RMT, BRITAIN’S biggest rail union, today expressed its complete support for members of the Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA) in dispute with Arriva Trains Wales.

TSSA members employed as driver managers at the company are in dispute over the erosion of pay differentials and began a 24-hour strike at mid-day today (Tuesday September 16), in addition to bans on overtime and on-call work.

RMT has instructed its driver members at ATW to ensure that they do not undertake any duties normally carried out by their striking colleagues.

“RMT fully supports its brothers and sisters in TSSA who are in dispute with Arriva Trains Wales,” RMT general secretary Bob Crow said today.

“We have made it clear to the substantial number of RMT drivers at the company that they should undertake only their normal duties and that under no circumstances should they do work normally done by driver-managers.

“We have also made urgent representations to ATW to ensure that our members’ safety is not compromised in the event of any operational incident during the dispute, and we have urged the company to negotiate a settlement that is acceptable to driver-managers.

“There is also growing anger among our own members that Arriva Trains Wales has so far failed to table an acceptable pay deal, and I have no doubt that if ATW does not take seriously the rejection of its latest offer it will be facing a company-wide ballot.

“I am sure that where they can our members will show their support for their TSSA colleagues on picket lines, and it goes without saying that RMT will provide whatever practical assistance it can to its colleagues in dispute,” Bob Crow said.