RMT drivers to strike at First Great Western over harmonisation of pay and conditions

Publication Date: June 29 2006

RMT DRIVERS at First Great Western are to stage three 24-hour strikes after voting by five to one for action in a dispute over the harmonisation of terms and conditions.

The dispute centres on the company's failure to honour an agreement for 104 rest days and its refusal to negotiate harmonisation of the pay conditions of drivers across the three former franchises that now constitute the First Great Western franchise.

Drivers will not book on for shifts that commence between 00:01 and 23:59 on Tuesday July 11, Wednesday July 19, and Thursday, July 27.

"FGW have ratted on an agreement that guaranteed 104 rest days a year and are refusing point-blank to talk about the harmonisation of terms and conditions, yet they expect our members to undertake work across the old franchise boundaries," RMT general secretary Bob Crow said today.

"We have told the company that we expect them to release reps from all three former franchises to take part in intensive talks to resolve all the issues involved in time for inclusion in December timetables.

"We have also made it clear that, if the December deadline is missed, cross-over work can still take place if pay is harmonised at the highest rate, together with the implementation of the 104 rest days for all, and that talks could then continue on other conditions.

"We believe our approach provides a reasonable way of settling this dispute," Bob Crow said.

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Notes to editors: The enlarged First Great Western Franchise now includes the former First Great Western Link and Wessex franchises.