A STRIKE ballot at Northern Rail organised by the RMT union has resulted in a majority voting in favour of action.

The ballot follows a dispute over the use of agency staff, particularly on revenue protection duties.

Northern said it was 'disappointed' at the outcome, and repeated its denials that it was intent on 'casualising the workforce’.

The dispute began after discussions between Northern and the RMT over the use of agency staff had failed to reach agreement. The RMT has accused Northern of making growing moves 'to casualise rail functions through the use of cheapskate agencies at the expense of permanent jobs and negotiated pay and working conditions. RMT has completely destroyed Northern Rail's bogus claims that they are only “trialling” the use of casual staff when the fact is that over a period of time they have escalated the use of agency workers into core areas of their business.'

RMT general secretary Bob Crow said: "There is rock-sold evidence of a deliberate and cynical drive to use casual, agency staff to undermine job security, pay and working conditions on Northern Rail and our members are furious that not only have the company refused to stop this practice but they are driving it forwards."

The detailed results published by the RMT were 839 voting 'yes', 627 voting 'no' and one spoilt ballot paper.

Northern's NR director Adrian Thompson responded: “We are disappointed that RMT Northern members have voted in favour of strike action, but note that only just over one third of members voted yes while 63 per cent of members voted 'no' or abstained.

“The RMT claims that we are ‘casualising the workforce’ or replacing permanent employees with agency are completely unfounded and untrue. This focuses on two revenue protection contracts, one of which has been in place for 13 years, since before Northern began. The second was introduced, in agreement with the RMT, as a 12 month trial to be reviewed later this year.”

The RMT said its executive committee would now consider the results of the vote.