UNION bosses are threatening Arriva Trains Northern (ATN) with legal action over the way they have allegedly treated striking staff.

Stan Herschel, York organiser at the Rail, Maritime and Transport Union (RMT) has warned ATN that the union is taking legal advice following "vicious tactics" which, he claims, have been used against staff.

Mr Herschel accuses ATN of failing to grant holiday entitlements and changing sick pay procedures - without properly informing staff what the new procedures were. "The company has threatened to discipline union reps who speak out about the causes of the dispute; they have cancelled accredited courses for staff reps and safety reps - at a time when railway safety is high on the public's agenda," he said.

"They have ripped down trades union notices, cancelled facility time for elected staff reps and employed other vicious tactics against their employees."

Mr Herschel said the union was perplexed as to why the 10-month dispute, involving conductors and station staff, had been allowed to go on for so long.

"The longer this entrenched attitude continues on the part of our employers - and seemingly their Government and SRA paymasters - the more hardened opinions become on all sides making an ultimate resolution even more difficult."

Ray Price, managing director of ATN, said the claims were a repeat of misleading statements by the RMT.

He said: "If the union wishes to seek a resolution to the dispute why don't they engage in realistic discussions, why have they not put any of the offers we have made to a ballot of their members and why don't they discuss productivity?

"The reality is that, despite considerable intimidation, their members are now voting with their feet. Over 150 conductors are now agreeing to work on strike days and some 170 station and retail employees have done the same.

"Arriva Trains Northern, as the union is clearly aware, is available for realistic discussions at any time."

Updated: 11:39 Thursday, November 21, 2002