More than
350,000 commuters who depend on South West Trains will be seeing red next month
when guards strike over their brightly coloured waistcoats.
Guards and
platform staff are staging the industrial action on May 3 and May 11 because
they believe the waistcoats make them look like ‘bellboys’ and are unhappy
about being forced to wear name badges and some roster arrangements.
A
spokesman for South West Trains said, the red waistcoats were part of a
uniform, which had been agreed with the RMT, when it was first introduced in
1999.
He added,
“These issues can be resolved through discussion. We urge the RMT to think
about our passengers and come back to the table.”
Bob Crow,
assistant general secretary for the RMT, who accused South West Trains of
ignoring correct procedures, said his members disagreed with the way rosters
were drawn-up and thought the waistcoats made them look ridiculous.
By Ben Willmott. Click here to respond.
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