Freightliner and RMT locked in talks over sacked workers

Wednesday, 18 August 2010

Freightliner and transport union the RMT have been in talks to avert industrial action at its Southampton depot, with the rail freight operator being accused of a “vendetta” against union representatives, writes Katerina Kerr.

Maintenance and wagon fitters at the Southampton Freightliner Maritime Depot have been balloted twice in a dispute over the company’s refusal to reinstate an RMT representative and two union members among six workers dismissed in June for alleged misuse of a company vehicle.

Three of the workers have been reinstated.

The ballots returned a majority in favour of action short of a strike.

Freightliner confirmed it was “still working [with the RMT] to resolve the issue".

RMT General Secretary Bob Crow said: “Instead of management seeing sense and taking the necessary steps to resolve this dispute they chose to challenge the legality of our previous ballot using anti-trade union laws.

“We demand that the company immediately and fully reinstate our representative and his colleagues back into their substantive posts.”