Easter travel disruption threat

Thursday, 11 March 2010 12:00 AM

By politics.co.uk staff

Fears that Britain's railways could grind to a halt over the Easter break grew today as Rail and Maritime Union (RMT) members backed strike action.

Over three-quarters approved industrial action as the union's chiefs escalated their threat of major disruption.

The RMT is fighting Network Rail's plans to axe up to 1,500 jobs, which it argues are critical to workers' safety.

"RMT is in no doubt that the cuts programme drawn up by Network Rail would drag us back to the dark days of Railtrack and would make another Hatfield, Potters Bar of Grayrigg disaster an inevitability," RMT general secretary Bob Crow said.

"That is what this dispute is all about and even the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) has had to concede that the botched attempt to bulldoze through these cuts has raised serious safety concerns."

Nearly 150 MPs have signed an early day motion opposing the planned cuts.

Today's strike announcement had been expected by many of those in the union world.

Speaking at a rally on Tuesday of striking civil servants, Mr Crow said: "I'm not Mystic Meg, but don't book any travel arrangements over Easter!"

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