c2c condemns further RMT strike action

TRAIN operator c2c today condemned an announcement of four further days of strike action on the route by guards from the RMT union.

Although the union has now called off a five-day overtime and rest day working ban, which would have disrupted services from next Tuesday (14 August) to Saturday (18 August), it has announced a strike for the August Bank Holiday weekend.

This further strike action is planned to run from Friday 24 August to Monday 27 August because the union does not believe c2c's fleet of new Class 357 Electrostar trains have been officially risk assessed for operation.

This is despite the company today giving the union copies of safety certification for the trains to enter passenger service granted by Railtrack's Rolling Stock Acceptance Board and the Health and Safety Executive's HM Railway Inspectorate, which can only be issued after full risk assessment, testing and commissioning of the new trains.

c2c Route Director David Taylor said: "We find the RMT's action quite outrageous. We thought talks were progressing well this week and we would see a possible end to the strikes. Obviously we are pleased that next week's action has been called off, but today's announcement of further strike action is based on the RMT's blatant misrepresentation of information and that is truly appalling.

"Our trains are fully safe to operate and are fully compliant with all the necessary safety regulations. This latest nonsense from the RMT is just another example of them trying to raise needless safety fears in the minds of the travelling public, who have already suffered enough due to these needless strikes.

"We have offered another face-to-face meeting with the union next week to show them even more official paperwork that proves the trains are fully safety certified, in the hope that they will see sense and call off this latest strike action."