Union 'concern' at East Midlands Railway coronavirus measures

The RMT said safety controls at East Midlands Railway should be reconsidered

A train company must take "immediate action" to keep passengers and staff safe from new variants of Covid-19, a trade union has warned.

The Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) claimed East Midlands Railway (EMR) was "planning to carry on like nothing has changed".

Regional organiser Eddie Dempsey said cash handling and close proximity working with colleagues should stop.

EMR said its working practices "are recognised as Covid secure".

A new coronavirus variant was identified in December, with a study finding it is "hugely" more transmissible.

In a letter to EMR, Mr Dempsey said the higher transmission rate from the new variant and yesterday's announcement of an England-wide lockdown "places a duty upon us to reconsider safety controls and protections for staff and passengers".

He said the current working practices "were developed during the period in which government and industry advice was for restrictions to be relaxed".

The union said it has issued new advice to employees on "safe-stop" procedures if they are "asked to work in a manner they regard as unsafe".

'Our biggest priority'

General secretary Mick Cash said a survey of its members "made it clear that they are deeply concerned".

"It is scandalous that EMR appear to be the only people in the country who don't recognise the increased threat to life of the new Covid variant and are planning to carry on like nothing has changed," he said.

"RMT will not tolerate that cavalier approach to both staff and passengers alike."

A spokesman for EMR said its policies "were jointly developed and agreed with RMT colleagues before their introduction".

"Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, the safety of our customers and our colleagues has been our biggest priority," they said.

"We are continuing to work in partnership with our union colleagues and the wider rail industry to ensure our services are in accordance with the latest government guidance and also continue to protect our frontline colleagues."

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