Mini railway faces strikes as volunteers rebel against managers
A REVOLT at a miniature railway has occurred after dozens of volunteers went on strike when a 4mph train came off its tracks.
Hundreds of families were left disappointed when over 40 volunteers at the railway in Poole Park, Dorset, took industrial action on April 25, following a series of disputes with the “very autocratic” style of management.
The mass walkouts come just 10 months after Poole borough council awarded Friends of Poole Park (FOPP), a charity group, the contract to run the 67-year-old attraction.
The group cited “seasonal track maintenance” for the ongoing closure and added that an alternative external contractor would be brought in to do the repair work if volunteers refuse to.
However, some of the staff, who are mostly retirees, took issue with Michael Collins, the chairman of FOPP.
One volunteer said that issues had been ongoing for many months and “on April 25 we said ‘enough is enough’.
“The track issue is a diversion. There was a minor derailment a few weeks ago, but that can be fixed in 24 hours.”
A borough council spokesman reported that it had been “notified of resignations at director, management and operational levels of FOPP”.
The railway, which was previously run by Chris Bullen, a popular local businessman, is losing thousands of pounds in income because of the closure.
Some of the senior volunteers are said to now be engaged in resolution talks with Poole council which is trying to get them back on track as soon as possible.