30 October 2018
RMT Press Office:
RMT Rail Gourmet members strike in Edinburgh in fight for workplace justice
Rail union RMT said that Rail Gourmet members based at the Edinburgh Depot are taking strike action today in a fight for workplace justice following a comprehensive breakdown in industrial relations. The staff work on the inter-city LNER contract.
A ballot for industrial action of all RMT Rail Gourmet members located at Edinburgh Depot returned a magnificent YES vote in favour of taking strike action and action short of a strike. Regrettably, despite the best efforts of RMT Union Representatives trying to resolve the issues at the heart of the dispute, the management side have continued to ignore our members concerns, namely:
• Bullying and Harassment of Staff
• Abuse of the Disciplinary Procedures
• Non Payment of Additional Duties
The union’s National Executive Committee considered the matter and believes that the only way to get Rail Gourmet to address all of the above issues immediately is by taking strike action. Therefore, the Executive Committee has instructed our Rail Gourmet members located at Edinburgh Depot not to book on for any shifts that commence between 00.01 hours and 23.59 hours on Tuesday 30th October 2018.
RMT General Secretary Mick Cash said:
“This is a fight for workplace justice involving a crucial group of staff servicing the catering functions on LNER trains and they deserve to be treated with dignity and respect just like any other group of transport workers.
“RMT will not stand back while bullying, abuse of procedures and non-payment for additional duties is rife. Our members have voted for action and it is now down to Rail Gourmet to take this dispute seriously and start talking about a settlement that puts fair treatment in the workplace at the top of the agenda.”
Ends.