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

Our Ref: BR2/0146

 

27^th March 2024

 

RMT SUSPENDS BALLOT FOR INDUSTRIAL ACTION

 

Dear Colleague

 

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

 

Further to my previous correspondence with regards to the above dispute, I am now pleased to inform you that the Union has received assurances from Scotrail that the Barrhead electric service will maintain a conductor (guard) who will be the safety critical person and that the train service cannot and will not operate without the conductor.

 

However, despite these assurances, the Union still has concerns over the role of the guard, including dispatch responsibilities, responsibilities for opening and closing the doors, the safety critical competencies of the guard and that a guard will be present on all Scotrail train services.

 

As a result of the above, the union’s National Executive Committee has recently considered the matter and has taken the decision to cancel the ballot for industrial action, that was due to close on Thursday 11^th April 2024 and I have notified the company accordingly.

 

The Executive Committee also notes that this dispute now centres solely around the role and responsibility of the Guard on the Barrhead and East Kilbride route, particularly around the door operation and despatch. 

 

With the above in mind, the union’s National Executive Committee has instructed me to re-ballot our Scotrail Conductor and Conductor Instructor grade members located at Glasgow Central and Ayr, Stranraer & Dumfries for strike action and action short of strike, in the form of a rest day working/overtime ban and not undertaking any higher-grade duties, centering around the role and responsibility issues.

 

I am now in the process of carrying out the instructions of the NEC decision and I will, of course, keep you fully advised on any further developments. 

 

Yours sincerely

Michael Lynch

General Secretary