Scotrail: RMT members strike for safety over profit
Text of Socialist Party Scotland leaflet
Socialist Party Scotland and the Scottish Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC) give our 100% support to the RMT and their strike action at ScotRail/Abellio.
This strike shows yet again that it’s ordinary workers and their trade union that are putting safety before profit. The RMT have rightly consistently explained their opposition to any extention of Driver Only Operation (DOO) and Driver Controlled Operation (DCO) trains.
The RMT, in fighting for no extension of DOO on any route or service and for the guard to be in full operational control of the power operated doors, are standing up for passenger safety.
Furthermore, RMT has made it clear that the union is totally opposed to any proposals for extending DOO, reducing or abolishing the safety role of the Conductor and reducing or abolishing the role of the Conductor in operation of the doors.
After a 75% backing for industrial action in a strike ballot, you’d think bosses at Scotrail would have been prepared to seriously get round the table with the union.
But no, Scotrail/Abellio management have behaved scandalously, attempting to bypass the union by resorting to social media and mailings in a campaign of misinformation with union members. In addition they also cancelled planned talks that could have allowed genuine negotiations to take place.
As the RMT said: “Safety before profit delivers safe trains for Scotland’s people, the model that Abellio ScotRail want to follow delivers a unsafe method of operation for Scotland’s rail users. Indeed the whole project is about two things; 1) cutting ScotRail’s wage bill and 2) maximising shareholder profit.
As Mick Cash, general secretary of the RMT said: “The workforce know that any extension of DOO or DCO is a clear attack on our members hard earned terms and conditions. RMT members should not have to face the risk of their role and responsibilities being reduced and undermined.
“We also know only too well that there is a very real threat to passengers of watering down and wiping out the safety critical role of the guard on these Scotrail services. That is a lethal gamble with basic rail safety.”
The RMT members on Scotrail should be applauded for standing up and fighting for their and passenger rights and safety.
Public Ownership
Socialist Party Scotland and Scottish TUSC called for the Scotrail franchise to be taken back into public ownership rather than handed to Abellio, with profit going to shareholders rather than invested into the service.
This could have been done if the SNP-led Scottish Government had been prepared act when the franchise was up.
Excuses such as it being against EU rules, that we also heard over CalMac, are no excuse for not standing up and fighting against the big-business dominated EU. We need a new working-class party to fight against cuts and for trade union and workers’ rights.
Send messages of solidarity to m.hogg@rmt.org.uk
