Rail engineers are to stage two 48-hour strikes in protest at the potential loss of 200 jobs.
Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) union, working at Jarvis Rail and Fastline, will strike from Saturday 27 June at 6am for 48 hours, and Saturday 11 July also from 6am and lasting the same time.
The job cuts have been predicted after Network Rail made the decision to delay a third of its track renewal work in an attempt to save £3bn.
Bob Crow, general secretary of RMT, said: “These strikes are in direct response to the jobs massacre on the railways.” He added: “RMT will not accept that rail engineers, doing essential work, are cannon fodder who can be hired and fired at the whim of accountants and senior managers.”
A spokesman at Network Rail said: “Such a strike will have no impact on the safe and punctual operation of the rail network. We hope this dispute will be quickly resolved.”
London Underground is still in talks with RMT leaders to try and avert repeated Tube strikes. RMT members staged a 48-hour strike earlier this month.
