Alstom engineers’ strike to hit c2c

Passengers using c2c services between London and Southend are expected to face significant disruption throughout May and early June, as maintenance engineers employed by Alstom take strike action in a dispute over pay and conditions.

Some 95% of the workers based at depots in East Ham and Shoeburyness, and members of the Unite union, voted to take industrial action after being offered a 2.5% pay increase, backdated to February 2021.

They argue that this is well below the current level of inflation, whereas managers were recently awarded a 10% increase after Alstom reported net profits of 172 million euros.

Alstom is also said to have removed on-call payments and staff travel permits, while also reducing the holiday entitlement for new starters.

Meanwhile, workers report low morale and very high levels of sickness related to an alleged “bullying culture” at the company.

The strikes began on May 9 and were expected to continue on May 13 (after this issue of RAIL went to press), 16, 20, 23, 27, 30 and June 3.

An overtime ban is also in force among employees, who “feel they have nothing left to lose”, according to Unite national officer Harish Patel.