Guards' dispute set to spark strikes
London commuter train guards have backed a call for industrial action which could lead to 24-hour stoppages this month, it was revealed today. The result of a ballot of more than 4,000 guards in the RMT union will be declared later this week.
The RMT called the vote among guards at 15 train operators - including South West Trains, Connex, South Central, Silverlink and Thames Trains - claiming changes in the role of the guard have reduced safety standards.
Stagecoach, which owns SWT, the UK's largest franchise with 350,000 passengers a day and services into Waterloo, vowed to fight the union. Striking guards will be replaced by other SWT staff. If trains are forced to stop, Stagecoach will order up to 100 emergency buses. Stoppages may
take place on Monday 17 March and Monday 31 March to coincide with strikes on First Great Eastern services out of Liverpool Street in a separate pay dispute.
The union must give seven days' notice of action. The ballot result is expected to be split, with guards at some companies likely to reject strikes but others, including those at SWT and South Central, forecast to back them.
There will not be a network shutdown because many services are driver-only operated, though all SWT services and many on South Central use guards. Some Connex services are also guardoperated.
The national rulebook has been changed, switching responsibility for a train in an emergency from the guard to the driver. Railtrack, now Network Rail, did this, saying it would improve safety.
The dispute has been rumbling on for several years. Union bosses say the real reason is to give guards more time for non-train retail roles and turn them into "Kit-Kat sellers".
Industry leaders say the RMT wants to prevent the spread of driver-only trains, which would weaken its powerbase.
Central line trains should start running today for safety testing. But London Underground says it still does not know when passenger services will start again. It will be the first time trains have run on the line since the Chancery Lane crash on 25 January, which injured 32.
