Guards to ballot on strikes at East Coast train operator

Published on 19/05/2010 23:34

GUARDS at the government-run East Coast train operator will be balloted next week for possible strikes over their loss of income because of station ticket gates.

The Rail Maritime and Transport union said staff had each lost commission of up to 1,000 a year from selling tickets on trains because the barriers were forcing passengers to buy them before boarding. East Coast guards keep 5 per cent of fare revenue on tickets they sell.

Automatic gates at stations on the Scotland-London east coast main line, on which the firm operates, include York.

The ballot move coincided yesterday with The Scotsman revealing that gates are to be installed at Glasgow Central and three other stations in the city centre to save 1 million a year from fare dodging. RMT general secretary Bob Crow said East Coast guards were now among the lowest paid in Britain.