Merseyrail Workers To Take Strike Action Over Guards On Trains
30 July 2019, 17:34
Workers on Merseyrail are to stage a series of fresh strikes in the coming months after the long-running dispute over guards on trains flared up again, the RMT union said.
Cross Country Trains tweeted that it will be running a significantly reduced service on Sunday 4 August due to the strike action.
Due to industrial action by the RMT union, we will be running a significantly reduced service this coming Sunday (4 August). For more information, please see our website: https://t.co/axmXTKEnRr pic.twitter.com/iyG2hjBMJL
— CrossCountry trains (@CrossCountryUK) July 30, 2019
What is the strike about?
The dispute is related to onboard staffing arrangements on the new trains, which will enter service in 2020 and replace the current fleet.
Drivers, not guards, will be responsible for opening and closing doors on the new trains.
The new trains will no longer need guards, although around sixty on-board customer service positions will be created.
The RMT union, representing many Merseyrail guards, doesn’t support these changes.
Workers on Merseyrail to stage fresh strikes after the guards on trains dispute flared up again- @RMTunion
— Alan Jones (@AlanJonesPA) July 30, 2019
The RMT Union's campaign says that guards are important for security, for preventing emergency situations, anti-social behaviour, sexual assaults and for providing assistance to passengers with disabilities.
Their petition #KeepTheGuardOnTheTrain states that it should be a legal requirement to have a second safety critical person on trains.
The RMT Union's dispute with Merseyrail has already resulted in 16 days of industrial action since the spring of 2017.
