SOUTHERN ‘STRIKE BACK’ CAMPAIGN A ‘MISTAKE’

RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: november/december :: RMTnews 6 A top Southern Rail boss has admitted that its ‘Strike Back’ poster campaign of incitement to violence against staff after a huge public backlash was a ‘mistake’. The company has since removed and destroyed the incendiary posters, which cost the taxpayer up to half a million pounds. Appearing at the Lambeth Council Scrutiny Committee, Alex Foulds, deputy chief operating officer of Govia Thameslink Railway, which owns Southern, faced criticism over the tweet and newspaper adverts. Councillor Ed Davie said that he could not believe the company would spend tens of thousands of pounds on the ads calling on its customers to attack the union, describing it as "absolutely shocking". Mr Foulds also apologised for the level of service being provided and conceded that Southern was the worst- performing train operator in the country "by some distance". RMT general secretary Mick Cash said that it was shocking that hundreds of thousands of pounds of fare payers’ money had been wasted by Southern on attacking and bullying their own staff. "That money could have been invested in keeping guards on the trains and keeping the public safe, it is absolutely scandalous "Staff at the front line of Southern Rail's services have been set up for abuse and assaults by a campaign of intimidation and lies that the company now try to pass off as a "mistake". "It is yet more evidence that GTR are simply not fit to run a railway and reinforces RMT's call for them to be sacked," he said. Despite the contrition of the ‘strike back’ campaign, Southern Rail immediately tried to blame staff for the total chaos at Falmer station in November after the Brighton v Aston Villa game. Mick Cash said that the dangerous chaos at Falmer after the game was entirely down to managerial incompetence of Southern Rail. "They were running short formations and cancelling services on the hoof due to their pathetic lack of advanced planning for this major fixture. “The attempt to lump the blame on front line staff who worked flat out to try and keep passengers safe is disgusting. "RMT will be writing to the safety regulator, the Office of Rail and Road, demanding a full investigation into this latest disgraceful and dangerous series of failures by the basket case Southern Rail outfit,” he said. SOUTHERN ‘STRIKE BACK’ CAMPAIGN A ‘MISTAKE’