FIGHTING ATTACKS ON CATERING STAFF

RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: june 2011 :: RMTnews 12 T he national conference of hotel, catering and ancillary grades meeting in Scarborough called on the union to fight job cuts, win guarantees to halt the continuing decline in services and to fight to protect the industry. John Kear, Bristol Rail, deplored the continuing attack on catering facilities, staff and on board train services. “The shops on voyager trains and the attempt to remove buffet cars from First Great Western (FGW) HST stock is the first salvo. “Now we hear reports that East Coast is going to reduce the number of restaurant services that it is currently running, which will have a significant bearing on the number of catering staff they employ,” he said. He said that FGW was downgrading the servicing of catering equipment on board their HSTs thereby seriously affecting the service provided and increasing tariffs so it is cheaper for passengers to buy food and drinks before boarding trains. “The buffet cars are in a total mess and as much as we complain and report all the defects, they are just turning a blind eye to it all,” he said. Conference supported Rebecca Hartley, Exeter Rail, who argued that FGW should employ more fitters to inspect and to repair catering equipment on all of their trains as frontline staff were sick of receiving complaints and verbal abuse from customers. “We are being told to keep on reporting faults, which we are doing, but faults cannot be rectified if there are not enough fitters or enough spare parts,” she said. Mandy Evans, Swansea No 1 said that the declining situation at FGW was due to privatisation. “They don’t take responsibility for anything, all they are concerned about is profit, they announce massive profits and hand it all to the fat cats. “We need a national campaign to protect our jobs and the service we provide to our customers,” she said. Assistant general secretary Pat Sikorski said that attacks on catering workers were widespread, including the axing of buffet cars on the East Coast and the casualisation of jobs. He reported that East Midlands Trains was introducing Rail Gourmet agency staff in standard class with only first class being catered for by directly employed staff. FIGHTING ATTACKS ON CATERING STAFF Catering grades call on the union to resist cuts in buffet cars, jobs and services