Talks fail to halt national rail strike

to allay the union's fears that up to 50,000 jobs could go in the run-up

to privatisation.

Leaving the talks with management at British Rail's headquarters in

London last night, RMT general secretary Jimmy Knapp said: ''I think I

have to say, regrettably, that we have made no progress. The situation

is very much as it has been since the middle of January. The doors are

closed as far as Friday is concerned.''

Although the dispute is not due to start until midnight, BR is

advising travellers to ensure their trains reach their destinations by

10pm. All overnight trains have been cancelled.

The RMT executive was meeting later and future dates for possible

further one-day stoppages were under discussion. Mr Knapp refused to

rule out further strikes over the union demands for an assurance of no

compulsory redundancies and preference for redundant railmen rather than

outside contractors where vacancies do occur.

Around 7000 BR jobs have gone in recent months and RMT leaders fear

that a further 20,000 are under threat, many as a result of pit closures

and the resulting drop in coal freight movements.

They maintain that that number could jump to 50,000 unless BR tenders

for and wins the

contract to maintain the rail

infrastructure which, under privatisation, is due to be run by a new

authority to be known as Railtrack.

BR group personnel director Paul Watkinson said: ''They asked me to

give a guarantee of jobs for life in the railway, which I obviously

couldn't give. They're asking for something no employee in the land has

got.

''We explained our plans for reduction of staff are among the best in

the country, a mixture of voluntary severance and re-deployment, but

they want to go further than that, they want jobs for life, which is

suicidal.''

Mr Watkinson said he knew there was a degree of anxiety about how

competitive tendering would be brought in: ''We have said that we will

set our own groups up in such a way that they will be able to compete

effectively, which I think is a great reassurance.''

If the strike went ahead BR would lose #10m in revenue -- ''an

absolute body blow to us at a time we are trying to find more stability

as we move towards privatisation''.

Asked if trains would keep running, Mr Watkinson said: ''We are more

concerned about security on the railway if there is a shutdown because

we want to be sure we can pick up the service again on Saturday

cleanly.''

He described the strike as ''senseless'' and, asked if it had more to

do with supporting the miners (the NUM also having called a one-day

stoppage over pit closures), he said: ''They have said there are some

things they are concerned about on the railway but, as we all know,

there are other agendas.''

London commuters will also be hit by a 24-hour strike by London Bus

workers, the latest protest at the imposition of wage cuts and longer

hours.

Royal Mail customers last night were urged to post early to beat the

expected rail strike. A Post Office spokesman said mail which normally

went by rail would be switched to roads.