The lesiure minister is accusing the union UNITE of sacrificing members' jobs, rather than allow a change in their terms and conditions.

Five employees at the Island's railway lost their final appeals against dismissal on Friday and will be out of work from the end of next month.

Twenty-two posts in the Department of Community, Culture and Leisure have been axed and all but five employees have moved to jobs in other parts of government.

Minister David Cretney says if the union had agreed to give up enhanced payments for weekend working, most of the rail jobs could have been saved (first part of audio file):

Regional industrial organsier for UNITE Steve Salter says the department could have searched for savings elsewhere to prevent the rail workers being made redundant (first part of audio file):