Railway pensions campaign arrives in York tonight

Publication Date: March 21 2006

THE CAMPAIGN to defend railway workers’ pensions arrives in York tonight (March 21) when the leaders of rail unions RMT, ASLEF, TSSA and CSEU/Amicus join members at a mass meeting at the National Railway Museum,Leeman Road,at 18:30.

The rail unions are campaigning together for a pensions deal to maintain benefits, hold contributions at a reasonable level, keep schemes open to new members and streamline the proliferation of sections within the Railways Pension Scheme created by the fragmentation of privatisation.

Tonight's meeting will be addressed by RMT general secretary Bob Crow, ASLEF general secretary Keith Norman, TSSA general secretary Gerry Doherty and CSEU/Amicus regional officer Bob Rixham.

The four unions have warned that failure to resolve the crisis before new pension-fund rules trigger massive contribution hikes from July 1 will result in co-ordinated ballots for industrial action across the industry.

The York meeting tonight follows the 'standing-room only' success of their first joint meeting with members earlier this month in Cardiff.

Further meetings are scheduled for Glasgow (March 28), Edinburgh (March 29), Birmingham (April 3), Bristol (April 5), Perth (at the STUC, April 11), Manchester (April 19) and London (April 20).

ends

Note to editors: Tonight's meeting starts at 18:30 at the National railway Museum, Leeman Road, York, YO26 4XJ