THREAT OF TICKET OFFICE JOB CUTS-SWT

Below is a further press release from the RMT--THIS HAS ALSO BEEN DISCUSSED AT THE RMT ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING TODAY: TRANSPORT PRIVATEER Stagecoach is putting its profits ahead of service and safety, Britain’s biggest rail union charged today. As the rail, bus and tram giant posted a leap in profits to £59.1 million – a 7.6 per cent return – it is also aiming to slash ticket office opening times and up to 140 jobs on South West Trains, RMT says. “Passenger numbers on South West Trains are up by nearly six per cent but they want to slash ticket-office opening times on well over 100 stations,” general secretary Bob Crow said today at the union’s annual conference in Nottingham. “That puts up to 140 jobs under threat and undermines service and safety for staff and passengers alike and it is unacceptable “People want to see more staff on stations, not fewer, and it is time for the government to stop rail privateers milking ever-bigger profits out of what should be a public service and not a cash cow,” Bob Crow said. ends Notes to editors: RMT has today launched a Safer Journeys campaign, aiming to reverse the de-staffing of stations, which has undermined safety and passenger confidence and has left staff working alone in greater danger of assault. The union points out that just ten per cent of the £300 million profits made by the big six rail companies would fund the return of 1,000 staff to stations around Britain’s railways. Stagecoach puts profits ahead of service and safety, says RMT