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Axing maintenance workers will have devastating effect on rail safety, warns TSSA

PLANNED cuts to railway maintenance workers could have “devastating consequences" for safety, transport union TSSA warned today.

Publicly owned Network Rail, which is responsible for maintaining and repairing Britain’s railway infrastructure, intends to axe 2,600 maintenance jobs to save £100 million in wages.

TSSA, representing professional, clerical and managerial workers, said that it would consider strike action if the cuts jeopardised safety – or if Network Rail tries to make redundancies compulsory.

General secretary Manuel Cortes said: “What Network Rail [NR] is proposing is massive job cuts and massive changes to working practices which could have devastating consequences for the safe running of our rail industry. 

“We fundamentally disagree with NR’s claim that some of this work is unnecessary.

“Make no mistake, if we think NR is making unsafe cuts – or if any one of our members faces compulsory redundancy – we will be balloting for industrial action.”

Network Rail was invited to comment.

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