Contingency plans are being drawn up to try and keep passenger and freight trains running in the event of industrial action after unions warned of "potentially the biggest rail strike in modern history". The Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) union is balloting 40,000 members on the move, which network sources have reportedly said would create "serious challenges" in keeping goods moving and supermarket shelves stocked.
The vote, which is due to close on Tuesday, includes staff on Network Rail and 15 train operating companies, with the RMT saying the action is being taken over pay, compulsory redundancies and safety concerns. The union has also announced it intends to ballot members in Scotland for strike action, following what it describes as a "derisory" 2.2% pay offer by ScotRail and proposed timetable changes which it branded a "kick in the teeth" to workers.
And another union, the Transport Salaried Staffs' Association (TSSA), has warned of a "summer of discontent" with similar action on the way unless pay disputes are resolved. TSSA general secretary Manuel Cortes has said many members have not seen a wage increase for two years.
