MANAGERS WORKING AS GUARDS – CROSS COUNTRY TRAINS

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Our Ref: BR2/14/1

 

16^th August 2024

 

Dear RMT Member,

 

MANAGERS WORKING AS GUARDS – CROSS COUNTRY TRAINS

 

I have received a report from the Lead Officer that Cross Country Trains have introduced new pay arrangements for managers who are asked to undertake guard duties. The company are paying managers inflated sums of money to carry out the safety critical work of our train manager and senior conductor members. The company are asking managers to step in as contingency guards, due to the company allowing guard competencies to lapse and managements failure to recruit more staff.

 

The Union’s National Executive Committee has considered this matter and has noted with great concern the unfair treatment of our Cross Country senior conductor and train manager members. Management’s actions only highlight the utter contempt the company has for their hard working staff, who work tirelessly to keep the railway running. Managers should not be profiting from the mismanagement of the network and for failing to recruit adequate staffing levels.

 

Therefore, the NEC has instructed me to advise the company that we are now in dispute with them over this matter. I will also be writing to the Department for Transport to make them aware of this ongoing situation and to raise Cross Country’s continued failures to run an adequate service for both staff and passengers.

 

Members are rightly angry about this situation and after careful consideration the Union’s NEC has instructed me to ballot you and your colleagues for industrial action.

 

The ballot will open on Friday 23^rd August 2024 will close on Thursday 12^th September 2024.

 

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 members not to waste their vote and to vote 'YES' for strike action and industrial action short of a strike.

 

I trust this keeps you fully advised, and I will inform you of any further developments on this issue when they arise.

 

Yours sincerely

 

Michael Lynch

General Secretary