Rail strike hope as sides to talk
BBC News: 10 March 2007
Two more 48-hour rail strikes could be averted after Network Rail and the RMT union agreed to have face-to-face talks on Monday.
The 48-hour strike caused major disruption to rail passengers
A 48-hour walkout by signal workers earlier in the week led to the cancellation of train services across Scotland, causing major disruption.
The row is over proposed changes to signalling staff's shift patterns.
"The goodwill is gone really. The shorter working week was supposed to come in last October but the company refused to implement it." - Bob Crow, RMT
The union said it hoped the talks in Glasgow would bring about a swift resolution to the dispute.
The General Secretary of the RMT, Bob Crow, told BBC Scotland that he hoped Network Rail would "see sense" and apply in Scotland what had been applied in the rest of Britain.
But he stressed that the RMT would not withdraw its threat of further action ahead of the meeting.
He said: "All we've got at the moment is a meeting. We're hopeful at the meeting that some progress can be made but we can't suspend anything until we see what the company is offering.
"The goodwill is gone really. The shorter working week was supposed to come in last October but the company refused to implement it.
"They then gave us a new date of January and then never implemented it and now we're faced with the middle of March.
"We've got to have something in writing that they're going to implement the shorter working week. We're not hard and fast about it coming in next weekend or the weekend after but we want a date when the shorter working week will apply."
Network Rail's route director for Scotland, David Simpson, said they hoped to resolve the dispute through "reason and negotiation".
"Across Britain, almost 90% of our signalling community has already reached an amicable agreement," he said.
"In Scotland, 28% have already reached agreement.
"We intend to meet with representatives of the RMT on Monday, and we hope to move the issue forward at this meeting."
'Prevent chaos'
On Friday the RMT announced plans for a further strikes from Friday 16 March to Sunday 18 March and on Monday 19 March to Wednesday 21 March.
The Scottish Executive welcomed the news that both sides are to meet.
A spokesman said they would encourage both parties to resolve the issue and prevent further chaos for rail passengers across Scotland.