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Around 100 London Midland train conductors are set to strike in a Sunday shift row. Services out of Euston on the West Coast Mainline to Birmingham, Milton Keynes, Northampton and Crew could be hit. Staff at depots at Bletchley, Northampton and Watford will walk-out for 24 hours on March 13 and again on March 16 because of what the union calls "attempts to pressure staff into working Sundays." The ballot for industrial action came in at 13 to one at Northampton, 40 to seven at Bletchley, and ten to nil at Watford.
"Failure to honour agreement"
The Rail Maritime and transport union say London Midland have failed to honour a: "Long-standing agreement that former Silverlink staff can opt out of working on Sundays and should receive enhanced payments for working into rest days." London Midlands say they have continued to "operate to the spirit of the agreements". However, RMT General Secretary Bob Crow called it a "straightforward dispute" and urged the company to honour the decade old agreement: "That conductors can opt out of working on Sundays if they give the company a week's notice." Midland "not in breach" A London Midland statement said: "We do not believe we are in breach of the agreement the RMT ballot relates to. London Midland has continued to operate to the spirit of the agreements and contracts in place at the time of the transfer of colleagues from ex-Silverlink to London Midland. We are fully prepared to continue to engage in discussion to resolve all issues with the RMT. London Midland also believes that the harmonisation talks, which commenced prior to the company receiving the ballot notification, provide the best opportunity to build a consistent set of terms and conditions of all London Midland Conductors."
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