Rail signallers vote to strike

19th Mar 2010 12:47

The prospect of major rail and air disruption over the Easter holiday grew more tangible today as rail signal workers voted to strike, while British Airways remained locked in talks with its cabin crew.Rail signal members of the Rail Maritime and Transport union (RMT) voted 54% to come out on strike with 77% supporting industrial action short of a strike.However, the narrowness of the majority in favour of a strike has given hope that a settlement can be reached. The RMT executive will meet again next Thursday, 25 March, to announce the dates of strikes and in the intervening period it may seek to negotiate to a settlement.Network Rail wants to change working practices on the railways to allow more weekend maintenance work. Maintenance worker members of the RMT have already voted to go on strike over the changes as they face 1,500 job cuts. RMT general secretary Bob Crow said the ballot demonstrated members' opposition to cuts and "the assault on jobs and working conditions," which he said would have "severe safety implications" on the tracks. British Airways chief executive Willie Walsh, meanwhile, is in talks for a second day with Tony Woodley, joint head of the Unite union, which represent BA's cabin crew.Woodley told reporters he was confident a deal could be struck ahead of the start of a three-day strike by cabin crew on Saturday over BA's cost-cutting plans.