48-hour strike as RMT and Virgin Trains East Coast clash over staff roles

Virgin Trains East Coast says it will run “a near normal timetable” during a 48-hour walk-out planned by the RMT from 0001 on April 28 until 2359 on April 29.

The union claims it sought explicit clarification regarding the company’s position on retaining the role of the guard, in that the new role of train manager will retain the safety-critical roles and training currently held by train guards.

RMT General Secretary Mick Cash said: “It is simply appalling that Virgin East Coast has refused to give the most basic assurances on the safety-critical role of the guard on its trains continuing into the future. Instead it has sought to fob us off with meaningless statements that are frankly an insult to the intelligence of our members who are charged with maintaining safety on-board these inter-city trains.

“On top of that chaotic, operational changes have been bulldozed through, and there is now an additional threat to stations and travel centre staff that leaves our members on a knife-edge.

“The action we have agreed to put on is simply a reflection of the disgust and frustration at months of ducking and diving by Virgin/ Stagecoach. The action is on and the union remains available for meaningful and genuine talks.”

VTEC has changed the customerfacing roles on its train, with a single person responsible for the ‘customer experience’ on the train, supported by a team. In a statement, the operator said it had repeatedly assured the union that the safetycritical role of the guard will remain on board, with the new Train Manager role taking responsibility.

The dispute was first raised in May last year, and VTEC said it had “given assurances on each point raised by the union at the start of the dispute in May, such as ruling out any compulsory redundancies as a result of the changes”.

RMT members walked out on October 3 last year, and VTEC was able to run a full timetable.

VTEC Managing Director David Horne said: “The changes we have made are part of the customercentric revolution that’s under way on the East Coast. Alongside more modern trains, we want a modern customer service proposition - one that focuses firmly on the customer.

“The on-board changes came into force on March 31. Last week - the first full week since the changes - we achieved our second highest customer satisfaction score since taking over the franchise, so we are confident the changes are benefiting customers.

“With our guarantees that there will be no compulsory redundancies, no impact on safety and a near normal timetable in place during the walk-outs, this pointless strike will cost RMT members pay for no reason, and we urge the union to rejoin us for further discussions.”

RMT continued in its statement that: “The only response the company has offered is to repeat the vague and non-committal mantra of ‘within our discussions we have confirmed that the safetycritical duties of the guard will remain on the train’.

“This gives no reassurance to RMT members in the front line, nor any protection from the possible introduction of Driver Only Operation. To simply state that the duties will remain on the train but not specify who will actually carry them out constitutes a meaningless statement.”

The union claims passenger complaints have soared, and that VTEC responded on its official Twitter feed by blaming staff sickness.