Drivers at Doncaster train operator vote to strike over 'jobs and safety'

Workers on Virgin East Coast, which runs through Doncaster, have voted to strike in a dispute over jobs, working conditions and safety, the RMT rail union confirmed today.
By The Newsroom
Published 9th Aug 2016, 13:20 BST
Updated 25th Aug 2016, 17:09 BST
Virgin operates mainline services from Doncaster, Leeds, Yorkand Wakefield to London, and northwards to Edinburgh.Virgin operates mainline services from Doncaster, Leeds, Yorkand Wakefield to London, and northwards to Edinburgh.
Virgin operates mainline services from Doncaster, Leeds, Yorkand Wakefield to London, and northwards to Edinburgh.

Virgin operates mainline services from Doncaster, Leeds, York and Wakefield to London, and northwards to Edinburgh.

Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union backed walkouts by 84 per cent, with nine out of 10 supporting other forms of industrial action.

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The company said it will run a full timetable during any strike.

RMT General Secretary Mick Cash said: "RMT will not sit back while nearly 200 members' jobs are under threat and while conditions and safety are put at risk by a franchise which is clearly in financial trouble.

"The company have chosen to treat the negotiations as a game thus far, merely going through the motions of pretending they did not yet know what their plans entailed. To behave like that is to treat the union and its members with pure contempt.

“Our members will not pay the price for a crisis cooked up in the Virgin/Stagecoach boardroom. We will now be considering the massive mandate for action delivered by our members in this ballot and the union remains available for serious talks .”