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RMT helpline 0800 3763706 :: september 2009 :: RMTnews 6 R MT members working for the Carlisle Group cleaning company on their Eurostar contract have unanimously voted for strike action over a series of key issues including pay, bullying and working conditions. The ballot was triggered after the company tried to impose a pay freeze for 2009 and dishonestly tried to push back the pay settlement nine months taking it into 2010. The already understaffed company is also trying to offload 14 cleaners through compulsory redundancies. The company was accused of bullying and pressurising staff members into using an “Orwellian” finger-printing system despite RMT members voting against the proposals. The victimisation of RMT representative Mohammed Yellow who was suspended for ten weeks on charges that RMT believe to be false is also just one of the cases in a catalogue of incidents of bullying and harassment of staff. RMT general secretary Bob Crow said that the unanimous call for strike action by those balloted reflected the depth of anger felt by members. “Staff working for Carlisle Group, who clean the modern and high tech Eurostar Trains, have been subjected to some of the most draconian working conditions in the transport industry and RMT has decided that enough is enough. “We will be calling for public support and particularly from the Eurostar passengers who benefit from the hard work of the cleaning crew,” Bob said. As RMT News went to press the union put on strike dates and hoped that the company will get round table with the union to resolve these issues. R MT has vowed to resist plans by Network Rail to cull up to 2,500 jobs in a bid to cut costs across the UK over the next 18 months. RMT general secretary Bob Crow said that the “stupid” cuts amounted to cutting five per cent of the workforce, a move that would increase the risk of a major accident. “This is a recipe for disaster and risks taking us back to the dark old days of Railtrack and the cuts which led to the crashes at Potter's Bar, Hatfield and Paddington. “The company wants to change the way our members work, but we're not prepared to see their safety compromised,” he said. The proposed job cuts were announced came a day after Network Rail unveiled a £34 billion plan for a high speed rail link between London and Scotland. Bob Crow accused NR of using those plans as a 'smokescreen' to hide the impact of the job losses. The Office of Rail Regulation has demanded that the government-backed track maintenance company make savings of 21 per cent, or £4billion, over the next five years. A spokesman for NR also claimed that the cuts were required as “we have a clear commitment to the British people to reduce the costs of running the railway”. The proposals would affect about 13,000 maintenance frontline staff up to and including section managers. S&T Tech support are included, but Telecoms, OCR group and Property Works are not. The matter is being discussed by the union’s General Grades Committee and meetings have been set up with RMT Area Council Representatives. A formal national consultation process is planned to commence at the end of the month and area consultations will begin in November. SAFETY FIRST:RMT members protest outside Network Rail headquarters against dangerous budget and job cuts RMT TO FIGHT NETWORK RAIL PLAN TO AXE OVER 2,500 MAINTENANCE JOBS EUROSTAR CLEANING STAFF VOTE 100% TO TAKE STRIKE ACTION