Two years of strikes
RMT union marks two years of industrial action over the role of guards by announcing more strike days.
RAIL passengers are facing further disruption, with the RMT union announcing more strike dates in the long-running dispute over the role of guards on trains.
RMT members on Greater Anglia were due to strike on May 5 and again on May 9 (after this issue of RAIL went to press). Northern guards will also strike on May 9.
The union had also announced a series of five strikes on South Western Railway (SWR) on May 9, 11, 14, 16 and 18. These were subsequently suspended following an offer of talks with the company at the conciliation service, ACAS. Guards were told to work normally on those dates.
The announcement was made at a protest in Westminster to mark the second anniversary of the dispute. Guards on Southern held their first day of action on April 26 2016, and have since held 40 days of strikes, with the most recent on March 12.
More than 100 RMT members, disability campaigners and passengers joined the rally outside the Houses of Parliament. Wheelchair user Sandra Crouch travelled from Hastings in East Sussex to join the protest.
“Without guards on trains I cannot travel,” she said.
“They’re saying I have to book special assistance in future. Why should I? Why can’t I wake up tomorrow morning and want to go to Brighton? You can, can’t you? This is illegal discrimination.”
RMT General Secretary Mick Cash said: “Yet again, the intransigence of private rail companies over the key issue of the guard guarantee means we have no option but to announce further strike action.
“If we don’t do this, the future of the railway is going to be less safe, less secure and less accessible. None of us want that.”
Greater Anglia Managing Director Jamie Burles said: “We
“If we don’t do this, the future of the railway is going to be less safe, less secure and less accessible. None of us want that.” Mick Cash, RMT General Secretary “We have had constructive talks and offered a proposal which we hoped would resolve this issue. Jamie Burles, GA Managing Director
have had constructive talks and offered a proposal which we hoped would resolve this issue. We will be running a full service. We are keeping conductors on our trains, but we want them to concentrate on customer service rather than opening and closing the doors.”
Richard Allan, Arriva Rail North’s deputy managing director, said: “We urge RMT to move away from its nationally co-ordinated campaign and allow its local representatives to engage in meaningful discussions with us.”
A spokesman for SWR said: “We have given repeated assurances that we plan to retain a second person on our trains. There will be more jobs, not fewer. This strike is unnecessary and is supported by fewer than half our guards.”
No fresh strike is being held on Merseyrail, where talks involving the conciliation service, ACAS, continue regarding the union’s demand to have a second member of staff on every service.