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| Virgin Trains East Coast strikes to be held in August | Virgin Trains East Coast strikes to be held in August |
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| Workers on Virgin Trains East Coast are to stage three 24-hour strikes this month, including one on Bank Holiday Monday, the RMT union has said. | Workers on Virgin Trains East Coast are to stage three 24-hour strikes this month, including one on Bank Holiday Monday, the RMT union has said. |
| Members will walk out from 03:00 BST on 19, 26 and 29 August and ban overtime for 48 hours from 27 August, in a row over cuts, work conditions and safety. | Members will walk out from 03:00 BST on 19, 26 and 29 August and ban overtime for 48 hours from 27 August, in a row over cuts, work conditions and safety. |
| The RMT said the dispute involved about 1,800 members, saying Virgin Trains was trying to "bulldoze" through changes. | The RMT said the dispute involved about 1,800 members, saying Virgin Trains was trying to "bulldoze" through changes. |
| Virgin said its timetable will be "unaffected" during the walkouts. | Virgin said its timetable will be "unaffected" during the walkouts. |
| The firm - which operates services to London, Edinburgh, Leeds and York - said it was making changes to customer-facing roles "which will see a single person take responsibility for the customer experience on our trains". | The firm - which operates services to London, Edinburgh, Leeds and York - said it was making changes to customer-facing roles "which will see a single person take responsibility for the customer experience on our trains". |
| "This will have no impact on safety, and will result in a better experience for customers," it added. | "This will have no impact on safety, and will result in a better experience for customers," it added. |
| It said the union "walked out of talks" on Thursday after "refusing to enter further discussions". | It said the union "walked out of talks" on Thursday after "refusing to enter further discussions". |
| David Horne, managing director for Virgin Trains on the east coast, said: "With our guarantees that there will be no compulsory redundancies, no impact on safety and a full timetable in place during the walk-outs, these strikes will cost RMT members pay for no reason, and we urge the union to rejoin us around the negotiating table." | David Horne, managing director for Virgin Trains on the east coast, said: "With our guarantees that there will be no compulsory redundancies, no impact on safety and a full timetable in place during the walk-outs, these strikes will cost RMT members pay for no reason, and we urge the union to rejoin us around the negotiating table." |
| However, the RMT has said almost 200 jobs are under threat on the train line. | However, the RMT has said almost 200 jobs are under threat on the train line. |
| It said train guards, station staff and some drivers were set to take part in the walkouts. Depot maintenance workers will not be taking strike action. | It said train guards, station staff and some drivers were set to take part in the walkouts. Depot maintenance workers will not be taking strike action. |
| The union accused Virgin and Stagecoach, who run the franchise, of trying to "bulldoze through a package of cash-led measures that would decimate jobs, working conditions and threaten the safety regime that currently ensures a guard on every train". | The union accused Virgin and Stagecoach, who run the franchise, of trying to "bulldoze through a package of cash-led measures that would decimate jobs, working conditions and threaten the safety regime that currently ensures a guard on every train". |
| General secretary Mick Cash said members would "not tolerate the cavalier attitude to safety that is now on show as the company mobilises its scab army of managers". | General secretary Mick Cash said members would "not tolerate the cavalier attitude to safety that is now on show as the company mobilises its scab army of managers". |
| He added: "The company have chosen to treat the negotiations as a game thus far, merely going through the motions of pretending they did not yet know what their plans entailed. | He added: "The company have chosen to treat the negotiations as a game thus far, merely going through the motions of pretending they did not yet know what their plans entailed. |
| "To behave like that is to treat the union and its members with pure contempt." | "To behave like that is to treat the union and its members with pure contempt." |
| RMT members on Virgin East Coast rail workers voted in favour of strikes by 84%, the union said this week. | RMT members on Virgin East Coast rail workers voted in favour of strikes by 84%, the union said this week. |
| It comes as the first of four separate Eurostar strikes by staff from two unions - including the RMT - began on Friday. It also follows strikes earlier in the week on Southern Railway. | It comes as the first of four separate Eurostar strikes by staff from two unions - including the RMT - began on Friday. It also follows strikes earlier in the week on Southern Railway. |