Posted 10th September 2010 | 1 Comment
RMT set to ballot in Southern security dispute
THE RMT union has declared a formal dispute with Southern Railway over an alleged reduction in security staff by the company.
The union is now preparing to ballot its members at Southern after an ‘upsurge in assaults’.
The union said Southern removed the security firm that had previously been used to support staff and passengers in known trouble spots on the network in late 2009 ‘as part of a cuts package designed to maximise the multi-million pound profits of the Go-Ahead group’.
It added that since then there had been a ‘marked increase’ in assaults and threats of physical violence against its members, which was illustrated during the recent Gay Pride event which was held over the first weekend in August, when there were eight serious incidents reported.
The RMT is also alleging that there was ‘growing evidence to show that the management are using intimidating tactics against RMT members to try and prevent the reporting of assaults and threats of violence to mask the true figures’.
The general secretary of the RMT Bob Crow said: “It is nothing short of a scandal that the company have failed to take this issue seriously in discussions with our representatives, and if they really thought we would make any compromise on the issue of attacks on our members then they need to think again.
“It is now up to the company to treat safety with the seriousness that it deserves and to begin meaningful discussion to resolve this dispute.”
A spokesman for Southern said the RMT’s claims would be investigated.
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not my name, london, england
ref your article oct 2010 page 9 all southern staff have been told they cant protect themselves because if they do they could lose their jobs even if it is self defence,the rail neighbour hood officers are not security specialists they are former revenue officers,task force officers and new members to company that have had some training with BTP to issue behavior warnings,they do not hold SIA badges they cannot arrest or detain anyone the RNO have issued 1518 penalty fares SO DO REVENUE OFFICERS....... RNO have reported 746
for prosecution probably on MG11 forms SO DO REVENUE OFFICERS...ASSISTED IN 84 ARRESTS 99 POLICE CAUTIONS AND 30 TRESPASS INCIDENTS ...not really BTP have dealt with those as and when they are out with RNO if Rno were out on there own these 84 arrets 99 cautions probably wouldnt have been registered......if southern do take staff saftey serious why is it they dont prosecute those individuals when they are found,5 staff i know about in the past 4 yrs have been assaulted quite seriously but Southern failed to prosecute,staff cuts across the network are leaving a lot of stations unmanned or severly understaffed....only last week a member of staff was nearly attacked by a drunk passenger in Eastbourne, RNO CANNOT REPLACE SECURITY as they are not at stations they are on the move around the network where as security would be in place permanantly at a set station....so basically SOUTHERN are talking Rubbish when they say staff safety is a priority for them