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RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: may/june 2012 :: RMTnews
16
R
MT’s train crew conference
kicked off in Gloucester on
the day that the government
confirmed the approved bidders
for the new, gold-plated Great
Western rail franchise.
As the first franchise to be
let under the McNulty rules,
assistant general secretary Pat
Sikorski condemned those
queuing up to plunder the Wales
and West Country route as “the
usual bunch of pirates”.
He pointed out that on First
Great Western RMT had now set
out battle lines over the
attempts by the company to
undermine the safety role of the
guard on the Class 180 trains
being reintroduced on the
franchise:
“We know exactly what’s at
stake, this is about the erosion
of the guard grade in the
interests of profit and about
blazing a trail for McNulty
where Driver Only Operation is
the default position,” he said.
Conference heard that now
that the gauntlet has been
thrown down over the 180 stock
RMT would be stepping up the
fight, relaunching the Guards’
Charter and building a
workplace and public campaign
harnessing opposition to the
assault on the safety critical role
of train based staff.
Conference president Billy
Kimm, Liverpool 5 set the
economics out in stark terms:
“In this time of cuts and
austerity if the government was
serious about saving money
they would take the simple and
obvious step of renationalising
the railways.
“Shareholders in the private
rail companies have seen a 44
per cent increase in their
dividends, that’s where all the
money has gone,” he said.
Bill Hendy from RMT Union
Learning explained to
conference how even a good
idea like modern apprenticeships
has been abused and exploited
by greedy private companies in
the interests of profit:
“Instead of giving young
people hope, we have increasing
evidence of companies ripping
off the funds available for the
apprenticeships and then riding
NO TO LONGER
RAIL FRANCHISES
Train crew and shunting grades warn that
longer franchises proposed under McNulty
proposals will spark more profiteering