Rail union drops plans for weekend train strike

A planned strike in the long-running dispute over the role of guards on trains has been called off.
Northern staff were due to walk out this weekendNorthern staff were due to walk out this weekend
Northern staff were due to walk out this weekend

Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union on Arriva Rail North were due to walk out for 24 hours on July 21.

Related: Weekend rail strike as safety dispute goes onIt would have been the latest in a series of strikes against the company in the past year.

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RMT general secretary Mick Cash said: "RMT's negotiating team has been in talks with Arriva Rail North over the past week in an attempt to seek a resolution to the long-running dispute.

"Reports from RMT representatives and correspondence from the company have set out a process for reconvening talks around proposals to set up a joint working party to consider a range of options on the deployment of on-board staff, including a specific option of retaining a second safety critical person on board all ARN trains.

"RMT's national executive committee has noted this situation and has stated that these talks must commence this week.

"The union's NEC has instructed our team to negotiate around the guarantee of a second person on every train and their safety critical responsibilities in the first instance.

"As a result of this situation, the NEC has suspended the industrial action which was scheduled to take place on July 21 and our members are instructed to work as normal on that date."

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