January 2022
RMT Catering Member Survey RMT believes that a high-quality catering service is an essential part of rail travel which enhances the passenger experience. Not only do rail caterers provide passengers with refreshments and food during journeys, they also provide passengers with advice, assistance and safety assurance. Yet increasingly, the provision of rail catering services is under attack from the Government and Train Companies seeking to cut costs and staffing at the expense of passenger service. These short-sighted cuts risk pushing passengers away from the sustainable rail network and exacerbating the climate crisis. RMT is campaigning to protect rail catering and is calling for rail catering to be expanded and all catering provision in-sourced. In November 2021, RMT surveyed its rail catering members for their views about the future of rail catering. Over 1100 members responded and the results showed: •
85% of RMT rail caterer members think that the Government and train companies will look to cut catering services and jobs in the future
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90% think that cuts to rail catering will make it more difficult for passengers to get food and drink during journeys
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Over 90% think that all rail catering should be provided in-house rather than outsourced
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90% think that cuts to rail catering prioritize profit making over passengers
More information on RMT’s campaign to protect catering is available here https://www.rmt.org.uk/campaigns/rail/justice-for-caterers/ Contact: Sophie Ward, National Policy Officer (s.ward@rmt.org.uk).