First Great Western train-maintenance and cleaning staff to strike
RMT: May 8 2008
MORE than 400 train-maintenance, shunting and cleaning staff at eight First Great Western sites in a triangle between Penzance, Swansea and London are to strike for 24 hours on Sunday, May 18 over working hours, overtime rates and other issues.
After voting by a three-to-one margin for strike action, staff at Bristol, Reading, Oxford, Penzance, Exeter, Plymouth, Swansea, and Old Oak Common in London will not book on for shifts that begin after 00:01 on May 18.
The breakdown in industrial relations centres on the company's consistent refusal to pay an enhanced rate of pay for overtime and or to concede a 35-hour week at the Reading and Exeter depots.
"The vast majority of FGW engineering and cleaning staff are still paid the flat hourly rate for their overtime, rather than the time-and-a-quarter enjoyed by other FGW staff, including train-crew and station staff," RMT general secretary Bob Crow said today.
"Most FGW staff already work a 35-hour week, but we have some engineering grades at Reading still on 42 hours - effectively working an extra day a week for nothing.
"For months we have tried to get the company to recognise that engineering grades have the right to the same treatment as other grades, but the company has dug in its heels and that is an absolute disgrace.
"The company has now tried to confuse matters by pretending that what is a straightforward case of equal treatment can only now be resolved in wider harmonisation talks, and that is simply not good enough.
"The company's refusal to budge leaves us with no alternative but to strike, and the RMT executive has today agreed that the members involved will strike for 24 hours on May 18," Bob Crow said.
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Rail workers to strike in overtime row
Media Wales: May 8 2008
Hundreds of rail maintenance workers and cleaners at a leading train company are to stage a one-day strike in a row over hours and overtime, it was announced today.
The Rail Maritime and Transport Union said 400 of its members at First Great Western will walk out on May 18.
The workers, based at Bristol, Reading, Oxford, Penzance, Exeter, Plymouth, Swansea and London, voted three to one in favour or taking industrial action.
The union said there had been a breakdown of talks and accused the company of refusing to pay an enhanced rate for overtime worked or to concede a 35-hour week for all the workers.
General secretary Bob Crow said: “The vast majority of First Great Western engineering and cleaning staff are still paid the flat hourly rate for overtime rather than the time-and-a-quarter enjoyed by other staff including train crews.”
Mr Crow said the union had no alternative but to order a strike.