RMT DEMANDS END TO JOB CUTS AT SW TRAINS AFTER BREAKDOWN CHAOS

                    

                                                         

NEWS RELEASE

13th June 2011

Immediate

RMT DEMANDS END TO JOB CUTS AT SW TRAINS AFTER BREAKDOWN CHAOS

Rail union RMT this morning demanded an end to job cuts at South West Trains after the union revealed that another 48 customer service staff are being axed - just days after staff shortages compounded the chaos of the breakdown of services into Waterloo last Thursday evening.

RMT General Secretary Bob Crow said;

"Just days after staff shortages compounded the chaos of the service breakdowns into Waterloo we can reveal that another 48 customer service staff are due to be axed by South West Trains. We are demanding that those cuts be stopped with immediate effect.

"This is simply about profit taking and company greed - the most recent half year results showed profits of more than £100 million but even that doesn't seem to be enough for the newly be-knighted Sir Brian Souter, whose Stagecoach outfit hold the South West Thames route. Passengers caught in the chaos last week will be rightly outraged.

"We are also demanding an end to the McNulty Review threat to axe guards on all trains. Every report from last Thursday praised the role of the SW Trains guard and the idea that those staff should be next for the chop in the dash to fatten up profits is simply outrageous.

"We want this assault on safety-critical staff posts on South West Trains to brought to a halt right now."