Striking for safety

Last month, train manager members of the RMT transport union at East Midlands Railways kicked off a programme of action that will continue this month in an escalation of an ongoing dispute over safety on Class 360 trains. The union says the company has imposed new working arrangements on the multi-unit, 12 carriage trains which it believes are unsafe. Instead of only one train manager working on them, the union says a second safety-critical person, preferably a train manager, should be in each portion of the trains.

The union also called on the chief inspector of railways to intervene ‎to stop the company “using ill-trained and under-prepared bus coordinators” as “contingency guards” during the strike.

Meanwhile, Rail Gourmet RMT members at Edinburgh Waverley took further strike action in response to what the union described as “a culture of bullying and harassment”.

The GMB general union reported “massive support” for industrial action over lack of personal protective equipment, and bullying and harassment among workers at waste management company Serco Sandwell. The union said workers reported “anxiety and dread over coming to work due to a toxic culture of threatening behaviour from management – with some workers being forced into difficult situations compromising their health and safety”.

The PCS public and commercial services union also reported strong support for its latest round of month-long strike action at the DVLA vehicle licensing agency over Covid safety.