Rail strike threat on hold as RMT heads to Acas

Published on Friday 19 March 2010 21:51

PEACE talks at the conciliation service Acas next week were arranged for the rail dispute, staving off an immediate threat of Britain-wide rail strikes.

The move came hours after the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) postponed its expected announcement of strikes until at least next Thursday after only a slim majority of signallers voted for walkouts.

A total of 54 per cent of signallers employed by Network Rail backed strikes, with 77 per cent supporting lesser action in a 71 per cent turnout.

Robin Gisby, Network Rail's director of operations and customer services, said: "The RMT must be disappointed with the weakness of the result with little more than a third of those balloted voting to strike."

The dispute, over working conditions, derives from a dispute in Scotland that led to a strike in 2008. Maintenance workers belonging to the RMT voted last week to go on strike in protest at job losses, but a decision on action had been put off until the signallers' ballot result yesterday.

Members of the Transport Salaried Staffs Association – which will also be involved in the Acas talks – have also voted in favour of industrial action.

The RMT said it would also decide next week on whether to call further strikes at ScotRail over plans for drivers to take over control of doors from conductors on a new Edinburgh-Glasgow line. However, it played down rumours of a planned five-day strike over Easter.