WHY WE ARE STRIKING

IF IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT THE DOORS,

WHAT IS THE CONDUCTOR DISPUTE
ABOUT?
GTR have from the outset of this dispute
claimed that the changes they want to
implement are about the modernisation of
the railway" and will have no negative
impact on Safety Security or Accessibility
of the rail network. They have, throughout
the past 7 months, trivialised their dispute
with Conductors insisting to the travelling
public, politicians and media that it was all
over transferring the responsibility for
pressing the button for closing the train
doors from Conductors to Drivers.
If this long running dispute is not
about who presses the button to close the
train doors, what is the catalyst behind the
months of disruption?
No one will be surprised to find that
the motivation behind the dispute has
nothing to do with improving the customer
experience and is all about MONEY.
Below is an extract from an internal
GTR email sent in the last week of
September:
From 30 September 2016 the
penalty fare scheme will be extended to all
GTR stations.
Our overall approach to revenue
protection is to ensure that passengers are
given every opportunity to purchase the
right ticket for their journey before

travelling. However, even if a low

percentage of passengers travel without
paying, millions of pounds of revenue are
at risk, which is why we are extending the
penalty fare scheme to cover all GTR
stations from 30 September 2016."
The GTR franchise is based around
the company achieving targets for
reducing ticketless travel on the network.
This it is hoped will give the DFT extra
millions in revenue and GTR will qualify
for the generous bonuses built into the
franchise. The customer financed Judicial
Review should hopefully disclose the value
of these bonuses.
The goal of reducing ticketless travel
would be supported by rail users and rail
workers alike, providing GTR approached
achieving these targets in a credible
manner which ensured that there would be
no negative impact on Safety, Security or
Accessibility.
The ethical approach GTR should
have adopted was to increase the size of
their Revenue Protection Department,
which would achieve their goal of
reducing ticketless travel, this would have
brought in the additional revenue to the
DFT thereby triggering GTR's bonus
payments. This approach would have the

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additional benefit of increasing both the

visibility and availability of staff which in
turn improves security, accessibility and
customer service on the network.
GTR instead made the decision to
maximise profits. They decided to
implement a plan that would allow them
to reach the targets set by the DFT and so
achieve their bonus payments without
increasing the number of staff they
employ. This means that GTR can qualify
for the bonus payments without any
additional costs.
GTR decided to get the extra
Revenue Protection Officers they required
by removing the 2nd Safety Critical
member of staff from on board train
services.
To disguise this as a modernisation
plan" GTR's first move was to rebrand
their Revenue Protection Officers as On
Board Supervisors.
Now the Company are attempting to
force over 200 Conductors out of their
Safety Critical Role and into being On
Board Supervisors (Revenue Protection).
Adopting this method undoubtedly
achieves GTR's ambition to maximise
profits but only at a serious cost to the rail
network as outlined below;
The 2nd Safety Critical member of
staff is removed from the dispatch process
increasing the risk to the travelling public
and when accidents occur leaving Train
drivers at risk of prosecution.
The 2nd Safety Critical member of
staff is removed meaning in cases of
Collision (Watford Junction) Accident, Fire
etc., there will no longer be a qualified
member of staff to take over from the
driver if they are incapacitated (Watford
Junction).
The 2nd member of staff will not be

available to ensure disabled access to train

services meaning that to avoid lengthy
delays, those requiring assistance to board
services will have to book in advance.
The 2nd member of staff will not be
available to reassure customers regarding
security and anti social behaviour or assist
them with travel or ticketing issues.
GTR have throughout this dispute
reassured customers that the 2nd member
of staff will be remaining on the services
giving customers the reassurance that
disabled access, security and customer
service will be improved rather than be
adversly effected.
THIS IS NOT TRUE.
The Union has asked for the
Company to confirm that the 2nd member
of staff will be on all the services they
currently cover as GTR have given this
assurance to their customers, politicians
and the press. GTR are not only unable to
give this assurance they go further and
make it clear that the point of this exercise
is to enable them to operate services with
the driver being the only crew member on
board (DOO).
So now we all know GTR have no
modernisation plan" instead their interests
are in a Cash Grab" at the expense of the
Safety, Security and Accessibility on the
rail network, what do we do about it ?
Rail customers need to demand from
GTR and the Politicians that this "Cash
Grab" is stopped and instead GTR should
be instructed by the DFT to enter into
meaningful, creative and constructive talks
with the rail unions to bring about a
modern and reliable train service with
Safety, Security and Accessibility as its
cornerstone.

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