London Midland is running over 80 per cent of its train services today (Friday) despite some Conductor members of the RMT Union taking strike action.
More than 60 London Midland managers are working on train services, with another 100 members of staff providing support to operational staff at London Midland stations to ensure as many services can be operated as possible.
Conductors from Watford, Bletchley and Northampton have also decided to come into work.
The RMT Union has branded the use of managers as ‘reckless' but London Midland managing director Steve Banaghan said the decision to implement management staff in conductor roles had been checked by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Railways.
London Midland is operating two 12-carriage services an hour between Northampton and London Euston, as well as an hourly 12-carriage service will also run between Tring and Euston.
In addition to this LM is operating additional peak services, such as three extra services that ran during this morning's peak period from Bletchley to Euston and four extra services this evening.
Mr Banaghan said: "Many of our managers can draw on years of experience in Conductor roles and they're doing an excellent job providing services to passengers during this period of industrial action.
"Our Conductors and managers have been doing a great job, and we have had a number of Conductors from Watford, Bletchley and Northampton depots who have decided to come into work.
"We are now planning to run more services tonight (Friday) and on Monday."
The reason for the dispute is arrangements for Sunday working and calculation of rest day payments. Both of these issues pre-date the start of London Midland's franchise.
The Sunday issue dates back to contracts that were initially introduced in August 1999 which commits conductors to work a rostered Sunday, if required to do so. This has been in force for all new employees who joined Silverlink since 2001.
The rest day issue is about the calculation of time and one tenth for hours worked on a rest day.
The company has offered to change the calculation and back date this to the start of the franchise (11 November 2007). The RMT wants to include service with the previous employer
The RMT has alleged that members of staff have been ‘bullied' over roster patterns and overtime working. London Midland rejects these allegations.
Overtime is voluntary and London Midland conductors can choose to decline working extra hours, so there is no truth in claims of imposed hours.
Staff rosters are worked out with the co-operation of Trade Union representatives.
All hours worked are monitored and controlled centrally by computer to prevent staff working excessive hours.
There are clear safety rules and procedures in place to ensure members of London Midland train crew do not work excessive hours and these include designated rest breaks within their working day, as well as minimum hours break between shifts.
London Midland has and remains open to discussions to resolve these issues.
