STAFF OUR STATIONS

RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: february 2020 :: RMTnews 16 Over 100 RMT station staff reps and activists from across the country joined together for a Staff our Stations conference in London as part of the campaign to fight cuts to station staffing, ticket office hours and closures of ticket offices. The conference was kicked off by RMT general secretary Mick Cash who emphasised the need to maximise recruitment and organise within station grades as a way of building a strong resistance to damaging cuts. “Only today the Daily Mirror has exposed the fact that only one in ten stations are fully staffed and nearly half are totally unstaffed, putting passengers and staff at risk of violence every day. “It has never been more apparent that the privatised and fragmented railway has failed to deliver an affordable, accessible and reliable service for passengers. “Violence on the railways is soaring, yet the private train companies continue to close ticket offices and cut staffing at stations. These damaging cuts only serve to benefit their shareholders’ profits, not passengers. “RMT is calling on the government to prove that it is serious about improving the rail passenger experience and ensure that its review commits to a fully staffed and accessible railway,” he said. Shadow Labour Transport Secretary Andy McDonald told the conference that he fully supported the campaign and would join forces with the union to fight the government’s draconian plans for minimum service level agreements on the railway. Emily Yates of the Association of British Com- muters (ABC) said that passengers and workers across the were organising together to resist this government’s regressive transport policies. “The RMT’s ‘Staff Our Stations’ campaign is the perfect opportunity to show how our struggles are connected. STAFF OUR STATIONS Staff our Stations conference vows to fight cuts to staff and ticket office hours and closures