TSSA News Release

ORR chief executive Bill Emery has warned the company that he will have "no hesitation in taking immediate action if safety to passengers or employee is put at risk".

In a scathing report, he said: "There has been no practical test of the proposed changes which are intended to be implemented to a tight timetable across the entire network.

"There has not yet been effective employee engagement and critical guidance is not yet available."

Gerry Doherty, union general secretary, said the report wholly vindicated the union’s fight against the proposed changes. He is currently balloting 2,500 TSSA members on strike action to oppose the changes.

"This report makes it quite clear that Network Rail is trying to push through these changes without the consent and agreement of its staff and is running risks with safety to do so.

"Iain Coucher and Peter Bennett accuse of us of trying to turn the clock back to the 1950s. Well they seem determined to turn the clock back to Mrs Thatcher and the 1980s and pick an unneccessary fight with the unions.

"They seem to think that David Cameron has already won the election and they are more interested in trying to impress him with their macho style of management than sitting down and reaching a sensible agreement with their own workforce."

The union ballot closes next Friday, March 12.