Greg Tucker - RMT train cre national secretary RMT train crew have been called out on strike to defend the satety role of train guards. Ballots on all but two of the train companies producca an over whelming majority of RMT members in favour of industrial action.
Two strike days have been set - June 25 and July 4 -whilst further discussions take place with the train Since privatisation there have been several attempts to downgrade the safety role of guards. The train companies' priority has been to have guards collect tickets or sell food rather than look after the safety of the train.
Railtrack Safety is responsible for the Rule Book, workers actions. Whilst formally independent, they have done the bidding of the train companies and rewritten the fules to suit tris drive to comercialise the safety aspects of the guards' job. Now the RMT Is demanding they retum the rules to the position where the guard is fully in change Y all train safety Despite the threat of serious disruption, faced with companies wanting to continually trim sately marens to enhance profits, passengers have shown that they Mard and therefore cannot enviscould deliver improvements members.
It is this lack of stratery that is allowing a vacuum to develop local is stepping into and gaining credibility.
It has also encouraged the