Signal workers vote for strike action

[whole diary]

[TheLastMinute]

Breaking news from BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) News:

Rail workers to take strike action

Railway signal workers have voted in favour of strikes in a row over jobs, the Rail Maritime and Transport union has announced.

The strikes threaten disruption to rail travel in the coming weeks, including over the Easter weekend.

The RMT^▸ (National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers) said 54% of its members backed strikes, with 77% supporting industrial action short of a strike.

If walkouts go ahead it could potentially lead to the first national rail stoppage since 1994.

Turnout in the strike ballot was 71%.

Maintenance workers belonging to the RMT union have already voted to go on strike in protest at the 1,500 job losses at Network Rail.

BBC chief economics correspondent Hugh Pym said the 54% was only a very narrow majority, which may lead the RMT to pursue a course to a negotiated solution to the dispute. .

Hmm, 54% of union members voted for strike action - hardly a overwhelming majority!

TLM

(Quote updated @ 12:11 to reflect a later copy)

[Phil]

Bob Crowe was, um, crowing about a 2/3 majority in favour on the lunchtime news.

[Timmer]

Bob Crowe was, um, crowing about a 2/3 majority in favour on the lunchtime news.

He would. Bet the Tories are loving all this flexing their muscles by the unions so close to a general election.

[moonrakerz]

The RMT^▸ (National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers) said 54% of its members backed strikes, with 77% supporting industrial action short of a strike.

The BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) says "54% of its members".

The RMT website says something different: "RAIL UNION RMT announced this morning that a ballot for action of signalling and supervisory staff has returned a vote of 54% for strike action"

Nice to see the Beeb keeping up its usual high standards of accurate and impartial reporting 

[inspector_blakey]

So does that mean that it's actually a 54% vote on a 77% turnout, in which case I make that less than 42% of RMT^▸ (National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers) members voting for a strike...?

[JayMac]

Still, only 54% voted for a strike on a 71% turnout of signalling staff. So I make that just over 38% of the eligible voters saying yes to a strike.... hardly a ringing endorsement, but like our parliamentary electoral system sufficient for a large minority to drive the agenda.

[JayMac]

71% turnout of signalling staff, not all RMT^▸ (National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers) members, blakey 

[TerminalJunkie]

Still, only 54% voted for a strike on a 71% turnout of signalling staff. So I make that just over 38% of the eligible voters saying yes to a strike....

46% voted against on a 71% turnout; so only 32% of the eligible voters said no to the strike... </glass_half_empty>

[JayMac]

And 29% sat on the fence/didn't bother/decided to go with the flow. 

[Henry]

 I think the RMT^▸ (National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers) realise they do not have a sufficient majority for effective strike action.
 Reports are that RMT and NR^» (Network Rail - home page) are to meet again.

 My sympathy lies with Network Rail, despite our 'privately' run railway, it is still the Government that hold the purse strings.
 

[inspector_blakey]

The RMT^▸ (National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers) press release detailing the results of the ballot seems to me to be rather less bullish than they often are - it would appear that there is a somewhat stronger mandate for "action short of strike" than for strike action.

[Henry]

 Watching the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) news last night, featured the violent clashes in Bolton between the English Defence League and Unite Against Fascism protesters.
 In my opinion seemed very little like a peaceful protest, more like an organised punch up.
 
 Unfortunately you could see a number of proudly waved RMT^▸ (National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers) flags, which bearing in mind the potential industrial action,
 probably would not do a lot to gain the public sympathy (if there was any).