Crossrail electricians to strike over pay

Electricians on the Crossrail project are to stage a 24-hour strike in the new year in a dispute over pay.

Members of the Unite union employed by Balfour Beatty on the Woolwich section of the cross-London rail scheme will walk out on January 10, with other stoppages threatened.

The workers voted by 85% in favour of strike action in a dispute over pay and a finishing bonus the union says is payable when employees are informed they are to be made redundant.

Unite said it is the first time that official industrial action has been called on Crossrail.

Regional officer Guy Langston said: "We have repeatedly tried to resolve this issue through negotiation but Balfour Beatty has refused to take the workforce's concerns seriously.

"We have had no option but to take strike action, this will undoubtedly cause disruption and could potentially delay the entire project."