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RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: march 2011 :: RMTnews 6 R MT slammed London Midland for a campaign of dirty tricks over the statutory consultation on plans that would axe 122 full time jobs, slash the opening hours at 86 out of 90 ticket offices and close nine ticket offices. The union has demanded a total halt to the consultation after it emerged that posters displayed at London Midland stations asking passengers for their views were found to contain incorrect contact information, making it impossible for the public to record their opinions. The union also revealed that key information relevant to the cuts and redundancies, including the jobs and grades in the firing line, had not been made available and existing agreements on redeployment were not being adhered to. RMT has demanded the withdrawal of the proposals has warned of a ballot for industrial action to defend jobs and terms and conditions. Regional transport organisation Centro has already opposed the planned cuts and the union is running a high profile campaign stop the proposals in their tracks. RMT general secretary Bob Crow said that the consultation on the plans had been exposed as flawed and the company had not even followed agreed procedure to deal with potential redundancies. “The very least that they should now do is pull back, scrap the proposals and get down to some proper discussions on a way out of this mess. “To try and bulldoze these cuts through would be a scandal and denying the public a genuine opportunity to have their say makes a total mockery of the consultation process. “We will not tolerate the company’s total disregard for agreed procedures and may be forced to ballot for action to defend our members’” he said. Unions are concerned about the impact on jobs and the dire consequences for services and security together with access for older people, those with disabilities and parents with prams. R MT train cleaning crews employed by the Mitie company and servicing First Great Western trains out of depots at Cardiff and Swansea took further 24 hour strike action earlier this month following a 100 per cent vote for action in a dispute over pensions, payment of wages and a failure to communicate. All RMT members employed by Mitie at Swansea High Street Station and Cardiff Central Station on the First Great Western contract took the action. Mitie, which recently announced a massive 12 per cent jump in profits, brands itself as an “outsourcing specialist” mopping up facilities contracts in both the private and public sectors. The company is using all sorts of excuses to delay a settlement and have even taken to blaming the previous contractor (ISS) for not passing adequate information to them during the TUPE process The dispute was sparked as a result of wage discrepancies which have short- changed staff by hundreds of pounds and the continued lack of pension contributions by Mitie. RMT general secretary Bob Crow said that despite numerous promises made by Mitie to resolve the matter with urgency the combined attacks on working conditions had continued. “RMT does not accept that and we will not sit back and allow management to treat our members with complete and utter contempt,” he said. LONDON MIDLAND PLANS JOBS MASSACRE AND TICKET OFFICE CLOSURES MITIE TRAIN CLEANERS TAKE FURTHER STRIKE ACTION No to Ticket Office Cuts Passenger Focus y