No disruption during rail strike

Around 12,000 rail maintenance workers have walked out on strike in a dispute over pay and conditions, but Network Rail (NR) said no passenger services were being disrupted as a result.

The RMT union said said its members were taking part in an 18-hour walkout.

The workers are striking following dispute with Network Rail (NR) over the harmonisation of pay and conditions.

A spokesman for NR said: "The strike kicked off at about midday today and will run through to 6pm tomorrow. As predicted, it is having absolutely no impact on passenger services. Only around 2,000 of those striking would have been working today and of that figure, only a third would have been involved in time sensitive duties."

He added that NR has "more than enough contingency staff" to combat the effects of the industrial action.

However, the RMT stressed that the strike would have a "cumulative effect" on passenger services.

A spokesman said: "We're expecting this strike to be as solid as our last strike in June which wiped out Network Rail's planned weekend maintenance."

The RMT this week accused NR chiefs of "scuppering" the progress being made on pay talks.

But another union involved in the same dispute, Unite, will not be taking similar action and voiced concerns about the action taken by the RMT.

In a letter released by NR, Unite said it was "loathe to criticise another union" but could not understand why RMT members were being asked to take strike action when negotiations were "clearly still ongoing".