
19 April 2016
RMT Press Office:
RAIL UNION RMT is appalled that on Sunday 17 April several Scotrail trains ran without a second member of staff on board. This is in spite of an agreement with RMT that a Ticket Examiner would always be on board trains that are Driver Only Operation (DOO) and operate without a Conductor.
The union is already in dispute with Scotrail over plans to implement the removal of Conductors from trains as set out in the Invitation to Tender document produced by Transport Scotland on behalf of the Scottish government. A ballot is due to be prepared shortly.
RMT’s policy is for no extension of DOO on any route or service and for the Guard (Conductor) to be in full operational control of the power operated doors. Furthermore, RMT has made it clear that the union is totally opposed to any proposals for extending DOO, reducing or abolishing the safety role of the Conductor and reducing or abolishing the role of the Conductor in operation of the doors.
RMT believes that every train should have a safety qualified member of staff on board to assist passengers and in case of emergency.
The following trains ran without a ticket examiner on board on Sunday 17 April: 1711 Milngave to Rutherglen; 1750 Rutherglen to Milngave; 1841 Milngave to Rutherglen and the1920 Rutherglen to Milngave.
RMT General Secretary Mick Cash said:
“Scotrail are playing fast and loose with passenger safety. Assurances that a Ticket Examiner would be on board trains that are DOO have not been kept. If it had been a train that was meant to have a Conductor on board then it simply would not have run without a second member of staff.
“The latest incidents only go to show that we are correct to be balloting for action to save the jobs of safety critical staff on Scotrail. It is time the company put safety before profit on this essential public service.”
Ends