Crucial talks today will aim to avert Easter rail strikes

CRUCIAL talks aimed at averting Easter strikes by thousands of railway workers in a row over jobs will be held today.

Officials from the Rail Maritime and Transport union will meet bosses from Network Rail at the conciliation service Acas following a series of ballot results in favour of industrial action.

The union, and the Transport Salaried Staffs Association, are campaigning against plans to cut 1,500 maintenance jobs.