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Railway workers strike over jobs Railway workers strike over jobs
(about 5 hours later)
Up to 12,000 Network Rail maintenance staff have gone on strike in a row over jobs and conditions.Up to 12,000 Network Rail maintenance staff have gone on strike in a row over jobs and conditions.
The Rail Maritime and Transport union said its members walked out for 30 hours from 1200 BST "after months of fruitless talks". The Rail Maritime and Transport union said "100%" of its members walked out for 30 hours from 1200 BST "after months of fruitless talks".
General secretary Bob Crow said the action would have a "cumulative" effect on the rail system. General secretary Bob Crow said the action would have a "cumulative" effect on the rail system, but Network Rail said services had not been affected.
But Network Rail insisted there would be no impact on services. It said the union had made "ridiculous" demands. It accused the union of making "ridiculous" demands.
Mr Crow said he expected the strike to receive "rock solid" support from the RMT's members. Mr Crow, who visited a picket line near Brentwood in Essex, said the strike had been "100%" supported.
"The company has turned a dispute about harmonisation into an attack on jobs and conditions," he said.
"We are repeating our call for Network Rail to agree an acceptable harmonisation plan with us."
Harmonisation rowHarmonisation row
Four years ago, Network Rail took maintenance work back in-house from seven private companies.Four years ago, Network Rail took maintenance work back in-house from seven private companies.
It inherited more than 50 different sets of terms and conditions and has recently been holding talks with unions to try to harmonise them. It inherited more than 50 different sets of terms and conditions and has recently been holding talks with unions to try to harmonise them
But Mr Crow said the rail company had "turned a dispute about harmonisation into an attack on jobs and conditions". It is on the back of our members' hard work that the top bosses have awarded themselves huge bonuses Bob Crow, RMT union
"The weekend's strike will be a demonstration by our members that they expect talks about harmonisation to produce proposals about harmonisation, not ever-longer lists of the conditions the company wants to destroy," he said.
"After months of fruitless talks, the company has finally let the cat out the bag and is talking about a reduction in numbers of people employed, and our members have made it clear that they will resist that attack.
"It is on the back of our members' hard work that the top bosses have awarded themselves huge bonuses, yet they are telling us they can't afford real harmonisation."
Network Rail said the union had made unreasonable demands, such as a 34-hour working week for all maintenance staff and "massive" pay increases.Network Rail said the union had made unreasonable demands, such as a 34-hour working week for all maintenance staff and "massive" pay increases.
These would add more than £100m to the maintenance wage bill, the company said.These would add more than £100m to the maintenance wage bill, the company said.
A spokesman added: "We have enough fully qualified and competent people to carry out the time-sensitive, day-to-day maintenance work over the weekend.A spokesman added: "We have enough fully qualified and competent people to carry out the time-sensitive, day-to-day maintenance work over the weekend.
"Non-time-sensitive work will be rescheduled.""Non-time-sensitive work will be rescheduled."