Setting the record straight as RMT announce more strikes

c2c managers today countered spurious claims by the RMT about its industrial action over the Driver Only Operation (DOO) of trains as the union announced two further 24-hour strikes.

Guards with the RMT and union leaders have been misinforming c2c customers over a semi-permanent timetable the company introduced a fortnight ago to deliver a consistent and reliable service to customers.

The union has falsely claimed c2c is inconveniencing customers for no reason by operating this timetable until the dispute is resolved, saying there is no need for it as they had not staged a strike or overtime ban for several weeks.

Today union officials announced more strikes on the Essex route for Friday 12 October and Thursday 18 October, which coincide with strikes they are staging on London Underground on the same days over pay and conditions.

c2c Route Director David Taylor said: "It is extraordinary and very frustrating that as we are continuing trying to work with the union to resolve things, it announces two more strikes.

"For the last week or so the union has been trying to con customers that we didn't need to implement the semi-permanent timetable which delivers 80% of peak services, implying it was pointless as it hadn't staged any industrial action in the last fortnight. While the dispute continues, we need it in place.

"I repeat what we have said before - that timetable was put in to remove the uncertainty our customers felt when we were running a full timetable one day and then the RMT would throw everything out of sync by staging 24-hour strikes, 48-hour strikes and overtime bans.

"Under those conditions, passengers didn't know where they would be from one day to the next as the situation was constantly changing, but with the semi-permanent timetable that uncertainty was removed and they knew what time they would get to work and back home again every day.

"Today's announcement of more unjustified strike action completely vindicates our view and decision to go for that more effective timetable option. It shows the public that it is the union that cannot be trusted and the timing of these latest strikes is entirely consistent with its agenda of causing the maximum inconvenience possible to the travelling public, simply to further its cynical political agenda.

"We have additional guards in training who will start work in the next two to three weeks, which should ease things and ensure we can still deliver a good level of service in the event of overtime bans. I can assure customers that we know how tough this whole thing has been on them and we will continue to at all times to provide the best service possible while doing everything in our power to bring the dispute to an end."

The semi-permanent timetable will be replaced with an emergency strike timetable for 12 and 18 October. While the semi-permanent timetable is able to run without relying on train crews working overtime in the normal course of events, all-out strike action makes it impossible to run that level of service as half the company's 130 guards are RMT members.

The October strike timetables will be distributed to customers the week the latest round of industrial action kicks in, posted on this website and service details will also be available by phoning 08457 48 49 50.