Rail workers in Penzance strike over sacked colleague

RMT Union members who work for First Great Western are holding a 48 hour strike from today over the dismissal of a colleague.

The staff based at Penzance railway station are holding a picket outside the station this morning.

In a statement given to ITV News, First Great Western said:

"We can confirm that a member of staff was recently dismissed for allowing the doors of a train to remain open while in passenger service, and failing to report the incident to anyone for over a month. The member of staff was not an RMT member at the time of the incident, and we are surprised that they have decided to support these actions, which put his safety, and the safety of his colleagues and our passengers at risk.

The RMT has a track record of taking a strong stance on the safety of its members and passengers, and today's action seems inconsistent with those messages. We do not expect this action to impact services for customers, and continue to talk to the RMT about this issue."

The firm says it does not expect the action to disrupt rail services.

RMT Regional Organiser Phil Bialyk responded by saying union members "are steadfast in their support believing the company could have taken a different stance."

Mr Bialyk also commented:

"The company refuse to listen and will not back down, RMT members, their staff are unhappy how the company uses the procedures to rule by fear, it's not good to have such a working environment. RMT will always support its members in this way."

A meeting of members will take place on Monday night to discuss the dispute further.