York rail jobs under threat

The Rail Maritime and Transport union said it had been told that Thales will axe 80 jobs, blaming “business challenges” and a cut in orders.

Around 220 members of staff are now at risk of losing their jobs in depots at London Waterloo, Cheadle, Crawley, York, Ashford, Glasgow and Edinburgh, said the RMT.

General secretary Bob Crow said: “This latest hammer blow to the UK rail industry, adding to hundreds of jobs that have already been lost, makes a mockery of the Government’s claims to be investing in our railways.

“These are skilled workers who face the prospect of being dumped on the dole because of the shambolic and disjointed management of the UK’s rail infrastructure.

“RMT will be doing everything that we can to protect our members’ interests and their livelihoods but we have no doubt that many more rail workers’ jobs remain under threat as cuts to budgets start to bite.

“These cuts will mean that essential works at the heart of delivering a safe railway are shelved or scrapped, with potentially dire consequences for the travelling public.”