotiate a settlement and I call on them to do so," he said. | "It is now vital that the two sides in this dispute get back round the table as soon as possible to negotiate a settlement and I call on them to do so," he said. |
| Liberal Democrat transport spokesman Norman Baker welcomed the news, but warned it was "a temporary reprieve". | |
| "It's time for Network Rail and the RMT to get back round the table. The RMT must put the problems of the railway ahead of political point-scoring," he said. | |
| Rail customer watchdog Passenger Focus said passengers would be "relieved". | |
| Chief executive Anthony Smith said passengers wanted to see renewed efforts to resolve the issue, "not just a postponement of the pain". |