Nottingham Station Staffing Levels

Our ref: HSR

Head Office Circular NP/301/24

13^th December 2024

To: The Secretary

ALL BRANCHES

REGIONAL COUNCILS

 

Dear Colleague

 

NOTTINGHAM STATION STAFFING LEVELS

 

I have received reports from your lead officer highlighting some serious concerns and issues regarding staffing levels on the station for both the dispatch staff along with the station supervisors requesting that the union enters into dispute with EMR.

 

An e-mail to front line guards asking them to self-dispatch at Nottingham (even though no train has ever been self-dispatched at Nottingham as no guard has ever been trained to use the Train Ready to Start plungers there, or even where they are based) raised serious cause for concern regarding what staff without the correct training or competence were being instructed to do.

 

I am informed that this instruction was withdrawn almost immediately and was an error, but regardless of this, if an individual had attempted to self-dispatch as a newly qualified guard, in the time it took to withdraw it an incident could have easily happened.

 

Your lead office has subsequently advised me what actions the company is taking to support and resolve the issues.

 

Weekly calls are going to be taking place involving the lead RMT officer and the Head of Stations at Nottingham, Area Station Manager at Nottingham and RMT’s Station & Retail Functional Council rep.

 

RMT has also requested that this becomes a standing agenda item on the local reps’ meetings at Nottingham and that local reps are kept up to date with all developments.

 

The company has willingly accepted those requests.

 

At its meeting on 12^th December 2024 your NEC resolved as follows:

 

That we note and thank the lead officer for the reports placed on file.

 

Concerns and issues have been raised regarding staffing levels at Nottingham station for both the dispatch staff along with the station supervisors at the station/ front line guards have been asked to self-despatch at Nottingham station, without any training. 

 

The instruction to self-despatch is unacceptable and poses a safety risk to our members and the public at large. 

 

We understand that regular meetings with the Station and Retail Functional Council and the lead officer are being held to ensure self-despatching at Nottingham station doesn't happen and mitigation is put in place. 

 

Therefore, we instruct the General Secretary to place an updated report before this NEC. 

 

Relevant Regional Councils, branches and members to be informed via text or email

 

I am acting in line with these instructions. 

 

            Please bring this circular to the attention of relevant members.

 

Yours sincerely

 

 

 

Michael Lynch

General Secretary