Members of the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) will take strike action at Heavy Haul Rail Ltd on Thursday 25 June for 48 hours after the company did not rule out compulsory redundancies as part of a major restructuring programme, the trade union said.

Although a number of mitigation measures have been secured, RMT claims Birmingham-headquartered Heavy Haul Rail is refusing to provide any assurances the threatened jobs will be protected.

The dispute centres on proposed cuts to staff in control, rosters, train planning, administration and management, said the union.

According to RMT, Heavy Rail Haul is seeking to restructure operations, merge roles and revise certain job descriptions.

The trade union has also claimed the freight firm is attempting to relocate some roles roughly 320km away from where they currently are for “no operational or cost benefit”.

The major rail freight and bulk haulage operator, which supports critical infrastructure projects as well as Network Rail renewal and maintenance work, has rejected the union’s demand for a no compulsory redundancy agreement.

Heavy Rail Haul has been contacted for comment.

RMT general secretary Eddie Dempsey said: “Despite extensive negotiations, Heavy Haul Rail is still refusing to rule out compulsory redundancies.

“Our members cannot be expected to accept sweeping changes to their jobs, additional responsibilities and increased flexibility requirements while the threat of losing their livelihoods continues to hang over them.

“This strike action is about defending job security, protecting terms and conditions and ensuring that workers are treated with the respect they deserve.”

He added: “There is still time for the company to resolve this dispute by providing firm guarantees on compulsory redundancies and engaging meaningfully with the union’s concerns.

“The responsibility for this dispute lies entirely with the employer and I urge them to change course.”

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