ANNEX 'A'
SUNDAY RAIL STOPPAGE:
RAILWAY EXECUTIVE
STATEMENT
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The Railway Executive greatly regret the inconvenience and delay which has been caused to the travelling public in the Eastern and North Eastern Regions of British Railways today (Sunday), by a large number of drivers and firemen not reporting for duty.
At a meeting between the Railway Executive and the Union leaders on Thursday last (26th May), an assurance was given that the Unions would advise their members to take duty on Sunday, but this has unfortunately been ignored.
In previous statements on this subject, the Railway Executive have been most anxious to avoid any expression of fact or comment which might pre judice negotiations or which might hamper the Unions in their dealings with their members. In view of what has transpired this weekend, however, the Railway Executive consider it only fair to the travelling public that they should be made aware of the following facts in connection with the refusal of certain enginemen in the North Eastern and Eastern Regions to undertake "lodging turns" which is the cause of the irregular stoppage of Sunday work:-
1.
2.
9
The working of "lodging turns" is a long-established
feature of main line railway practice, recognised and confirmed by National Agreement between the former railway companies and the trade unions.
It is essential to the efficient and economical
working of long-distance railway traffic, and is particularly important at the present time when British Railways are striving to restore pre-war standards of service and to provide the most comfortable travel for passengers and the most expeditious transit of freight.
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