GUARD THE GUARD AT THAMESLINK!

RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: november/december 2013 :: RMTnews 6 RMT is organising meetings in December to defend around 500 jobs threatened by the creation of a new merged Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern franchise due to come into operation later next year. The Department for Transport told bidders they must “implement Driver-Only Operation (DOO) on all services that operate on the Core Thameslink Route” Companies bidding for the franchise may have bigger plans for extending DOO the new franchise which Southern will become part of from July 2015. The Invitation To Tender document produced by the government is designed to follow the McNulty Rail Review cuts and axe all guards. There are also unspecified cuts to ticket offices and station staffing that will only be quantified in the confidential tender submissions from approved bidders Abellio, FirstGroup, Govia, MTR and Stagecoach. There are 400 guard’s jobs immediately at risk with scores more jobs certain to come into the firing line on the stations and platforms as the bidders seek to cut the headcount and exploit the lucrative London commuter routes for every penny that they can regardless of the implications for service quality and public safety. RMT general secretary Bob Crow has warned that the services covered by the new franchise charge some of the highest fares and both trains and platforms are constantly rammed solid, reinforcing the critical safety role of the staff in preventing accidents and the passengers being squeezed onto the tracks. “This ConDem government plans to award franchises to the company which has the biggest cost-cutting record and proposals based on McNulty report and it wants new rail staff put on ‘new’ – which means worse – terms of employment. “Axing guards and station staff is a lethal gamble with public safety on some of the busiest commuter routes where demand continues to grow forcing more and more people into a system which is already bursting at the seams. “The axing of these posts would not only compromise safety but would lead to more delays and disruption as passengers are left to fend for themselves and services grind to a halt,” he said. Brighton venue TBC 1100 Sunday December 15 Speakers: RMT general secretary, Bob Crow RMT assistant general secretary, Steve Hedley RMT executive, Mike Sargent 0rganiser, Paul Cox Conductors’ Company Council reps, Adrian Walsh and Malcolm Chisholm The meetings will have time for discussion and ideas from members about how we win this campaign. GUARD THE GUARD AT THAMESLINK! Union meetings to launch campaign to defend jobs threatened by new Thameslink franchise K E E P T H E T R A I N S A F E KEEP THE GUARD ON THE TRAIN RMT OPEN MEETING FOR SOUTHERN, GREAT NORTHERN, THAMESLINK STAFF