9 December 2020
RMT Press Office:
RMT demands Government action to reverse South Western Railway’s decision to axe on-board catering and put over 130 jobs at risk.
RAIL UNION RMT has condemned rail operator South Western Railway’s plans to terminate its on-board catering contract with Elior, a plan which puts over 130 jobs at risk of redundancy, and demanded that the DfT intervene and reverse this reckless decision.
Staff employed by Elior on the SWR contract have been told that the operator’s termination of the contract mean they are due to be made redundant on 17th January – more than two months before the Government’s Job Retention Scheme draws to a close.
The union believes that this reckless decision by SWR shows complete disdain for these workers, and has no regard for the impact on passengers, who have not been consulted on SWR’s plans.
RMT is today writing to the Department for Transport to demand that it intervene to reverse the decision and ensure all jobs are protected.
The letter, from RMT General Secretary Mick Cash, to the Secretary of State for Transport, Grant Shapps MP, will say:
“The removal of SWR’s on-board catering provision is completely counterproductive at a time when the rail industry should be focusing its efforts on encouraging passengers back to the railway and ensuring that rail, as a sustainable form of transport, is an attractive alternative to cars. Therefore, I am calling on you, as a matter of urgency to intervene and reverse this reckless decision.
“Furthermore, RMT is demanding that the affected staff are brought in-house if SWR is not willing to reinstate the Elior contract, and deployed to other duties until such time as on-board catering can resume.
£Ultimately, RMT will not allow its members to be made to pay the price of the Coronavirus crisis.”
General Secretary Mick Cash said:
“South Western Railway’s decision to axe its on-board catering provision is short-sighted and will undoubtedly worsen the passenger experience. Axing this vital service is completely at odds with the need to restore passenger confidence in the railway.
“There are now over 130 workers who unexpectedly face the prospect of losing their job come January 2021.
“SWR’s operations are being fully funded by the DfT with public money, and the Government cannot sit by and allow it to treat catering workers and passengers with contempt.
“RMT is demanding that this decision is reversed and all jobs are protected.”
Ends.
Notes to editors
The full letter reads:
“Dear Grant,
South Western Railway on-board catering contract
I am writing to you with serious concerns that South Western Railway has, with no prior warning, terminated its on-board catering contract with Elior, a decision which means over 130 employees are now at risk of not having a job come January 2021. This decision shows complete disdain for these workers, who will now not be eligible for the Job Retention Scheme from January, even though the scheme is in place until March 2021.
There has been no consultation with passengers about the removal of on-board catering provision and SWR has given no indication of when, and if, catering services will resume. Therefore, it appears as though this decision is an attempt to remove the catering provision on its services by stealth, with no regard for the impact this will have on the passenger experience.
Given that SWR’s operations remain fully funded by your Department, under the terms of its Emergency Recovery Measures Agreement, were you required to authorise SWR’s decision to terminate its contract with Elior?
The removal of SWR’s on-board catering provision is completely counterproductive at a time when the rail industry should be focusing its efforts on encouraging passengers back to the railway and ensuring that rail, as a sustainable form of transport, is an attractive alternative to cars. Therefore, I am calling on you, as a matter of urgency to intervene and reverse this reckless decision.
Furthermore, RMT is demanding that the affected staff are brought in-house if SWR is not willing to reinstate the Elior contract, and deployed to other duties until such time as on-board catering can resume.
Ultimately, RMT will not allow its members to be made to pay the price of the Coronavirus crisis.
I look forward to hearing from you at the earliest opportunity.
Yours Sincerely,
Mick Cash
RMT General Secretary”
Unity House
Tel: 020 7387 4771
Email: