SIGNALLERS THROUGHOUT Network Rail’s West Midlands area are being balloted for strike action by Britain’s biggest rail union after the company failed to step back from the imposition of rosters at Madeley Junction box.
The ballot, of some 175 signallers and supervisory staff, will close on November 30.
RMT today renewed its call on Network Rail to negotiate a settlement as signallers at Madeley Junction held their second 24-hour strike over the imposition of single staffing rosters. Action was also taken on October 23-24.
The dispute began when Network Rail refused to negotiate over new rosters for Madeley Junction as it took on the responsibility for work previously covered by the now closed Lightmoor, Cosford and Codsall boxes.
"Our local reps have made every effort to resolve this dispute by talking, but the company has insisted on going ahead with single staffing and simply refused to consider an alternative that would have provided essential relief," RMT general secretary Bob Crow said today.
"Network Rail has ignored the need for operators to get adequate time away from their VDU workstations and that is completely unacceptable, not least on safety grounds.
"If Network Rail can impose rosters in one box they will try to do it elsewhere and that holds serious implications for our operations members throughout the West Midlands, and the RMT executive has therefore triggered a ballot of all our signallers in the area," Bob Crow said
posted by Martin Wicks @ Wednesday, November 22, 2006
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