Thameslink workers could go on strike after a “potentially lethal” bacteria was found on some trains, a major transport union has warned – just days after the same union called off a Tube strike planned for this week.
RMT declared a dispute with train operator Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) on Monday after traces of the legionella bacteria were found on seven toilets across four trains. Thameslink serves several Southwark stations, including London Bridge, Elephant & Castle, Denmark Hill and Herne Hill.
The union said it was prepared to ask its members if they wanted to go on strike if Thameslink does not take “urgent action”.
Airborne water droplets containing legionella can cause Legionnaires’ disease, a kind of pneumonia that can be very serious. One in four people with underlying health conditions die of Legionnaires’ disease, according to US public health authorities.
GTR said they had picked up small traces of the bacteria and pointed out that no one had ever contracted legionnaire’s disease from a train. They added that the toilets where the bacteria had been found were bleached and drained. RMT said this was “pitifully inadequate” and added that the train operator was “gambling with the health of passengers and staff alike.”
General secretary Mick Lynch said on Monday: “RMT has been raising concerns over Legionella on the Siemens Thameslink fleet for weeks now and the latest cavalier approach from the company is pitifully inadequate and is an outright gamble with passenger and staff health.
“We have now declared a dispute and be in no doubt if we don’t get serious action we will ballot our members and do whatever is required to end this reckless approach to a potentially lethal situation on these increasingly busy trains.”?
Rob Mullen, train services director at Thameslink and Great Northern, said: “A very low level of legionella was found to be present during testing in a small number of our Thameslink Class 700 train toilets.
“While it is extremely unlikely this would cause any harm to passengers or colleagues, the toilets affected were immediately locked out of use.
“The trains were taken out of service and these toilets have now been drained, bleached and had their tanks completely refilled.”
Tube strike planned for next week suspended after ‘talks progress’
It comes after RMT called off the strikes planned for Tuesday (August 24) and Thursday (August 26) in response to a dispute over rotas on the Night Tube service.
But talks with TfL and the conciliation service ACAS have led to RMT suspending the strike for now, although Mr Lynch said they “remain in dispute” with the transport agency.
He added: “Following further progress in ACAS talks today our Executive has decided that there are sufficient grounds to suspend next week’s tube strike action.
“We remain in dispute and will be engaging in further discussions with a view to reaching a settlement.
“I want to thank our reps and our members on London’s Underground whose hard work, resolve and unity has been decisive in terms of the progress we have been able to achieve so far.”
Govia Thameslink Railway put on extra 1,000 trains a week after COVID-19 timetable chaos
Last week the GTR said a new timetable reinstating almost 1,000 trains a week would come into force next month.
The weekday-only changes, planned from Monday, September 6, will provide additional trains across Southern, Thameslink and Great Northern lines.
The changes will be welcomed by frustrated commuters who have seen cancellations and delays on top of ‘savage cuts’ – as criticised by Liberal Democrat London Assembly member Caroline Pidgeon.
Almost 200 extra trains compared with the current timetable, introduced in July as a result of COVID-19-related shortages, will be running from Monday to Friday.
