“Silent treatment”
BULLYING of South Western Railway guards who chose to work during RMT union strike action “is continuing daily”, according to a source close to the Bournemouth train crew depot.
The company has written to depot staff, instructing them to treat colleagues with respect.
On January 24, Driver Depot Manager John Doughty and acting On-train Depot Manager Ruth Jarvis told staff: “The local management team continue to hear reports of unrest in the messroom, with ‘silent treatment’ continuing to be seen as acceptable behaviour by some. This is not the case and is a behaviour that is designed to intimidate.”
The letter stated that train crew from other depots no longer feel comfortable visiting the messroom at Bournemouth, due to the intimidating atmosphere.
It reminded employees that: “Individuals should not be treated differently as a consequence of their opinions or whether or not they chose to support strike action.”
It added: “Social media is not a good place to express your personal views on the actions of other individuals.”
The RMT union has objected to the content of the letter written to staff.
Two members of staff remain suspended or under investigation, following allegations of bullying, harassment and intimidation during strike action last November. They remain on full pay.
A source told RAIL: “A guard who has become sick because of stressful conditions within the messroom is now away from duties and on sick pay. It is less pay than those suspended. That’s not right or fair.”
It is understood that a few guards who were on strike in November subsequently chose to work during the January action, but the majority of train crew based at Bournemouth have continued to support the union position (79 guards are based at Bournemouth). SWR said that overall, one in five guards rostered to work on strike days had chosen to do so.
After the initial strike, an RMT member on South Western Railway told RAIL: “It’s just the usual friction. Most people just choose not to speak to or help the people who worked during the strike. There are still drivers to this day who are shunned, as they chose to work during a drivers’ strike in 1993. The railway has a long memory.”
The RMT believes that every train should carry a second member of staff at all times. The union opposes the possibility of some Driver Only Operation, without guards, on new trains that are due for delivery from 2019.
SWR has said it would guarantee to roster a second crew member on every service. Managing Director Andy Mellors has said that under specific exceptional circumstances it might need to run trains without a guard.
That would apply only to 90 new Bombardier trains which have been ordered for services in London and to Reading and Windsor. These are due for delivery from 2019. The new suburban trains are not expected
ever to run on longer routes to Bournemouth or to Portsmouth, and electric trains cannot operate on the diesel line via Salisbury to Exeter.
All services through Bournemouth, using Class 444 and Class 450 electric stock or occasionally Class 158/9 diesel trains, can only be operated with a guard. Therefore, no staff at the Bournemouth, Portsmouth or Salisbury depots will be directly affected by the proposed changes.
It is understood that several RMT members at Salisbury depot have resigned their membership to avoid taking part in further action.