EAST MIDLANDS RAILWAYS DISPUTES ROCK SOLID

RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: september 2021 :: RMTnews 6 S triking senior conductor and train manager members remain rock solid in separate East Midlands Railways disputes. The latest action came as the company admitted in internal communications that the strike breakers they have bussed in have only one days training and don't meet the most basic safety competency standards required of the regular staff members they are replacing. A memo seen by RMT asking managers to volunteer to support the strike breaking operation says that : " Training for this role will be one day only and not the extensive training required for full safety critical competence". In addition, strike breakers are being offered a bounty of £270 per shift while the company snub talks that could resolve the disputes. The taxpayer which finances the EMR operation is effectively picking up the tab for this cynical operation. RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said that while members were standing firm in these two separate disputes over contract and safety issues it was frankly appalling that East Midlands Railways were blatantly flouting the most basic of safety standards in a desperate bid to break the strike action. “East Midlands Railway has introduced new working arrangements for Class 360 trains without any formal agreement with RMT, the union that represents Train Managers working the service. “RMT believes that the Class 360 method of working that the company has imposed is not safe and that a second safety critical person, preferably a Train Manager, should be in each portion of the multi-unit trains. "Additionally, no one should be allowed to carry out the role of the guard without the basic safety competencies that are the benchmark of the rail industry. “The fact that they are also being offered a bounty of £270 a day at taxpayer expense is just rubbing salt in the wounds. "Instead of playing these dangerous games that gamble with both passenger and staff safety the company should be getting round the table with us and thrashing out a solution,” he said. RMT has declared a dispute over a potentially lethal Legionella outbreak on Thameslink trains and is prepared to ballot for strike action if GTR and Siemens don't take urgent action to resolve the crisis.  To date seven toilets, on four trains have had identified actionable traces of legionella. The fourth unit was discovered on August 9 and the company advise they are removing it from traffic where 'reasonably practicable' and if it remains in service all that will happen is that the toilets will be isolated. RMT has described this half-hearted and inadequate approach as gambling with the health of passengers and staff alike. The union has written to the company advising that a dispute situation now exists between the two organisations and demanded:   • An urgent Joint Safety Committee meeting be arranged to discuss the legionella contamination, the company response and its responsibilities under procedure agreement 2 and the associated codes of practice and regulations. • Full disclosure, including live updates of the unit numbers of any units found to contain Legionella. • Distribute the union report from to health and safety reps. RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said that the union had been raising concerns over Legionella on the Siemens Thameslink fleet for weeks and the latest cavalier approach from the company was pitifully inadequate and is an outright gamble with passenger and staff health.  "We have now declared a dispute and be in no doubt if we don't get serious action we will ballot our members and do whatever is required to end this reckless approach to a potentially lethal situation on these increasingly busy trains,” he said. EAST MIDLANDS RAILWAYS DISPUTES ROCK SOLID RMT DECLARES THAMESLINK DISPUTE OVER LEGIONELLA OUTBREAK