ROLE OF THE GUARD & EXTENSION OF DOO – ARRIVA RAIL NORTH

Our Ref: BR2/0146

13 July 2018

Dear colleague

ROLE OF THE GUARD & EXTENSION OF DOO – ARRIVA RAIL NORTH

Your union’s negotiating team has been in talks with Arriva Rail North this week in an attempt to seek a resolution to the long-running dispute.

Reports from your representatives and correspondence from the company have set out a process for reconvening talks around proposals to set up a joint working party to consider a “range of options on the deployment of onboard staff, including a specific option of retaining a second safety critical person on board all ARN trains.”

Your National Executive Committee has noted this situation and has stated that these talks must commence next week. Also, the NEC has instructed our negotiating team to negotiate around the guarantee of a second person on every train and their safety critical responsibilities in the first instance.

Weekly updates will be given to the NEC on how these talks are progressing.

As a result of this situation, the NEC has suspended the industrial action which was scheduled to take place on Saturday 21st July 2018 and therefore you and your colleagues are instructed to work as normal on that date.

I will of course keep you fully updated on all developments which arise during the talks, but, in the meantime, I congratulate you and your colleagues for the determination and solidarity shown throughout this dispute and I have no doubt that this will continue.

Yours sincerely

Mick Cash
General Secretary