Southern train crew to be balloted in dispute over rostering

Southern train crew to be balloted in dispute over rostering

9 September 2014

RMT Press Office

Rail union RMT is balloting members for industrial action in a dispute with Southern over alterations to conductors’ rosters which caused considerable and unnecessary inconvenience to staff over the summer and school holiday period.

Staff were presented with new work schedules with very little notice – and without consultation – in spite of the fact that the company has had 18 months to prepare for engineering works at London Bridge for the Thameslink project.

The new rosters, which involved changes to start and finish times, were imposed on staff during the school holidays causing considerable disruption to families’ arrangements.

Compounding the issue is the fact that the work was rostered incorrectly, unfairly and without adequate compensation.

As a result RMT conductors on Southern are being balloted for industrial action.
The union remains open to talks and is urging Southern to take steps to resolve the dispute.

RMT Acting General Secretary Mick Cash said:
“The rostering arrangements for train crew at Southern in light of the work being carried out at London Bridge has been a total shambles.

“In spite of having an 18 month lead-in time the company managed to cause severe disruption to the lives of our members during the summer holiday period without offering adequate compensation.

“The union urges Southern to urgently resolve the situation and assure staff that the usual procedures for rostered diagrams will be adhered to in the future”
 
 
ENDS

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Tagged with: southern, tsgn, thameslink, london bridge