Time for rail staff cuts to hit the buffers

UNION leaders representing Northern Rail workers say the General Election results means the rail operators should drop plans to cut staff on trains.

Northern Rail is one of three companies planning to run driveronly trains, which the Rail, Maritime and Transport union says will compromise passenger safety as guards will no longer be responsible for opening and closing carriage doors.

There have been strikes across the network, including a day of industrial action on Monday, May 15 , although a later 24-hour walk-out planned by RMT members working for Northern, Mersey Rail and Southern Rail was cancelled in light of the Manchester terrorist attack on May 22.

The union argues the General Election result, where the Conservatives lost their majority, reflects a lack of public confidence in “politically-motivated” plans to cut staff from trains. The Tories still have more seats than any other British party and are in talks with the DUP to form a coalition Government.

Labour, the party backed by unions, won an additional 30 seats in the election to increase its share of MPs. Labour’s manifesto pledged to nationalise the railways and invest in the network.

RMT general secretary Mick Cash said: “RMT’s disputes on Southern, Northern and Merseyrail not only remain on but are now right at the top of the national transport agenda as the chaotic, minority Tory Government lurches from chaos to crisis.”