PADDINGTON STAFF ON THE FRONT-LINE

23 RMT reps at Paddington station have been working hard to defend station and booking staff jobs over the last few months in the face of proposed ticket office closures. Immediately after the shock announcement RMT’s Paddington branch met to voice its objections to First Great Western’s proposals, arguing that it is essential for such a busy station to be fully staffed. Yet even before the announcement, First Great Western had already convinced passenger watchdogs Travel Watch and Passenger Focus that the cuts were a good idea. Faced with this the union has been working to ensure that staff will be redeployed to suitable alternative jobs rather than face redundancy. THE CUTBACKS AT PADDINGTON INCLUDE: • The closure of the concourse ticket office • The closure of the customer reception desk • Paring down of the help desk • Reorganisation of platform station assistants’ grades In total 24 staff jobs are set to go at the station, including 11 clerical officers from the ticket office and seven from the help desk. However, union reps have pushed hard to save jobs, forcing the company to rethink its proposals. Five new jobs are to be created at the station and all those affected by the cuts are set to be redeployed elsewhere in the company. There has also been a significant victory following commitments to bring agency staff in-house(see boxed article). Also, at the union’s request, a monitoring process will be introduced in the wake of the changes. Union reps at Paddington are keen to point out that other stations will also face ticket office closures as companies promote sales of tickets over the internet and from ticketing machines rather than purchases from a ticket office. FGW divisional council rep Glen Burrows told RMT News that there was not one shred of evidence to back management’s claim that passengers prefer ticket machines. “We need a wider campaign for the public to back our call to maintain ticket office jobs. This is not just about Paddington, but potentially affects us all,” she said. PADDINGTON STAFF ON THE FRONT-LINE RMT fights for jobs at Paddington station following proposals to close ticket offices AGENCY STAFF TO COME IN-HOUSE Following discussions with RMT reps, First Great Western has agreed to end the practice of using outsourced agency staff for train cleaning and for gateline duties at the ticket barriers and has made a commitment to bring all staff in-house. This is a tremendous boost for workers who are poorly paid and work without job security or any of the benefits of proper employment. In future agency staff and those – many of whom have worked for many years in agency employment – will have free travel, pensions and all the other benefits that direct employment brings. First Great Western has made a further commitment to bring cleaning staff in house across the company, not only at Paddington station. This has the potential to lift the living standards and job security of many vulnerable workers who previously were having their employment contracts renewed on a three monthly or six monthly basis. enough, workers complain of practices which include managers bragging that they have got rid of shunters. They also say that managers in yards have been observing shunters on the job with binoculars, looking for mistakes. And there is a great fear of making mistakes. There is a general feeling that the smallest infringement will result in the sack. “When EWS took over we were optimistic, but that was shortlived. There has been very low staff morale for the last few years,” one veteran shunter said. The move to using mobile shunters under new TS5 contracts has created great uncertainty for those based on sites, who feel their job could be next to go. Potential TS5 workers have been explicitly told not to join RMT. There has also been a recent and even more worrying development in the direction of the casualisation of groundstaff jobs with jobs being advertised through agencies for £11.00 per hour. While the adverts make clear that shunting experience would be required they also say that there are “opportunities available” in track renewals, ballast tipping and machine operation, where no experience seems to be required. One member said “this will lead to someone getting killed”. Another shocking attempt to reduce groundstaff was fortunately scuppered by train drivers. At one site there was an attempt to get the drivers themselves to do the shunting. However, the drivers refused to drive past the “Stop” board, putting paid to that scheme. Nick Quirk, RMT EC member for the South West, told RMT News that he had received complaints from worried groundstaff. “These are very worrying developments and are causing a lot of concern for our members. “The company seems to be looking to get rid of people in any way it can in order to save money,” he said. RMT helpline 0800 3763706 :: november/december 2008 :: RMTnews