LAST-ditch talks were being held late yesterday to head off strikes by railway workers on Central Trains.
About 1,000 members of the Rail Maritime and Transport union, including conductors and station staff, are ready to stage six 24-hour walkouts between Saturday, July 29, and Saturday, August 12, in two separate disputes over disciplinary and new technology issues.
General secretary Bob Crow said: "In both disputes we are facing what amounts to a breakdown in normal industrial relations, and in both cases our members have voted by a substantial margin to take action. We hope that the company will now acknowledge our members' frustration by starting to take their grievances seriously and approaching tomorrow's talks constructively."
Conductors will strike on Saturdays, July 29, August 5 and 12, while station, clerical and retail staff will stop work on Fridays July 28, August 4 and 11.
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