TRANSPORT UNION RMT today issued fresh guidance to members across rail and tube to refuse to work where safety is compromised due to the potentially lethal consequences of the Governments confused and contradictory messaging over the COVID-19 lockdown.

The union warning has come as it has become clear that the Government is shifting away from the stay at home message, unleashing a surge in passengers on rail and tube from tomorrow, breaching social distancing measures with potentially lethal consequences for both staff and th‎e public.

In a circular to members issued today the union says;

Your NEC today considered this matter and stated our total opposition to attempts by the rail industry and government to impose changes in working practices from Monday 11th May. We had only previously agreed to take part in a process to discuss such changeswhich had been intended to commence and be implemented from Monday 18th May.

Given the confusion and mixed messaging generated by the government in recent days, RMT has no confidence in the ability of the government to manage lockdown or its easing.

To be clear no agreement has been made to change any working practices or social distancing arrangements from tomorrow.

Therefore if two metre social distancing cannot be maintained we consider it to be unsafe and members have the legal right to use the worksafe process. On LUL they have the legal right to use the refusal to work policy.

RMT will fully back any member who uses this process to ensure their safety.

RMT General Secretary Mick Cash said;

"This trade union will not sit back while confused and conflicting messaging from the government raises the prospect of a surge in passengers on our transport services, making a mockery of the social distancing rules with potentially lethal consequences.

"We are reissuing and reinforcing advice to our members not to work in conditions where their health and safety is clearly compromised. No employer should be sending their staff out to work in those kind of conditions and we are putting the industry on the clearest possible notice.

"We've seen the spin in advance of the Prime Ministers speech tonight. We are taking clear and decisive action now to protect our members tomorrow."