THOUSANDS OF UK RAILWAY SIGNALLERS ARE TO STAGE TWO 24-HOUR STRIKES LATER THIS MONTH IN A GROWING DISPUTE OVER PAY AND CONDITIONS, ACCORDING TO REUTERS. BRITAIN'S BIGGEST RAIL UNION, THE RMT, SAID THE STRIKES WILL START AT 1 P.M. ON TUESDAY JUNE 20 AND 9 P.M. ON SUNDAY JUNE 25. RMT GENERAL SECRETARY BOB CROW SAID MEMBERS HAD VOTED "OVERWHELMINGLY" TO STRIKE AFTER NETWORK RAIL, THE COMPANY RESPONSIBLE FOR MANAGING THE INFRASTRUCTURE OF THE RAILWAY, REFUSED TO IMPROVE A PREVIOUS THREE-YEAR PAY OFFER. CROW SAID THE OFFER WOULD HAVE BEEN AN EFFECTIVE TWO-YEAR PAY FREEZE. IN A STATEMENT, HE DECLARED: "OUR MEMBERS HAVE SEEN THROUGH A DISGRACEFUL CAMPAIGN OF DISINFORMATION BY THE COMPANY AND RETURNED WHAT CAN ONLY BE CALLED A MASSIVE VOTE FOR ACTION. "WE WARNED THE COMPANY THAT OUR MEMBERS WOULD NOT ACCEPT THIS PENNY-PINCHING OFFER FROM EXECUTIVES WHO HAVE POCKETED A MILLION IN BONUSES BETWEEN THEM." FIVE THOUSAND NETWORK RAIL SIGNALLERS AND OPERATIONAL STAFF COULD BE INVOLVED IN THE STRIKE. ACCORDING TO THE UNION, 2,104 OF THEM VOTED IN FAVOUR, WITH 970 AGAINST.
