Talks fail to halt RMT strike - despite c2c undertakings

TRAIN operator c2c reacted angrily as talks between its management team and the RMT guards union broke down yesterday, making a five-day strike on the route over the August Bank Holiday weekend seemingly inevitable.

But the company vowed it would continue exploring every avenue to try and bring an end to the dispute and said it is still open to talks with the union at any time prior to commencement of the strike.

RMT is planning to stage a strike from 11.45am on Friday 24 August to 11.44am on Tuesday 28 August as part of its ongoing dispute over the role of the guard and the introduction of Driver Only Operation (DOO) of trains - originally agreed two years ago as part of a pay deal.

c2c Managing Director Dominic Booth said: "We find it particularly disappointing, as our passengers will find it frustrating, that the union keeps changing the goalposts on a whim and extending its groundless strike action all the time.

"We have endeavoured at every juncture to resolve this matter. We have met the union regularly and a fortnight ago agreed a solution that we believe would end the strike action, but then the RMT did a U-turn on that agreement at the last minute - a further example of the RMT failing to honour agreements.

"We are determined to work to find a solution. We simply need the union to show some commitment to a resolution.

"We have been telling the union all along that we do not have the power to make the changes they seek to the industry's rule book over the role of the guard and DOO, and that they should take their campaign to the proper authority - the independent Railway Safety organisation, who have such powers to use if they see fit.

"Railway Safety is carrying out an in-depth report into DOO, which we believe is to be published in October, and until then we have offered to suspend any more work on implementing DOO on our routes if RMT will suspend industrial action. But they are not prepared to do that and now seem even more entrenched than ever.

"We are offering to compromise and the union just don't want to know. Despite this intransigence, we will not rest until this dispute is resolved and our passengers have the threat of disruptive strike action lifted.

"We will meet with the RMT at any time to try and keep talks alive. We have been in informal discussions with ACAS and will be in discussions with government next week too, as we continue to explore every possible avenue to end this."

c2c train planners are preparing an emergency timetable for the Bank Holiday weekend, which will be distributed to customers tomorrow, available on this website and further details will be available from station staff, or by phoning 08457 48 49 50.