CATERING STRIKE ON THE AVANTI WEST COAST CONTRACT ROCK SOLID

RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: january 2022 :: RMTnews 13 RMT members employed by DHL to provide vital catering services for the Avanti West Coast solidly supported a further day of strike action in their fight for pay justice. This core group of staff are standing firm in their battle as analysis by RMT reveals that the companies’ parent Groups paid out nearly £2 billion in the last year to shareholders – fuelling anger at the hypocrisy from the board room as the low paid employees who generate those profits get shafted. RM ANALYSIS REVEALS THAT: • In May 2021, DHL’s parent company Deutsche Post AG paid out around £1.4 billion in dividends to shareholders, an increase of 17 per cent from the year previous. • In September 2021, Avanti West Coast’s parent company First Group PLC confirmed it would return £500 million to shareholders. • The latest accounts for the UK registered DHL Supply Chain Ltd reveal that over £2.7 million was paid to company directors in one year, with the highest paid director receiving an eyewatering £476,000, a rise of nearly eight per cent from the year previous. Despite this pandemic profiteering, DHL’s frontline workers on the Avanti West Coast continue to be denied pay justice and voted overwhelmingly in favour of strike action and are out in force on the picket lines this morning. RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said that RMT members working for DHL on the Avanti West Coast contract were rock solid in their industrial action again as they stand up for the basic principle of pay justice. “They are a credit to the union. “With inflation rocketing and national insurance set to increase, these frontline workers are facing a cost-of- living crisis but it’s another story for the Scrooge bosses who, despite the Covid-19 pandemic, have still paid out eyewatering sums in dividends and director pay, whilst treating the workers who generate their profits with complete contempt. “Rather than continuing to line the pockets of shareholders and directors, RMT is demanding a fair pay award for these workers that recognises their vital contribution to our rail services and the soaring cost of living. The union remains available for talks,” he said. CATERING STRIKE ON THE AVANTI WEST COAST CONTRACT ROCK SOLID stations open later and close easier, and in many cases would lead to a significant reduction in opening hours. RMT is calling on the passenger watchdogs Transport Focus and London TravelWatch to oppose all of the proposed cuts to ticket office hours and for LNER to withdraw its proposals. Staffed ticket offices make the rail network more safe, secure and accessible for passengers. Ticket offices and travel shops provide a wide range of services and advice in addition to ticket sales that passengers cannot access from Ticket Vending Machines and online ticketing platforms. RMT believes that LNER's proposals to reduce ticket office hours at these 13 stations would worsen passenger safety, security and accessibility and make it easier to reduce staffing at these stations. The cuts would also make it harder for passengers to get the cheapest and most appropriate tickets and restrict the advice they can access at the ticket office. The cuts will also deter passengers from using the rail network and are completely at odds with the government's climate change targets. The cuts will be particularly damaging for some groups including disabled passengers, elderly passengers and people on lower incomes who may not have access to digital ticketing. Transport Focus' own passenger research, published in October 2020, found that ‘staff play a central role in helping passengers feel safe and secure’ and that passengers want to see more rather than less rail staff. Cuts to ticket office hours run counter to this. For these reasons, RMT believes that the proposals must be withdrawn and the current ticket office hours protected. Kings Cross