DRIVER ONLY OPERATION, ELECTRIFICATION OF BARRHEAD LINE – SCOTRAIL TRAINS LTD

Our Ref: BR2/0146

 

13^th March 2024

 

Dear RMT Member,

 

DRIVER ONLY OPERATION, ELECTRIFICATION OF BARRHEAD LINE – SCOTRAIL TRAINS LTD

 

Discussions have taken place with Scotrail over the method of operation on the Electric Multiple Units (EMUs) on services to Barrhead and East Kilbride. The company clarified that Barrhead is the hourly Glasgow Central to Barrhead terminating service which became an EMU route in December 2023. Other services through Barrhead to Southwest Scotland remain unaffected by the electrification at present. The East Kilbride EMU services are planned to commence in December 2025.

 

The company have proposed to maintain the driver and conductor model of operation on the Barrhead and East Kilbride route. However, this comes with the following caveats:

 

• The driver will operate train doors – this means the driver will be responsible both opening and closing the doors.
• The conductor would remain on those services and focus on customer service duties, including but not limited to, proactive revenue collection and customer assistance. The conductor would play no part in the opening and closing of doors.

 

Scotrail has also offered to increase the ticket examiner staff numbers on the SMA services. However, the company have stated the following:

 

There may be occasions when the driver considers it safe to proceed without a second member of staff available. The decision will always be made by the driver.

 

This is clearly a direct attack on the safety critical role of the guard and a dilution of the responsibility and importance of a safety critical second person on board Scotrail services.  The introduction of DOO is not only a breach to existing agreements, but also an open attack on Scotrail members who undertake a vital service for vulnerable passengers and all Scotrail users.

 

The RMT Union will not accept any extension or introduction of DOO.

 

The letter from the company has only raised more serious questions and failed to answer any questions the Union had. Scotrail are causing uncertainty and providing ambiguous responses as to what their proposals are. 

 

The Union’s National Executive Committee has considered this matter and has noted with concern the company’s failure to provide any guarantees on ScotRail’s intentions.  The NEC believes that the letter from Scotrail contains a great deal of uncertainty. I am currently seeking a legal opinion into these proposals and will write to advise members with any updates on this. 

 

The Union’s NEC has instructed me to commence a ballot of our affected Conductor members working at Ayr, Dumfries, Glasgow Central and Stranraer for industrial action in the form of strike action and for action short of strike in the form of an overtime ban, a ban on higher grade duty and rest day working ban.

 

The ballot will open on Wednesday 20^th March 2024 and will close on Thursday 11^th April 2024

 

Therefore, I urge all members to VOTE ‘YES’ for strike action and action short of a strike to demand the company provide guarantees that the safety critical role of the guard will remain and that there will be no extension or introduction of DOO. 

If you have not received your ballot paper by Thursday 28^th March 2024 then please email the union at info@rmt.org.uk or contact the RMT Helpline on 0800 376 3706 and a replacement ballot paper will be sent out to your home address by first class post.

 

It is imperative that we get a massive return in the ballot for industrial action, so we are not prevented from acting on our members' wishes by the ballot thresholds. Failure to meet these thresholds means industrial action cannot happen, so a high turnout is crucial. 

 

I urge you not to waste your vote and to vote 'YES' for strike action and industrial action short of a strike.

 

SAY NO TO DOO

SUPPORT YOUR UNION

VOTE “YES” FOR STRIKE ACTION

VOTE “YES” FOR ACTION SHORT OF A STRIKE

 

Yours sincerely

 

Michael Lynch

General Secretary