LONDON MIDLAND PROFITEERING FROM TICKET OFFICE CLOSURES

RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: may/june 2012 :: RMTnews 6 R MT is balloting members for strike action and action short of a strike in a dispute over pensions on East Midlands Trains. Management has proposed to reduce the Joint Contribution Rate (JCR) in the East Midlands Trains section of the Railways Pension Scheme despite the objections of the union. RMT representatives have made it clear that reducing the JCR is irresponsible at a time when pension scheme investments and the economic climate are volatile. As a result of management ignoring RMT requests to maintain the present JCR, members will be balloted for industrial action. RMT general secretary Bob Crow said that while staff will receive a small financial gain from a reduction in contributions it was clear that the biggest winner will be the employer by saving around £750,000 each year. “This short-term measure could well have serious long- term implications for the health of the fund as the volatile financial markets head downwards on the back of the Eurozone crisis. “This refusal to withdraw the proposal is irresponsible and only suits to line the pockets of shareholders. “The employer may alter as a result of a change in franchise but the pension scheme members will remain the same and it is they who will be left to pick up the pieces after future valuations are downgraded,” he said. R MT has published leaked internal documents showing that London Midland plans to profit to the tune of £1.25 million a year from their programme of savage cuts to ticket offices and staffing levels. London Midland are blazing a trail for the McNulty plans to axe ticket offices and eliminate station staff and, as RMT have exposed from leaked Department of Transport emails, are doing so in direct collusion with the government. Now leaked financial reports, marked confidential, show that the company owned by Govia plan to make a cash profit of one and quarter million pounds from the ticket office closures in the face of total opposition from staff, passengers, transport groups and disability organisations. The London Midland plans would close a dozen ticket offices completely, result in savage cuts at 86 out of 90 offices and threaten over 100 jobs. They have been opposed by 18,000 people in responses to the public consultation along with passenger groups, statutory monitors, disabled groups and politicians. RMT general secretary Bob Crow said that the documents show that for vandalising ticket offices and destroying jobs across the service London Midland and its shareholders stand to profit to the tune of £1.25 million. “We warned from the leaked Department of Transport emails that this was a ‘cash for closures’ programme and the extent of the money that the company plan to rake in from this scandalous assault on jobs and services is now laid bare. “Passengers, staff, politicians and user groups will be rightly angry when they see what this trail-blazer for the McNulty cuts means in cash terms for the profiteering private rail companies and we will be using this information to jack up the national campaign of resistance to ticket office closures,” he said. R MT members working on the Tyne and Wear Metro delivered a 100 per cent vote for strike action in a dispute over the pay and conditions. The ballot result comes after extensive talks with the operating company DB Regio failed to produce a realistic offer this year on pay and conditions. RMT general secretary Bob Crow said that the union had no option but to ballot for action in defence of member’s standard of living. “In the face of the insulting zero pay offer from the company we have had no option but to ballot for action in the battle to eliminate poverty pay and to improve our member’s standard of living. “This fight is about securing pay justice on Tyne and Wear Metro it's as simple as that,” he said. Labour MP Grahame Morris Labour MP for Easington joined RMT Churchill Cleaners from the Tyne and Wear Metro at the Newcastle May Day and he has supported their campaign in Parliament for Metro free travel. Strike action on Tyne and Wear Metro last autumn during the pension’s dispute led to a 100 per cent shutdown of services. LONDON MIDLAND PROFITEERING FROM TICKET OFFICE CLOSURES PENSION ACTION ON EAST MIDLANDS TRAINS TYNE AND WEAR METRO STRIKE VOTE