28 November 2022
RMT Press Office:
Rail Union RMT, accused Avanti West Coast of systematic mismanagement of the franchise, causing delays, fewer trains and staff shortages.
The discredited company have falsely claimed that staff have taken unofficial industrial and that they are improving the situation every week.
However, data from the ORR shows that in September into October, they cancelled a higher proportion of a lower overall number of trains than the previous month.
Avanti now has 12% fewer staff working on their franchise than when they took it over in 2019.
In that same year, there were 446 more staff than work there now.
Morale is at an all-time low due to the fact Avanti have poisoned relations between staff and management.
This has led to multiple industrial disputes, including with train managers over imposed roster changes.
RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said: "Avanti are one of the worst franchise holders in the industry since rail privatisation.
"They lie about their own staff and blame them for problems that are the fault of senior management.
"Our members have to deal with passenger anger at such an appalling service.
"Yet all Avanti are thinking about is how to line their own pockets with profits, than address the real systematic issues they face."
Notes:
Avanti’s managers have applied to the government to have their cancellations classified as a ‘force majeure’ event, as though it were industrial action, although the vast majority of the cancellations have nothing to do with industrial action. This would allow them to discount any penalty for these cancellations and make it possible to claim their maximum profit fee from the DfT. Their claims about ‘sudden and unprecedented’ action is likely to be motivated by their primary concern to keep dividends flowing.
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