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RMTnews :: may 2007 :: www.rmt.org.uk 16 C onference agreed that the guard’s operational role continued to be eroded by many train operating companies. Dorset Rail said that some companies were attempting to change the traditional role of the guard to a purely customer- orientated role. Tony Gully, Bristol Rail said that RSSB amendments to the railway operational rulebook removed requirements for the guard to remain at the door control panel or in the cab until the train is clear of the platform. “This is a further erosion of the duties of the guard. “RSSB states that the requirement for the guard to remain at the door controls or in the cab does not allow the guard to take any effective action. “This is a misunderstanding of the guard’s primary safety- critical role,” he said. Stephen Skelly, Cardiff Rail said that the changes could affect pay and conditions and undermine safety. “We need to fight this now otherwise we will be dealing with the consequences for years to come,” he said. The rulebook amendment was introduced without consultation with RMT and conference called on the union to restore a clear statement of the guard’s primary safety and operational responsibilities. Ed Fontaine, Plymouth said that it was “absolutely crazy” to remove this crucial role of the guard. “If this stands, the guard will just collect tickets and can be replaced by staff on half the wages,” he said. SOUTH WEST TRAINS Conference unanimously opposed proposals put forward by South West Trains to force drivers to open power-operated train doors on arrival at stations, further diluting the operational role of the guard. Assistant general secretary Pat Sikorski said that the union would resist any extension of driver-only operations, defend the operational role of the guards and retain the guard’s full control of power-operated doors with industrial action if necessary. “South West Trains want the driver to open the doors and the guard will then shut them. “Clearly the next thing that will happen will be that the driver will be told to take over door-closing as well and the guard will carry out purely a commercial role,” he said. Billy Kimm, Liverpool said that TOC’s have been picking away at the role of the guard since privatisation. “Driver’s controlling the doors is not safe and we must stand together to fight this dilution as it could affect all of us eventually,” he said. Paul Cox said that the moves were designed to bring in driver-only operation. Conference pledged to support train crew members at SWT in defence of the guard’s operational role. Organising train crew Conference agreed to step up efforts to organise all train crew grades into RMT. Tony Donaghey, St. Pancras while membership was increasing, despite the hindering effects of anti-trade union laws, there were far too many of train crew grade workers not in the union. “Privatisation has fragmented the industry and led to different rates of pay, different conditions of service, different uniforms which has tended to undermined our unity and solidarity. “We must find ways to increase the involvement of the membership as it is the rank and file activists who are in the forefront of organisation,” he said. Paul Cox, South East Rail said that new on-board staff were increasingly taking on different tasks as restructuring had changed the nature of the job. “Despite that we must recognise that all these staff are train crew,” he said. Alan Pottage of the union’s organising unit said that workplace organisation was essential to representing members and bringing in new ones to RMT. RMT’s train crew conference in Plymouth called for the defence of the role of the guard DEFENDING THE RO