A
strike ballot of 7,000 RMT signalling, maintenance and station staff at Network
Rail could see the first national rail stoppage for a decade.
The
ballot has been called over pensions, pay and travel facilities. RMT general
secretary Bob Crow said the company had closed a "decent pension scheme
and imposed glorified savings plan on our members, has refused to negotiate on
travel facilities and has tabled the worst pay offer in the industry this
year".
"This
is a company which on one hand boasts of spending £14m a day, yet on the other
says it cannot afford to maintain a decent pension scheme or end the divisive
inequality in travel facilities," Crow said.
"Network
Rail’s shortsighted stance means a two-tier workforce with staff doing the same
job getting different conditions and vastly different pensions," he added.
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Network
Rail last week said three good pay deals had been offered.
