Network Railstaff to agree peace deal

The Rail Maritime and Transport Union said the deal was worth about seven per cent between now and December 2011, plus a 2,000 lump sum in time for Christmas and a guarantee of no compulsory redundancies.

RMT General Secretary Bob Crow said: “At a time when the doom and gloom merchants are telling working people that they must accept pay freezes, job cuts and a grim Christmas and New Year our Network Rail maintenance members have shown that if you stand together in a strong trade union you can win.

“We are sending out the clearest possible signal that the only defence that the working class have in the current climate is an organised, determined and fighting union.

“The package our negotiators have secured on the back of a solid mandate for strike action from our members is a testament to the results that can be achieved by trade unionists who refuse to accept that they should take the hit for the bankers crisis.

A Network Rail spokesman said: “This is good news and a positive vote will allow us to make the changes needed to secure the future of all our people in the new maintenance organisation.”