X-Received: by 10.107.51.12 with SMTP id z12mr24202228ioz.57.1494079027986; Sat, 06 May 2017 06:57:07 -0700 (PDT) X-Received: by 10.157.34.229 with SMTP id y92mr1078718ota.15.1494079027953; Sat, 06 May 2017 06:57:07 -0700 (PDT) Path: csiph.com!weretis.net!feeder6.news.weretis.net!news.glorb.com!c26no977551itd.0!news-out.google.com!v18ni4024ita.0!nntp.google.com!c26no974009itd.0!postnews.google.com!glegroupsg2000goo.googlegroups.com!not-for-mail Newsgroups: england.org.trade-union Date: Sat, 6 May 2017 06:57:07 -0700 (PDT) Complaints-To: groups-abuse@google.com Injection-Info: glegroupsg2000goo.googlegroups.com; posting-host=212.139.98.74; posting-account=MtIABQoAAADve933m-HiUK1qhkheU8JK NNTP-Posting-Host: 212.139.98.74 User-Agent: G2/1.0 MIME-Version: 1.0 Message-ID: <2693c447-752f-41c2-9ad4-57ff75be6160@googlegroups.com> Subject: RMT launches fight against mass Greater Anglia ticket office closures From: rab Injection-Date: Sat, 06 May 2017 13:57:07 +0000 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Xref: csiph.com england.org.trade-union:3850 The News Line: Feature Saturday, 6 May 2017=20 RMT launches fight against mass Greater Anglia ticket office closures Demonstration outside Hammersmith underground station against ticket office= closures =E2=80=93 Greater Anglia is doing the same https://www.wrp.org.uk/images/photos/17-05-05-13147.jpg RAIL union RMT has launched a campaign to fight a planned programme of tick= et office closures the length and breadth of the Greater Anglia franchise. The company has informed the union that across the Greater Anglia network t= hey currently have 64 ticket offices with an establishment of 358 ticket of= fice staff. Greater Anglia, which currently holds the franchise until 2026, have told R= MT officials that it is their intention to only have seven remaining tradit= ional ticket offices. These will be located at London Liverpool Street, Colchester, Norwich, Camb= ridge, Chelmsford, Ipswich and Stansted Airport. That means that the compan= y are proposing to close the bulk of the remainder of their station-based s= ervices during the next year in three stages, with seven ticket offices to = close by this summer. Greater Anglia have also revealed that they intend to introduce revenue sta= ff and place ticket vending machines (TVMs) at all stations with major impl= ications for jobs and services. RMT=E2=80=99s National Executive Committee has considered this matter and h= as reiterated the union=E2=80=99s position on being completely opposed to a= ny closures or reduction in opening hours of ticket offices, to any cuts in= station staff jobs and the potential introduction of lone working at stati= ons. As a result RMT is planning a campaign of opposition designed at engaging t= he public, passenger groups and campaign groups and politicians right acros= s the area in an all-out drive to halt the ticket office massacre. RMT General Secretary Mick Cash said: =E2=80=98The union is appalled at thi= s planned attack on ticket offices and station staff across the Greater Ang= lia franchise which would wipe out the vast bulk of these vital passenger s= ervices over the next year. =E2=80=98The union will fight with every tool at our disposal to halt these= disastrous plans which are all about cutting public services to pump up pr= ivate profits. This is all part and parcel of a national drive to de-staff = our trains and stations as the private train companies look to smuggle in a= faceless railway in a dash to fatten up their own profit margins. =E2=80=98RMT is calling on the public and politicians to join with us in a = mass campaign to halt this ticket office massacre that would stretch the le= ngth and breadth of the Greater Anglia franchise.=E2=80=99 The RMT will also escalate a deepening dispute with London Underground as t= he union gears up for action from this Sunday involving station staff acros= s the London Bridge group after one member was sacked and two others discip= lined for intervening to stop a serious assault by a fare-dodger on fellow = staff members including one who was pregnant. The current RMT action will involve the following; All members at London Br= idge to take strike action by not booking on for any shifts commencing 22:0= 0 on Sunday 7th May 2017 until 21:59 on Monday 8th May 2017. All members at London Bridge to take the following actions short of a strik= e commencing 22:00hrs on Monday 8th May 2017: =E2=80=A2 Not to service any POMs (ticket machines) =E2=80=A2 Not to challenge customers who refuse to produce a valid ticket/o= yster/bank card or permit for travel. (This action to run until further notice.) Now, in the face of an aggressive and intransigent stance adopted by Tube b= osses, RMT=E2=80=99s executive has voted to escalate the dispute and begin = preparations for a ballot of all LU station staff in support of their victi= mised London Bridge colleagues. In the incident, which occurred last November, a fare-dodger assaulted two = members of staff, including pushing a pregnant colleague in the stomach. On= e staff member had his glasses stolen and was punched twice. That member of= staff has now been sacked in what the union describes as an =E2=80=98appal= ling miscarriage of justice=E2=80=99. RMT has slammed LU for bogus and disg= raceful claims that the female member of staff wasn=E2=80=99t assaulted =E2= =80=93 despite the fact that they admitted that crucial fact in the discipl= inary hearings. The staff member who initially challenged the fare-dodger to produce a tick= et or oyster card was disciplined on the ludicrous, trumped-up charge of = =E2=80=98inciting or provoking an incident=E2=80=99. A third member of staff, who defused the situation after being repeatedly t= hreatened with violence, has also been disciplined by London Underground wh= en they should have been commended for their bravery. As a result one member of staff has been sacked with the other two members = receiving 52-week final warnings. Cash said: =E2=80=98Our members are stand= ing up in support of their victimised colleagues at London Bridge and with = LU making it absolutely clear they have no interest in the principles of na= tural justice, we have no option at all but to take this industrial action.= We have no doubt that the public will understand that. =E2=80=98Despite the spin from LU, the facts of this case remain the same. = It is about a fare dodger stopped and asked to pay his way who then turns v= iolent and attacks staff doing their job. LU=E2=80=99s message to thugs is = that you can keep on fiddling your fares and lay into staff with impunity a= nd it will be the front line Tube workers who get the sack. It is outrageou= s. =E2=80=98This is one of the most appalling abuses of the LU disciplinary pr= ocedure that RMT has ever come across. This was a shocking, violent inciden= t and those that bore the brunt of it should have been supported and commen= ded by the company. Instead, they have been sacked or disciplined in what i= s the most appalling multiple miscarriage of justice. =E2=80=98LU have flouted their own zero tolerance policy, their own duty of= care to their staff and have sent out a message to fare dodgers and yobbos= that staff can be treated as punch bags with impunity. That is an outrage = that has enraged every single Tube employee who risks their neck on the sta= tions and platforms against a backdrop of a growing pattern of abuse and vi= olence. =E2=80=98It is also an insult to the three million Tube users who pay their= fares without expecting a free ride. RMT=E2=80=99s executive has noted the= aggressive and intransigent stance adopted by Tube bosses and has now deci= ded to escalate to a ballot of all station staff. =E2=80=98London Underground should do the decent thing =E2=80=93 reinstate = our member, lift the disciplinary action and send out the message that fare= -dodging and violence will not be tolerated and that staff in the front lin= e will get the support and assistance that they need.=E2=80=99=20 https://www.wrp.org.uk/news/13217