The Editor

Daily Telegraph

19 December 2016

Dear Editor,

It is simply not true that RMT conductors on Southern Rail are striking because proposed changes
mean that they will lose commission from selling ticket sales (Patrick Foster, Daily Telegraph 16 Dec
2016: Southern rail strike: conductors against driver-only trains because they earn 2,000 in
commission from on-board ticket sales.)

Our members are not on strike for financial reasons and would gladly agree to a change in the
method used to calculate commission paid on ticket sales in exchange for the guarantee of a safety
critical trained conductor on all services.

Southern conductors are in dispute to defend safety standards, to ensure access to train services for
disabled, elderly and vulnerable passengers, and to protect passengers. RMT is fighting for a fully
staffed, safe and efficient railway. We are not against new technology, but it should be implemented
through agreed developments so there is no lowering of safety standards.

The article also cites a report by the Rail Accident Investigation Branch into a fatal accident in
Liverpool, in 2011, when a 16-year-old girl fell between a train and the platform and claims that the
report concluded that the guard, who was in charge of door operation, had been unable to stop the
train, and suggested placing responsibility for dispatching the train with the driver.

This is not true. There is no reference in the recommendations to giving dispatch responsibilities to
the driver. For Patrick Foster to use this incident which resulted in the death of a young girl to
attack our members, who are fighting to defend their safety critical role, by inaccurately citing that
the report recommends removing dispatch responsibilities from the conductor, is reprehensible.

In fact, a series of recommendations were made for Merseyrail to reduce train dispatch accident
risk. The report called for the company to evaluate equipment and operational arrangements, the
outcome of which should be a plan to implement appropriate measures to improve safety at the
platform/train interface.

If Southern will guarantee a second person on each service then we can work up a solution to this
dispute without the need for further strikes. RMT achieved a solution on Scotrail along those lines
and we believe that something similar can be achieved on Southern.

The Transport Minister, Chris Grayling, needs to bring his contractors, GTR/Southern, back to the
negotiating table so we can bring that about.

Yours sincerely,

Mick Cash,
General Secretary, RMT