Information from a RMT press release, 12 March 2012:
Rail union RMT is holding a Budget “Day of Action” on 21st March over government plans to axe thousands of jobs, close ticket offices, jack up fares and give the train operating companies “gold plated” franchises as it implements the McNulty Rail Review recommendations.
Train operators, through their front organisation ATOC, have admitted that they are planning to use an increase in rail demand as an excuse for jacking up fares and pumping up their fat profits.
RMT will be joined by sister rail unions and commuters in action at train stations across the country on 21st March and will be specifically targeting South West Trains where a deep, commercial alliance as a forerunner for a private takeover of infrastructure kicks in on 1st April.
RMT General Secretary Bob Crow said:
“Today we have again seen the true face of greed of the private train operators as they rub their hands at the prospect of using the surge in rail demand as an excuse to ramp up fairs and to screw the travelling public for every penny of profit that they can extract from the network.
“On budget day, RMT and our supporters will be stepping up the fight for a railway free from profiteering and exploitation and in support of the principle of transport run under public ownership as a public service”.
