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UPDATE: First Great Western strike unlikely

The RMT transport union members voted to halt work in a dispute with bus and train operator FirstGroup PLC, First Great Western’s parent company, over a breakdown in industrial relations and the use of managers to guard and drive trains.

RMT general secretary Bob Crow said it would also ballot the union's more than 1,500 other members at the company.

Guards and train drivers at railway operator First Great Western have voted to strike in disputes over breakdowns in industrial relations and the use of managers to guard and drive trains.

"The votes reflect the anger that our members feel at the company's behaviour, and if it wants to avoid industrial action it should begin to deal sensibly with the range of issues involved and stop the routine use of managers to guard and drive trains," Crow said.

He added that train drivers would not take part in the strike, as progress had been made in negotiations on their working conditions.

Last resort 

First Great Western said that Sunday working was at the heart of the dispute.

“We believe RMT members have a commitment to work some Sundays. The RMT believe, however, that guards can choose not to attend on Sundays,” the firm said.

It added that it had used fully qualified safety trained managers as guards to crew trains only as a last resort when all other possibilities had been exhausted.

First Great Western passengers faced double-digit fare increases at the start of the year, despite a government cap of 4.8 per cent.

The operator has been dubbed “Britain’s worst rail franchise” due to overcrowded trains, rail fares that make flights and taxis a cheaper alternative and an appalling punctuality record.

Deep-rooted performance issues 

Passengers were eligible for a five per cent reduction in fares this year because of the company's abysmal performance in 2007, which saw only 66 per cent of rush hour trains into London running on time. The rail regulator’s target for punctuality is 88 per cent.

In reality they will, however, face price hikes of up to 15 per cent on individual routes. Season ticket holders are among the travellers worst hit by the increases.

The company said in a statement that high demand for rail services had delivered a 10 per cent increase in passenger revenue last year.

“Our focus is on improving operating performance and customer service across all of our rail franchises and in particular at First Great Western where we are working hard to address some deep-rooted performance issues,” FirstGroup added.

MPs have urged the government in a parliamentary motion to strip FirstGroup of its franchises.

FirstGroup, which recently became a FTSE 100 company, also runs the ScotRail, First Capital Connect and Transpennine Express franchises, open access operator Hull Trains and freight company GB Railfreight.

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Related links

• FirstGroup plc
  
• First Great Western
• RMT Union