SCOTRAIL GUARDS AND DRIVERS BACK STRIKE ACTION

RMT helpline 0800 3763706 :: february 2010 :: RMTnews 4 PARLIAMENTARY MOTION S3M-05202 Elaine Smith (Coatbridge and Chryston) (Scottish Labour): Safety First That the Parliament welcomes the new rail service between Glasgow and Edinburgh via the Airdrie to Bathgate route and the continued electrification of the railway in Scotland; is alarmed, however, that proposals to remove the guards from this service and introduce driver only operation (DOO) are coupled with the reopening of this route; is deeply concerned that this will increase safety risks because passengers will not benefit from the protection of having a guard responsible for the safe running of the train, including controlling the doors and emergencies such as driver incapacity, failure of train safety systems and derailments; further shares the view of the STUC Women’s Conference that the proposed introduction of DOO on the service demonstrates that the safety concerns of women passengers have not been adequately addressed; is further concerned that this decision breaches previous assurances to the trade unions that there would be no extension of DOO in Scotland and believes that this could be the thin end of the wedge leading to the removal of guards on other routes; considers that retaining the guards would cost less than the salary of First ScotRail’s highest-paid director and less than 5% of the company’s most recent post-tax profits, and therefore urges the Scottish Government and First ScotRail to put safety and passengers before profit and keep guards on these services. Supported by: Sarah Boyack, Cathy Jamieson, David Whitton, Helen Eadie, Bill Butler, Marlyn Glen, Marilyn Livingstone, Rhoda Grant, Malcolm Chisholm, Dr Elaine Murray, Trish Godman, Rhona Brankin, Cathy Peattie, John Park, Rt Hon George Foulkes, Patricia Ferguson, Andy Kerr, Des McNulty, Cathie Craigie, Margaret Curran, James Kelly More than 550 RMT guards and drivers at First Scotrail will take strike action after voting overwhelmingly for action against plans to impose driver- only operation (DOO) on the new Airdrie-Bathgate line. RMT members voted for action by a margin of five to one in favour of strike action on a 82 per cent turnout. The union has written to Scottish transport minister Stewart Stevenson MSP to urge the Scottish government not to use public money to indemnify the company against fines or losses incurred during strike action it has cynically provoked by tearing up a 2001 agreement not to extend DOO. The union also met the minister and he agreed that retaining conductors was not a cost issue and agreed to look at an RMT safety dossier setting out the safety case for retaining conductors. Initial reports demonstrate that First Scotrail could be in fundamental and deliberate breach of its franchise agreement with the Scottish government and endangering the safety of passengers. The current agreement stipulates that on train services where the conductor has been removed there will be a ticket examiner. However just by looking at one depot on one route alone where conductors have been removed by First Scotrail four hundred separate services ran with the train not staffed at all by a ticket examiner or only partially staffed. The overwhelming vote shows just how angry RMT members are that a company that gave its shareholders £18 million last year is prepared to reduce safety standards for the sake of just £300,000. RMT general secretary Bob Crow said that anyone in doubt of the crucial role played by guards need only read First group’s own rigorous training manual – and railway workers know from bitter experience that properly trained guards save lives. “We know that downgrading guards’ safety duties on the Airdrie-Bathgate line is the thin end of the wedge, and we have already exposed Scotrail’s systematic breach of its contractual obligation to run trains with at least two staff members aboard. “Scotrail’s scandalous attitude to safety is underlined by its shabby attempts to put together an inadequately trained scab army rather than accept that it has lost both the economic and safety arguments to keep the guard in charge. “I hope that rail users in Scotland will understand that we are making a stand for their SCOTRAIL GUARDS AND DRIVERS BACK STRIKE ACTION Union calls on Scottish government not to compensate Scotrail with public money during any strike action against the introduction of driver only operation safety as well as our members’, and join with us in demanding that the Scottish government steps in to stop First Scotrail putting cash before safety. “I also hope that ministers will not be tempted to use public money to indemnify Scotrail for a dispute the company has brought on itself by tearing up an agreement,” Bob Crow said. Hundreds of people have sent in RMT postcards in support of Scottish Parliamentary motion S3M-05202 ‘Safety First’ put down by Elaine Smith MSP. Write to your MSP asking for their support or send an RMT postcard available from your branch secretary. A new motion calling on the Scottish government to give an urgent public and unequivocal assurance that Scottish taxpayers’ money will not be used to compensate First Scotrail in the event of a dispute is also being drawn up.