By Rail workers vote for national strike
Railway workers have voted to go on national strike threatening major summer travel disruption across the UK.
Members of the RMT union have voted in favour of strike action across Network Rail and 13 train operating companies.
71% of those balloted took part in the vote with 89% voting in favour of strike action and only 11% voting against.
The union will now be demanding urgent talks with Network Rail and the 15 train operating companies that were balloted to find a negotiated settlement to the dispute over pay, jobs and safety.
Network Rail, which maintains the railway, voted in favour of strike action and action short of strike despite not having taken part in a national strike since 1994.
The company plans to shed 2,500 maintenance jobs as it tries to make £2bn of savings over the next two years.
If its staff, which include signallers, walked out it would affect both passenger services and the movement of goods by train, including bulk consignments of fuel, and some food.
It is possible that trains would only run for part of the day, such as from 07:00 to 19:00 BST and only on main lines, reducing services to around a fifth of the normal timetable.
RMT general secretary Mick Lynch: “Today’s overwhelming endorsement by railway workers is a vindication of the union’s approach and sends a clear message that members want a decent pay rise, job security and no compulsory redundancies.
“Our NEC will now meet to discuss a timetable for strike action from mid-June, but we sincerely hope ministers will encourage the employers to return to the negotiating table and hammer out a reasonable settlement with the RMT.”
RMT workers at 13 train companies also voted in favour. These were:
- Chiltern Railways
- Cross Country Trains
- Greater Anglia
- LNER
- East Midlands Railway
- c2c
- Great Western Railway
- Northern Trains
- South Eastern Railway
- South Western Railway
- TransPennine Express
- Avanti West Coast
- West Midlands Trains
GTR (including Gatwick Express) voted only for action short of a strike. And Island line on the Isle of Wight voted against either.
