STATION STAFF CHARTER LAUNCHED

RMTnews :: april 2007 :: www.rmt.org.uk 18 C onference welcomed the launch of a station staff charter which calls for improved pay conditions of service, an end to lone working, zero tolerance to staff assaults and for station staff duties to be carried out by rail staff. Assistant general secretary Pat Sikorski said that both clerical and station staff grades conferences had called for such as charter. “There has been a lot of input from rank-and-file activists about what should go into this charter,” he said. He said that it was designed to be a recruitment tool and contained a membership form on the back page. “Organisation and recruitment should be an ongoing process for all members. “We need to get the message out that you should be in RMT,” he said. Pat said that the union’s campaign for a better deal for station staff was already paying off. “RMT has recently struck a deal with GNER to end lone working and ending the contracting out of station cleaning work,” he said. Carolyne Siddall of the organising unit also said that RMT reps should represent all transport workers, whatever their grade. “Station staff reps and members are the best recruiters for station staff,” she said. Copies of the station staff charter are available from head office and on the RMT website. ASSAULTS Conference agreed that in order to combat the rise in physical and verbal assaults members should be encouraged to report such attacks. Ally Jane, Bristol Rail said that it was crucial that members log all incidents. “The union should alert members to the procedures to record these incidents so the TOC’s can see level of the problem,” she said. Peter March, Hull Rail said that one of the problems was the large and complicated forms staff were required to fill out. Stuart Hurdle, Portsmouth said that not enough was being done to inform the travelling public that abuse of staff would not be tolerated. Conference also called for an end to the compulsory wearing of name badges. Chris Smart, Cardiff Rail said that the wearing of name badges provided an opportunity for employers and passengers to undermine staff and makes them a target for abuse. Mark Steel, Waterloo said that the wearing of badges was a security risk and the stealing of identities. “Pseudonyms have been introduced at my work on these very grounds,” he said. Robin White said that TOC’s should provide assertive training to deal with aggressive passengers. “Often young staff are thrown in at the deep end to deal with these situations and employers should be given training,” he said. OUTSOURCING AND INDIVIDUAL CONTRACTS Conference called for an end to the introduction of individual contracts which represent a direct attack on collective bargaining. Chris Smart, Cardiff Rail said that he was a roster clerk yet his fellow workers doing the same job were on different rates of pay. “This has been introduced by Network Rail under the guise of ‘role clarity’. “This has to end and the same rates should be paid for the same jobs,” he said. Gary Hassell, Brighton Joint said that in his area were STATION STAFF CH A station staff charter was launched at the supervisory, clerical and other salaried grades conference at Newport TRANSPORT: Delegates visited Newport’s famous Transporter bridge