THE RMT has reacted furiously to the TUC/Southern Rail betrayal of safety and the conductor grade.
General Secretary Mick Cash said: ‘This so-called agreement is a shocking and historical betrayal presided over by the TUC of not only the conductor grade and drivers, but also passengers, including disabled passengers, who have lost the guarantee of a second member of staff on their trains.
‘This abysmal document lists a whole host of areas where a train can leave without a second member of staff that will leave both the driver and passengers exposed and vulnerable and which also represents a thin end of the wedge that will lead to the destaffing of trains.
‘Loyal and dedicated conductors, who have fought for safety for over a year have had the legs kicked from under them by those who are supposed to be on their side. Passengers and staff alike have been sold out by a stitch-up cooked up in Congress House by the TUC and the bosses whilst Southern, one of the most anti-union and hated companies of recent times, is laughing all the way to the bank and have been given a free run to rip up the safety rule book in the name of profits.
‘This is not a deal it is a disgrace and the RMT dispute remains on and we will fight this shocking betrayal with every tool at our disposal. We remain available for talks.’
TUC ORGANISED FOR GTR!
FOLLOWING two weeks of intensive talks, ASLEF and GTR have now reached an agreement about the long-running dispute in talks organised by the TUC. This resolves the current dispute, subject to securing the support of ASLEF members, and no further industrial action is planned. The negotiations were jointly chaired by Frances O’Grady, the TUC General Secretary, and Andy Meadows, HR Director of Abellio UK.
The TUC statement referred to ‘Frances and Andy’ and continued: ‘The negotiators from both sides have worked hard and co-operatively to achieve this breakthrough. We have particularly appreciated the positive leadership shown by Nick Brown and Mick Whelan.
‘This long-running dispute has clearly been extraordinarily difficult for both staff and passengers, and we are glad that the parties have reached agreement on a way forward.’
Frances O’Grady added: ‘I welcome the decision of ASLEF to consult its members on the new offer that has now been made by GTR Southern. The TUC is pleased that we were able to play a part in finding a positive way forward.’
Mick Whelan, General Secretary of ASLEF, said: ‘I am pleased that we have finally been able to reach an agreement with the company which reflects the concerns of train drivers. I believe this deal can deliver a safer and appropriately staffed railway for passengers on Southern rail and I will be recommending it to ASLEF members.’
Nick Brown, GTR’s Chief Operating Officer, said: ‘Our aim has always been to reach agreement with the unions on our proposals and we’re delighted to have secured a deal today with ASLEF to end their dispute.’
The agreement will be put to ASLEF members in Southern rail in a referendum, with a recommendation to approve. The result of the referendum will be on 16th February. The talks were hosted by the TUC and co-chaired by Frances O’Grady (TUC General Secretary) and Andy Meadows (HR Director, Abellio UK).
They were between ASLEF and GTR, who operate the Southern rail franchise. They began on 18th January, following a request by ASLEF to the TUC. The RMT was excluded from the talks.
The joint statement by Frances O’Grady and Andy Meadows was made at Congress House by O’Grady. She said: ‘Following two weeks of intensive talks held at Congress House to resolve the dispute, we are pleased to announce that ASLEF and GTR Southern have reached an agreement.
‘For the avoidance of doubt, this means that subject to a referendum of ASLEF members in Southern, the dispute between ASLEF and Southern is over. On behalf of myself and Andy Meadows of Abellio, I would like to thank the negotiating teams from both parties to the dispute. They have worked long and hard to achieve this breakthrough.
‘In particular, we want to place on record our appreciation for the constructive leadership shown by Nick Brown and Mick Whelan throughout these talks. We recognise that this long running dispute has been extraordinarily difficult for everyone, including for passengers and those staff involved.
‘We are glad that the parties have negotiated an agreement that not only provides a sound basis on which to resolve their dispute, but also to restore good industrial relations for the future.’
