10 May 2006
Rail staff are to vote on industrial action after pension talks
broke down between unions and Network Rail.
Unions want employers to keep their pension schemes open to new
staff, cap employee contributions and keep pension benefits at
their current level.
However, Network Rail says the rail pension scheme is "sound and
generous".
A strike, which could take place in mid-June, would be the first
industry-wide railway stoppage since the General Strike of
1926.
Voting will start in a week, unions said, with staff including
train drivers, engineers, ticket office staff and signallers
expected to take part.
