Heathrow Express staff threaten strike action
Heathrow Express could be hit by strikes after workers voted in favour of industrial action over a package of multi-million pound cuts.
Rail Union RMT said that staff had voted for strike action on the proposals which ‘amount to an all-out assault on pay, jobs and safety’.
Heathrow Express has announced plans to re-organise its workforce, in an attempt to save £6 million over the next five years, which could lead to redundancies.
The move comes as a direct result of the decision of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to cut £600 million from the Heathrow Airport budget over the same period.
Heathrow Express is proposing:
- Removing the Customer Service Representative (CSR) role and replacing with a new Customer Host grade on a reduced salary.
- Current CSR staff to see their pay frozen for an expected 10 years until the proposed new grade reaches an equivalent salary.
- Removal of the CSA grade on Heathrow Connect Services and for train drivers to take on the "evacuation of passengers in emergency" role.
- The extension of Driver Only Operation and self-despatch of trains at all locations apart from Paddington.
The RMT said that the Civil Aviation Authority, in its own study of the cuts plans, has said it considered that HAL "might have scope to reduce the level of Heathrow Express staff. However, this could reduce ticket revenues and the quality of the rail service".
RMT acting general secretary Mick Cash said: "The removal of on board staff, and the driving forwards of Driver Only Operation, would render services inherently unsafe and make evacuation in the wake of an emergency incident or terrorist alert an absolute nightmare.
"The staff have now spoken and it is down to company to halt the cuts plans and start talking seriously about the future of this vital London transport link."
Diane
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