TAKE ARRIVA AND STAGECOACH CONTRACTS INTO PUBLIC OWNERSHIP

increased likelihood of there being no second member of staff on board to assist passengers, and a decrease in staffed stations could represent a diminution of protection for disabled people, and potentially be a breach of the Equality Act 2010”. Although the figures were provided by the Department for Transport on the basis of figures reported to them by Southern, the standard of reporting has not been assessed by the equality rail regulator the ORR, and the union fears the situation is far worse. RMT general secretary Mick Cash said that the shocking reality of the scale of discrimination against disabled passengers was laid bare. “Keolis and this government should be hanging their heads in shame. “Despite all the promises that there would continue to be a second person on trains, Ministers have now admitted thousands of Southern services are running with a driver alone. “With Chris Grayling’s record of deceiving passengers, the situation is likely to be even worse than they are prepared to admit and it's time for the truth to be told. “Disabled and vulnerable passengers were once guaranteed a guard on their services to provide assistance and protection. That is now no longer the case, as we can see in this appalling increase in discrimination against disabled and vulnerable passengers. “And as Southern is ultimately part -owned by French state railways, French services are benefiting off the backs of discriminatory cuts on Southern railways. “This scandal has to end and end now and that means Southern reversing their Driver Only policy and signing up to the guard guarantee,” he said. RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: may 2019 :: RMTnews 5 R MT has called for Arriva Rail's UK franchises and contracts to be taken into public ownership after the outfit’s parent company German state rail operator Deutsche Bahn, confirmed that sell-off plans are underway and are expected to be confirmed in September. The union also demanded that immediate steps be taken to bring franchises involving Stagecoach into public ownership after the company was barred from bidding in the current round of franchise awards. RMT has warned that services, and the jobs of thousands of rail workers, are now left hanging by a thread as the chaotic mismanagement of Britain’s railways takes another turn for the worst. With 70 per cent of the British public supporting public ownership RMT is stepping up campaigning in light of the latest news. In a letter to transport secretary Chris Grayling RMT general secretary Mick Cash said: “In light of the decision to bar Stagecoach from bidding for franchises I am writing to urge you now to bring to an end the franchising fiasco. “The franchise system is now teetering on the brink and I would urge you to take urgent action to protect passengers and rail workers. “The network needs to be returned to public ownership and as first step all Stagecoach contracts should be bought in house immediately. “I have to warn you that rail workers and their pensions will not be used as pawns in a row between your department and the train companies and we will take all necessary steps to protect our members. “I am calling also for an urgent industry wide summit to resolve this crisis and ensure the necessary protections are in place to protect rail workers and passengers.” Arriva Rail UK holds franchises on Northern, Cross Country and Chiltern as well as the concession on London Overground and the Grand Central and GNWR open access operations. It also has a major train care division. “It can't be right that thousands of jobs associated with train operations across pretty much the whole of the country are left hanging in the balance awaiting a boardroom decision in Berlin. That is a ludicrous way to run our railways. "The only solution to this nonsense is to bring the UK's rail assets back into public ownership free from this kind of grubby speculation where our future is carved up behind closed doors in the interests of global finance capital and not the British rail passenger,” he said. TAKE ARRIVA AND STAGECOACH CONTRACTS INTO PUBLIC OWNERSHIP