Originally posted @ 3:35 pm, Tue 31st Mar 2009
Joined a tssa protest today against job cuts proposed at East Midlands Trains. Gerry Dougherty, our General Secretary attended.
Two members, dressed as grim reapers, distributed leaflets.
East Midlands Trains is a newish franchise made from Midland Main Line and part of Central Trains.
It's owned by Stagecoach. Stagecoach own South West Trains and have axed 660 jobs there.
East Midlands Trains is making larger profits than the previous franchise and has been getting increased passenger numbers but are proposing to cut 162 jobs.
They intend to reduce pension benefits if staff retire early and will not commit to avoiding compulsory redundancies.
Transport Salaried Staffs Association, which represents hundreds of workers at the firm, will ballot for industrial action.
Gerry Doherty, general secretary of the TSSA, said: "This is the end of the line as far as our union is concerned and we will now be asking our members if they wish to be balloted for industrial action. With passenger numbers increasing our members are paying the price for multi-nationals who have over bid for franchises and are now desperate to pass the costs of such folly on to employees and passengers, in fact anyone but their shareholders."
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Meanwhile, delight in Nottingham as the expansion of the tram was given its legal go-ahead on Monday by the Government.
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