NO DRIVER ONLY TRAINS ON THE WALES AND BORDERS FRANCHISE

RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: september 2017 :: RMTnews 7 B alloting is underway for action in two separate disputes over pay and working conditions on Southern/GTR and Southeastern as the union steps up the fight for workplace justice for cleaners on Britain’s railways. The two disputes are with Wettons, who hold the cleaning contract on Southeastern and Churchills, who hold the cleaning contract on GTR which incorporates Southern, Thameslink and Great Northern. RMT general secretary Mick Cash said that rail companies that are making a fortune out of Britain’s privatised railways think nothing of treating their cleaning staff like dirt. “It is disgusting and the travelling public will know full well just what an essential service the cleaning team plays on both the GTR and Southeastern routes. “These two separate disputes have a common thread and that is the attempt to lock in low pay levels for cleaners and the continuing refusal to upgrade working conditions to a humane and acceptable level. “RMT will not allow Southern/GTR and Southeastern to wash their hands of these disputes and the issues at their core. They let these contracts to Churchills and Wettons and they have the power to demand that they treat their workforce with dignity and respect,” he said. R MT has warned against introducing driver-only trains on the Wales and Borders franchise, as strike action takes place on rail companies in the rest of Britain. Whilst there are not any proposals for the driver-only trains in the current franchise – which ends in October 2018 – RMT members leafleted stations urging passengers to lobby their Assembly Members and MPs to oppose any attempts to remove guards from the next Wales and Borders franchise. The union has been supported by findings in the Welsh government’s own consultation with passengers on future of the franchise which said: “Over 90 per cent of respondents said a second member of staff was either quite important or essential in essential in the Wales and Borders region and Metro …health, safety and security were seen to be most important role of the second person”. The union has pointed to the conclusion of Wales Assembly Economy, Infrastructure and Skills Committee inquiry into the franchise published in June which says: “The committee welcomes the talks that have taken place to try and head off the industrial disputes seen in other parts of the UK”. RMT general secretary Mick Cash said: “At the moment passengers on every Wales and Borders rail service are guaranteed the protection of a guard on every train to ensure their safety and security and the Welsh government’s own survey. “Strike action is taking place by RMT guards in other parts of the UK and the last thing we want is for these types of disputes to escalate to Wales. Our members are leafleting passengers today to ask them to lobby their Assembly Members and MPs to oppose any attempts to remove guards from the next franchise. “Not only do passengers want to keep their guards, it would be also be a scandal if the shortlisted bidders for the Wales and Border Franchise – who are all owned by foreign states – were allowed to cut decent, skilled, safety critical jobs from Wales and use the profits to support their own railways in China, France, Germany and Holland,” he said. CLEANERS BALLOT AT SOUTHERN AND SOUTHEASTERN NO DRIVER-ONLY TRAINS ON THE WALES AND BORDERS FRANCHISE