Tommy Tainant
Diamond Member
Merseyrail abandons driver only trains plan bringing end to dispute over guards
There WILL be a second member of staff on board every Merseyrail train after the RMT union and transport officials agreed a deal to end the bitter dispute over the future of guards on trains.
The union has hailed it as "an important and significant development".
But there has also been a warning that fares could rise to pay the costs of solving the dispute .
The new fleet of Merseyrail trains set to come onto the network from 2021 were designed to be operated by the drivers alone without guards.
But that sparked a furious reaction from the RMT and a campaign to ensure that a second safety-critical member of staff remained on every train.
The RMT union held a series of strikes as its campaign to keep guards won wide public support. But the strikes were suspended while all sides went to conciliation service ACAS.
I am hugely encouraged by this. It shows that when both sides talk better solutions can be found. Merseyside trains will be a lot safer because of this and that is a comfort to me.
It also illustrates that the workers do not have to cower like serfs before the corporate barons. Get up stand up !!
There WILL be a second member of staff on board every Merseyrail train after the RMT union and transport officials agreed a deal to end the bitter dispute over the future of guards on trains.
The union has hailed it as "an important and significant development".
But there has also been a warning that fares could rise to pay the costs of solving the dispute .
The new fleet of Merseyrail trains set to come onto the network from 2021 were designed to be operated by the drivers alone without guards.
But that sparked a furious reaction from the RMT and a campaign to ensure that a second safety-critical member of staff remained on every train.
The RMT union held a series of strikes as its campaign to keep guards won wide public support. But the strikes were suspended while all sides went to conciliation service ACAS.
I am hugely encouraged by this. It shows that when both sides talk better solutions can be found. Merseyside trains will be a lot safer because of this and that is a comfort to me.
It also illustrates that the workers do not have to cower like serfs before the corporate barons. Get up stand up !!
