Great Western Coffee Shop

TO ALL SWR COMMERCIAL GUARDS, GUARDS AND TRAIN DRIVERS

3rd October 2017

Dear Colleague,

Role of the Guard & Extension of DOO – South Western Railway

I write to advise you that the ballot has now closed and the result is as follows: -

Are you prepared to take strike action?

Number of individuals who were entitled to vote in the ballot: 805
   
Number of votes cast in the ballot: 617

Number of individuals answering “Yes” to the question: 504

Number of individuals answering “No” to the question: 113   
 
Number of spoiled or otherwise invalid voting papers returned: 1   

Are you prepared to take industrial action short of a strike?

Number of individuals who were entitled to vote in the ballot: 805   

Number of votes cast in the ballot: 617
 
Number of individuals answering “Yes” to the question: 561
   
Number of individuals answering “No” to the question: 56 
 
Number of spoiled or otherwise invalid voting papers returned: 1           

The National Executive Committee is currently considering this result and I shall write to you again shortly.

Yours sincerely
 
Mick Cash
General Secretary

“RMT has given repeated opportunities for First MTR to give us the assurances we have sought over the future role of the guards on their trains throughout the length of the new South Western franchise. They have refused to give us those guarantees and it is that failure which leaves RMT with no option but to declare a formal dispute with the company and to move towards a ballot for action.

By my reckoning it's actually 91% of votes cast for some action, and 82% for striking.

Nonsense of course.  There is always an option, or indeed options. But when you are tied ideologically to struggle against management perhaps the desire to strike first is overwhelming.

Never ceases to amaze me just how many people in this country can afford to go on strike.

Many (the majority?) only pay their subscription so that they are afforded the unions legal representation should they be involved in an incident.

Legal cover can also be obtained from other sources such as a home insurance policy add on, a dedicated insurance policy and such like. If that's the real reason why the majority sign up to a union then I would implore them to use other sources for their personal legal cover and stop funding far left relics like the RMT (other unions are available).

I know a couple of teachers who are members of the teaching union for the same reason.

RMT announces strike action on South Western Railway and Greater Anglia in separate disputes over guards and safety
RAIL UNION RMT today announced strike action on Greater Anglia and South Western Railway later this month in separate disputes over the threat to guards and the safety of the travelling public.
 
On Greater Anglia members will take strike action from 00.01 to 23.59 hours on Wednesday 27th December 2017
 
On South Western Railway members will take strike action from 00.01 hours to 23.59 on Sunday 31st December 2017
 
The union also revealed that yesterday it had met the Secretary of State for Transport Chris Grayling and the rail minister Paul Maynard to try and resolve all of the current rail safety disputes but as a result of the meeting there seemed to be “contradictory messages, confusion and lack of clarity” coming from Ministers and the Department for Transport that made it extremely difficult to negotiate.
 
On the one hand the union were told at the meeting that the Government is not opposed to a second person on the train and it was up to the RMT and employers to reach an agreement. The union was also offered further talks to discuss concerns around accessibility in respect of driver only trains.
 
Then within an hour of the meeting finishing RMT General Secretary Mick Cash received a contradictory letter from Chris Grayling asking that the union accepts the principle of driver controlled operation, which is the same model as driver only operation.   The union has also subsequently been made aware that Chris Grayling has written to the train companies with the same letter.
 
RMT General Secretary Mick Cash said:
 
“It’s the continuing failure of the train companies and their political puppet masters in Government to make any attempt whatsoever to resolve these disputes over rail safety that has led us to call action today and the responsibility for the disruption that will be caused lays fairly and squarely at their door.
 
“At the meeting yesterday with the Secretary of State Chris Grayling and the Rail Minister Paul Maynard we were told that we could reach a deal with the employers to keep a second person on the train and we were also offered further talks to discuss our concerns around driver only trains and accessibility.”
 
“But then within an hour of that meeting I received letter from Chris Grayling asking the union to accept the principle of Driver Only Operation which as everyone knows reduces accessibility because there is no longer guard to assist older and disabled passengers who need assistance. Astonishingly I have also been made aware that Chris Grayling has written to the train companies with the same letter.
 
“There is chaos and confusion  in the rail industry surrounding the Governments positon which makes it almost impossible to negotiate and  I have written to Chris Grayling to express my concern at this lack of clarity and contradictory messages but also to offer further talks not least on the vital issue of accessibility.
 
“It really should be straight forward - the Scottish and Welsh Governments have agreed to keep the guards on our trains so there is no reason why the UK government cannot as well.”
 
 
ENDS

This week in the new timetable, many surburban trains have been extended from 8 to 10 cars. On Monday evening, the train I was on pulled into Raynes Park station. Very quickly the guard opened the doors; however, at the same time, the driver realised he/she'd stopped short, and moved the train forward, presumably unaware that the doors had been opened. Passengers were of course getting off the train and one stumbled and fell onto the platform but soon got up. However, this could have been far worse.

How did you manage to get a train on Monday? I got to Waterloo at about 6pm and everything was listed as delayed or cancelled. I headed off to Victoria instead to find the next few services calling at Epsom had been cancelled. At least I got a seat in Wetherspoons while I was waiting.