At the end of May RMT entered intodispute with First Great
Westernover the introduction of SuperExpress Trains on their
franchise.We made it clear that we wereseeking the following
assurancesfrom management to resolve thismatter:
To keep a safety competent Guard on every train.
To keep safety critical station Despatch staff.
To keep buffet car facilities on every train.
To ensure that the maintenance of new rolling stock remains
in-house.
No job losses.
These issues have been raisedwith the company by
unionrepresentatives on numerousoccasions, however no
satisfactorysolutions have been proposed bymanagement to resolve
thissituation.
As a result RMT balloted allFirst Great Western members
forstrike action and industrial actionshort of a strike. The result
was anoverwhelming mandate for strikeaction.
RMT has made every effort
to secure a series of very basicassurances from FGW over
jobs,services and safety as a result ofthe introduction of the new
Hitachifleet and they have simply ignoredus.
It is ludicrous that EastCoast, who are introducing thesame
trains, have given RMT theassurances we are seeking butFGW have
ignored us and are goingahead with the ripping out ofbuffet cars
and threatening safety-critical station and train staffpurely to
maximise the profits fromnew trains bought for them by theBritish
taxpayer.
RMT has mobilised a publiccampaign to expose this shabbyand
profiteering treatment of bothpassengers and staff alike by
acompany that already has one ofthe worst reputations in
theindustry for milking the rotten railprivatisation racket for
everypenny they can.
RMT remains available fortalks and we expect the companyto now
take this dispute, and theissues at the heart of it, seriously.
Thankyou for taking thetime to read this leaflet. Pleasesupport
us in our fight for a decentrailway for passengers and staff.
THE FACTS BEHIND OUR DISPUTE