FIRST CAPITAL CONNECT FAILS THAMESLINK FRANCHISE

RMT helpline 0800 3763706 :: february 2010 :: RMTnews A n agreement has been reached between the union and East Coast Main Line that ensures a guard will remain fully in charge of the opening and closing of the doors on the class 180 trains running on the line. RMT welcomed this victory as an important milestone in the battle against Driver Only Operation (DOO and significant in terms of the on-going fight to retain guards on the new Scotrail Edinburgh/Glasgow via Airdrie to Bathgate route. Following representations made by RMT representatives the five class 180 trains currently forming part of the East Coast fleet have been modified to ensure that guards control all aspects of door control. The negotiators were also able to get a guarantee from East Coast that it does not intend to operate these trains under DOO or to transfer any element of door control to the driver. RMT general secretary Bob Crow said that success on the East Coast Main Line was a great victory in our continuing campaign to have guards on all trains and the fight to ensure that the guards should retain full operational and safety duties. “This is a campaign supported by the public and the East Coast success will put pressure on other Train Operating Companies to follow suit and particularly Scotrail on their new Edinburgh/Glasgow via Airdrie to Bathgate route,” he said. L uton North MP Kelvin Hopkins, a member of RMT’s Parliamentary group, has tabled Early Day Motion 773 demanding that First Capital Connect be stripped of their Thameslink franchise. The EDM calls for the service taken in-house and “run as a publicly-owned and accountable public service for the benefit of passengers, taxpayers and railway employees”. First Group, the franchise holder of the FCC operation and Scotrail, has been branded the ‘Worst Company in Britain’ over continuing failures on their rail operations - cutting corners to maximise dividends while soaking up £140 million last year in taxpayer subsidies and creaming off over £90 million in profits. The House of Commons held an adjournment debate in which Kelvin Hopkins was joined by other members of the union’s Parliamentary Group in piling pressure on the government to sack FCC and renationalise the chaotic franchise. Secretary of State for Transport Lord Adonis has already not ruled out stripping FCC of the Thameslink franchise unless urgent improvements were made. EARLY DAY MOTION 773 SAYS: “That this House notes the continued poor service on First Capital Connect and that consequently the company is in breach of its franchise agreement; is appalled that passengers have suffered this disruption whilst First Group’s Chief Executive was paid over £1 million in 2009 and the company’s profits have exceeded £800 million since rail privatisation; welcomes the fact that the Minister of State for Transport has confirmed that all options are on the table when considering the future of the franchise; and urges the government to take the franchise in-house and run it as a publicly-owned and accountable public service for the benefit of passengers, taxpayers and railway employees.” RMT general secretary Bob Crow said that the time for threatening First Group over their Thameslink franchise was over. “Now it’s time for the overnment to act, sack the company and return their operations to direct public ownership. “This is a company that has made £800 million in profits since privatisation and whose Chief Executive was paid over £1 million in 2009. “Not only is their Thameslink service a disgrace but on their Scotrail franchise they are prepared to rip up the safety rules and kick the guards off their trains. “They are a disgrace and the sooner the government dumps them the better,” he said. RMT WINS CAMPAIGN ON EAST COAST MAIN LINE FIRST CAPITAL CONNECT FAILS THAMESLINK FRANCHISE 11