PETITION AGAINST FATIGUE

RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: november/december 2020 :: RMTnews 7 RMT has launched a petition on its website calling on Transport Scotland to take action to resolve the union’s ongoing dispute with Caledonian Sleeper operator Serco over staff fatigue and safety. The union has been seeking to reach a fair and reasonable resolution for months which addresses the main causes of staff fatigue, but Serco has continually refused to take action and rejected the union’s reasonable proposals. Since March, Serco Caledonian Sleeper has been funded by public money under its Emergency Measures Agreement with the Scottish Government. Serco even stands to make a profit under these arrangements, yet it appears to have no desire to protect the safety and welfare of its dedicated key worker employees. RMT is now calling on Transport Scotland to intervene as a matter of urgency to ensure that Serco takes action over staff fatigue. RMT general secretary Mick Cash said that fatigue was a serious condition which threatened both staff and passenger safety on the Caledonian Sleeper. “All RMT members are fighting for is a safe working environment for themselves and their colleagues. “These keyworkers have kept vital rail services running throughout the pandemic, so it is a kick in the teeth that Serco has failed to take action over the causes of their fatigue. Serco’s operations are being funded by public money, and therefore, Transport Scotland should now be intervening to bring about a resolution. “RMT is calling on the public to sign our petition in support of staff and passenger safety on the Caledonian Sleeper,” he said. Keolis Infrastructure Ltd will continue to be responsible for infrastructure on the Core Valley Lines, where the South Wales Metro upgrade is taking place. Keolis and Amey will also work with the Welsh Government quango Transport for Wales on improvements to the service - like rolling stock and ticketing. Economy Minister Ken Skates said that the government had stepped in "to stabilise the network and keep it running". "The last few months have been extremely challenging for public transport in Wales and across the UK. Covid has significantly impacted passenger revenues," he said. The deal will cover most of Wales' trains - including key commuter services such as the Valley Lines. Mr Skates told a Senedd committee that if the existing arrangements had continued it would have "led to a collapse by the operator and a catastrophic transfer then to the operator of last resort. "What we're able to do now is manage a careful transition, which will take us through to February, and then beyond, with the establishment of TfW rail limited," he said. Deputy Transport Minister Lee Waters said: "The whole business model collapsed in the face of Covid because the revenue was not coming in and Keolis in effect were not prepared to shoulder their share of the pain." Ministers also pledged to honour commitments worth more than £1 billion to buy new trains and build the south Wales Metro. James Price, chief executive of Welsh government quango Transport for Wales which oversaw the franchise and shared branding with it, said that rolling stock was "on the way" and "in essence is paid for already". "What this allows us to do is to reduce the profit we pay to the private sector massively over time, and make sure that when the revenue comes back, it comes back in to the taxpayer,” he said. The Welsh Tories questioned how much nationalisation would cost taxpayers, while Plaid Cymru called for the Senedd to be recalled. PETITION AGAINST FATIGUE RMT launches petition in support of staff safety on Serco