Rail unions kick off fresh safety ballot

The executive of the Rail Maritime and Transport union will meet later on Wednesday to set out a timetable for the reballoting of more than 5,000 signal workers and 12,000 maintenance staff across the rail network.

The workers were due to stage four days of industrial action from Tuesday, the day the date for the general election was announced, but the action was halted by the high court.

Network Rail successfully won an injunction last week leading to the strikes being called off.

But the RMT announced today that fresh ballots will be held, raising the prospect that strike action could take place as early as next month.

RMT general secretary Bob Crow said: "Our dispute with Network Rail remains alive.

"The fight to defend 1,500 safety-critical jobs out on the tracks, and safe working conditions for both our signals and maintenance staff, will not be kicked aside by one highly political court ruling.

"Last week 1,200 track workers at rail company Jarvis were dumped on the dole in another move tied in with Network Rail's £5 billion cuts programme and the government have not lifted a finger to help those men and women.

"Those staff should be replacing dangerous sections of track on our railways, not queuing up at the benefits office."

The Transport Salaried Staffs Association, which also called off a planned strike this week, is also planning to reballot its members.