Eastbourne Trade Unionists have stood foursquare behind our colleagues in the RMT and now ASLEF in defending proper services on our local railway. The campaign to keep a safety-qualified guard on EVERY train is not about money or a reluctance to "modernise", it is about high quality and safe travel, it is about ensuring the safety of all passengers, especially disabled and vulnerable passengers.Many Eastbourne people have shown their support on the picket lines at Eastbourne Station in recent weeks (as well as objecting to Southern's latest plans to close Eastbourne Ticket Office!)
Today, ASLEF took place in much publicised talks at the conciliation service ACAS. In an extraordinary move, however, the employer refused to admit the RMT into the talks. How can anyone suggest that Southern/GTR are serious about ending the dispute?
RMT General Secretary, Mick Cash said:
“Southern Rail were fully aware last night that I would be attending the talks this morning at ACAS alongside our ASLEF colleagues.
“This morning, on arrival for the talks, I was told that I would not allowed to take part by representatives from the company.
“RMT is furious at the complete contempt that has been shown to us by Southern Rail this morning which leaves us in a state of limbo when we should all be around the table thrashing out the issues that have led to the current action.
“Our members were expecting discussions to take place today and instead we have had the door slammed in our faces. That is no way to rebuild the confidence of the workforce in the Southern management and the talks process and it is no way to reach a solution which is what the public are crying out for.
“I will now be reporting back to RMT’s executive on these developments.”
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