ABUSE OF DISCIPLINARY PROCEDURE, BIRMINGHAM NEW STREET — NETWORK RAIL

Our Ref: BR6/4/4

 

6^th February 2024

 

Dear RMT Member,

 

BALLOT PAPERS HAVE BEEN DESPATCHED

 

ABUSE OF DISCIPLINARY PROCEDURE, BIRMINGHAM NEW STREET — NETWORK RAIL

 

Concerning reports have been received from our Birmingham Rail Branch and your Regional Organiser regarding Network Rail management’s heavy-handed approach to the application of disciplinary procedures at Birmingham New Street Station. The company has failed to consider mitigating circumstances, to carry out fair, balanced, and impartial investigations, as well as to consider all of the evidence. 

 

Members of the public have intimidated, assaulted, and harassed your colleagues, including on social media, yet Network Rail have taken the decision to dismiss our members, due to their own failures to defend their employees’ safety at work. Your union considers this to be an appalling dereliction of the employer’s duty of care, which sets an alarming precedent for all frontline staff. 

 

Network Rail have refused to adequately address these concerns, instead punishing your colleagues to avoid responsibility, therefore the National Executive Committee has considered this matter and taken the decision to conduct a ballot for Customer Service Assistants in order to provide members with a mandate for industrial action in order to resolve this matter.

 

I am urging you and your colleagues to vote ‘YES’ for strike action and ‘YES’ for action short of a strike and demonstrate that you are willing to defend yourselves and your colleagues from the unnecessarily harsh application of disciplinary procedures, as well as to demand that Network Rail immediately reinstate these members.

 

The relevant ballot notice has been served on the employer in line with current legislation, and the ballot papers will be dispatched by the independent scrutineer today, Tuesday 6^th February 2024 and will be arriving at your home address shortly. 

 

The Ballot closes after First Post on Tuesday 27^th February 2024.

 

IMPORTANT NOTE ON BALLOT THRESHOLDS

 

Since the Trade Union Act 2016, where the government made the anti-trade union laws even more restrictive, all ballots have to reach two important thresholds in order for them to be valid. 

• At least 50% of all eligible members must vote 
• At least 40% of all those eligible to vote must vote Yes.  

 

As a result of these draconian restrictions every single vote counts. A simple majority is no longer enough so you cannot rely on other colleagues to get the vote over the line. Therefore, I urge you to complete and return your voting paper as soon as you receive it

 

If you have not received your voting paper by Monday 12^th February 2024, please email info@rmt.org.uk or call the freephone helpline on 0800 376 3706 to request a replacement. The ballot closes after First Post on Tuesday 27^thFebruary 2024.

 

 

VOTE ‘YES’ FOR STRIKE ACTION

VOTE ‘YES’ FOR INDUSTRIAL ACTION SHORT OF STRIKE 

 

Yours sincerely

 

Michael Lynch

General Secretary