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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/oct/03/southern-rail-issues-ultimatum-to-rmt-over-role-of-conductors
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| Southern rail issues ultimatum to RMT over role of conductors | Southern rail issues ultimatum to RMT over role of conductors |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Southern rail has issued an ultimatum to the Rail, Maritime and Transport workers’ union (RMT), announcing it will sack conductors unless a deal is reached by Thursday. | |
| The franchise, which is run by Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR), has faced months of disruption, cancellations and strikes, as well as the emergence of commuter activism, as the company faced off with the union. | The franchise, which is run by Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR), has faced months of disruption, cancellations and strikes, as well as the emergence of commuter activism, as the company faced off with the union. |
| The company wants to change the role of conductors to “on-board supervisors”. The union says the proposed changes put passenger safety at risk. | |
| GTR’s chief executive, Charles Horton, wrote to Mick Cash, the general secretary of the RMT, on Monday, calling the dispute “pointless” and putting a deadline to an eight-point offer first issued by the company in August. | |
| Horton has offered all conductors on the franchise a £2,000 bonus if the changes to their role are agreed, adding that the company could claw this back if the union continued to strike. | Horton has offered all conductors on the franchise a £2,000 bonus if the changes to their role are agreed, adding that the company could claw this back if the union continued to strike. |
| But if the deal is not accepted by midday on Thursday, the company would press on with its changes, “including the issuing of notice later this week to those conductors moving to the OBS [on-board supervisor] role”. | But if the deal is not accepted by midday on Thursday, the company would press on with its changes, “including the issuing of notice later this week to those conductors moving to the OBS [on-board supervisor] role”. |
| A spokesman for the union said it would respond when it had had time to consider the offer. | A spokesman for the union said it would respond when it had had time to consider the offer. |
| The letter was released as Southern faced a backlash to a PR offensive attempting to harness the social media pressure of frustrated commuters against the union. | The letter was released as Southern faced a backlash to a PR offensive attempting to harness the social media pressure of frustrated commuters against the union. |
| The company bought newspaper adverts with the slogan “Southern strikes back”, urging passengers to tweet the union with their feelings about the standoff. | The company bought newspaper adverts with the slogan “Southern strikes back”, urging passengers to tweet the union with their feelings about the standoff. |
| But many took the opportunity to tweet their support for the union or their anger at Southern for the problems faced by the service instead. | But many took the opportunity to tweet their support for the union or their anger at Southern for the problems faced by the service instead. |
| So @SouthernRailUK is asking us to publicly troll workers who want to protect their rights and jobs? #SouthernBackOnTrack #JogOn pic.twitter.com/eN9t2BqP3s | So @SouthernRailUK is asking us to publicly troll workers who want to protect their rights and jobs? #SouthernBackOnTrack #JogOn pic.twitter.com/eN9t2BqP3s |
| It's a nightmare using Southern I can't imagine the shambles of being employed by them. Solidarity with @RMTunion! #SouthernBackOnTrack pic.twitter.com/GNvCYkjpSN | It's a nightmare using Southern I can't imagine the shambles of being employed by them. Solidarity with @RMTunion! #SouthernBackOnTrack pic.twitter.com/GNvCYkjpSN |
| Insulting campaign from an inept private co intent on destroying a public service for profit #SouthernBackOnTrack @SouthernRailUK @RMTunion | Insulting campaign from an inept private co intent on destroying a public service for profit #SouthernBackOnTrack @SouthernRailUK @RMTunion |
| A Southern spokesman said: “Our aim was to get the debate going and to let people know exactly what our very fair and comprehensive offer is and how we are trying to modernise the train service for our passengers which the RMT leadership is trying to block. | |
| “Thousands of passengers are demanding to know what we are doing to bring this dispute to an end. We felt there was a need to let them know.” | |
| But Emily Yates, a campaign coordinator for the Association of British Commuters, which was set up in response to the delays and cancellations faced by Southern users, said the PR campaign was “a pretty insane move” and a “staggering misjudgment of what’s going on”. | But Emily Yates, a campaign coordinator for the Association of British Commuters, which was set up in response to the delays and cancellations faced by Southern users, said the PR campaign was “a pretty insane move” and a “staggering misjudgment of what’s going on”. |
| She added: “It’s deeply dishonest in terms of attributing the cause of the crisis to the RMT.” | She added: “It’s deeply dishonest in terms of attributing the cause of the crisis to the RMT.” |
| The RMT’s Mick Cash said of the PR campaign: “This is a pathetic attempt by the basket case Southern franchise to once again try and blame their frontline staff for their own managerial incompetence.” | The RMT’s Mick Cash said of the PR campaign: “This is a pathetic attempt by the basket case Southern franchise to once again try and blame their frontline staff for their own managerial incompetence.” |