Talks aimed at averting rail strike (From The Oxford Times)

This Is Christmas

in Oxfordshire Plan the perfect Christmas »

Your Oxford

Get involved: send your photos, videos, news & views by texting 'OXFORD NEWS' to 80360 or email »

National News RSS Feed

Talks aimed at averting rail strike

3:24am Wednesday 8th October 2008

Union leaders and rail bosses are to meet for fresh talks as the first strike on Scotland`s train network draws to a close.

The 24-hour walkout by Network Rail signallers over staffing rosters began at noon on Tuesday, forcing the cancellation of hundreds of journeys.

Commuters are set to endure more travel chaos in the rush-hour on Wednesday morning.

A second one-day strike planned to begin on Thursday at noon will have a similar effect, extending the effect of the walkouts over four days.

The talks between the Rail Maritime and Transport (RMT) union and Network Rail are aimed at averting the second strike.

The negotiations are expected to take place in Glasgow from around 2pm - just after the first strike ends - and will be mediated by conciliation service Acas.

The RMT revealed on Tuesday night they were bringing a "new formula" to the table in a bid to break the deadlock but did not disclose more details.

Network Rail has called on the union to put off Thursday`s strike while talks are taking place.

The RMT said Network Rail wants to make changes to rostered hours at short notice and is angry about the issue of transfers.

Network Rail disputes the accusation about rosters and says it has no intention of changing the established principle that rostered hours are binding.

Print article » Email to a friend »

Editor's choice

Early taste of Christmas wine

This week is The Oxford Times Wine Club Christmas Tasting and, with just four weeks to go until Christmas Day, it is an excellent opportunity to sample a specially-selected range of wines for the festive season.

The Mole and Chicken, Easington, near Thame

One of the pictures on this page gives a good impression of the delights to be enjoyed at the Mole and Chicken on one of those sunny days that now seem as far as can be from our present situation.

Imagine This: New London Theatre

I had trouble shifting my +1 for the musical Imagine This, which opened last week at the New London Theatre. No-one was interested (one German friend would have come, but funnily enough I hadn’t thought to ask him), and while nobody actually said, “Sounds like a gas”, there were plenty of unprintable responses, averaging out at: “Holocaust – the musical? Um, no thanks . . . ”

Hansel and Gretel: Oxfordshire Touring Theatre Company

Another winter rolls in and, to cheer our spirits, Oxfordshire Touring Theatre Company travel hither and yon through the county with colour, music and fun trailing in their wake. For those of us who live in villages these harbingers of the festive season are a welcome sight.