Thursday 25 Mar 2010
NETWORK RAIL RESPONDS TO NEWS OF NATIONAL STRIKE DATES
- Region & Route:
- National
Robin Gisby, director of operations and customer services, said: "Passengers want more trains - starting earlier and running later - with fewer buses and more trains at weekends. To achieve this Network Rail needs to change the way the railway works. We want proper discussions with the unions' leadership about implementing changes. Negotiations, not strikes are the way forward.
"This proposed strike is not about safety. Britain’s railway is safer than ever. The issue of safety is a smokescreen from a union leadership stuck in the steam age.
"Our contingency plans are well advanced and aim to keep as many trains running as possible. But a national rail strike will have a severe impact on services and on Britain."
Notes to editors
STRIKE DATES:
Signallers:
0600 to 1000 + 1800 to 2200 on Tuesday 6th, Weds 7th, Thurs 8th, Fri 9th
Maintenance:
From 0600 on Tuesday 6th to 2359 on Friday 9th
BACKGROUND:
Signallers
Facts:
6,000 signallers, 4556 balloted, 1705 said yes to strike (37% of those balloted)
Issues:
Small local issues escalated to a national level purely for political purposes. The main issue is around rosters. We’re asking a small number (about 50) of signallers who are moving to new signalling centres to move to new four day a week roster. The average wage of these workers is £48,113.98, with the best paid earning £65,616.48
Impact of a signallers strike:
This needs to be re-assessed in light of the announced strike dates but services will be severely affected with only about 20% of services able to run overall, and potentially only from about 0700 to 1900
Maintenance
Facts:
18,000 workers, 6,055 voted for strike action (34% of workforce)
Issues:
1,300 job cuts (we have 1,100 volunteers) and changing working practices (we need more people rostered on at night and weekends because the railways are too busy nowadays to do much maintenance work during the day). What it’s NOT ABOUT is safety – the railway is the safest it has ever been (welcome to check with Rail Safety and Standards Board) and we’d do nothing to jeopardise that.
Impact of a maintenance strike:
Two years ago we had a maintenance strike over four days – no trains were cancelled as a result, no safety incidents and over 92% of trains ran on time over the period. The network can operate for about a week with this workforce on strike as we have enough contingency staff to cover important safety work and to respond to incidents and kit breaking down.
Contact information
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