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A senior Labour MP has demanded Virgin Trains reveal whether it plans to use “scab” workers - so he can avoid using their services.

Blaydon MP Dave Anderson, a member of the Labour shadow cabinet, hit out after Virgin revealed it had “contingency plans” to cope with a threatened strike by rail staff.

The Rail, Maritime and Transport workers Union is balloting members about whether to take action over changes that it says threaten jobs, working conditions and safety.

But David Horne, managing director of Virgin Trains on the East Coast (VTEC), has promised: “We have well prepared contingency plans which will allow us to run a full timetable if the RMT do indeed decide to go ahead with any strike action.”

The train operator has not confirmed what the contingency plans involve, but Mr Anderson said he wanted to know whether they involved the use of staff willing to work while RMT members are on strike. Scab worker is a term sometimes considered to be derogatory for people who work through strikes.

He has written to VTEC asking: “Can you explain what your contingency plans are in case of legal industrial action because I have no intention of travelling on trains operated by scab labour. I feel many other people will share my view so you should make these plans public asap.”

The MP said: “Asking Virgin to publicise when they will be using scab labour to undermine legal action so that customers have the choice to refuse to travel at those times is a reasonable request.

“People’s safety may be jeopardised if untrained or rusty staff are drafted in. But also people should be given the info so that they can refuse to travel with staff who are undermining the workforce.”

(Image: John Stilwell/PA Wire)

A letter from Horne seen by the MP says that VTEC was making changes to the staffing arrangements on trains. It appeared to confirm that redundancies were possible, saying: “I would like to reiterate the guarantee we have provided the RMT that any redundancies will be entirely voluntary. Indeed, there is a role at Virgin Trains for everyone who wants one.”

RMT bosses say the dispute with VTEC has been brewing for months.

They claimed the company was snubbing the union over talks and attempting to “bulldoze through a package of cash-led measures that would decimate jobs, working conditions and threaten the safety regime that currently ensures a guard on every train”.

The company, a joint venture between Virgin and Stagecoach, took over the lucrative East Coast mainline route in March last year which for six years until then had been publicly run.

The RMT said from day one it has sought, but failed to receive, assurances from the company on job protection issues including no compulsory redundancies, rates of pay and that “a safety-critical guard will be present on every train”.

Ballot papers have been be distributed to 2,000 VTEC staff the ballot will close on August 9.

A spokesman for Virgin Trains on the East Coast route said: “We have big plans for the east coast franchise with £140m of investment aimed squarely at making the customer experience the best it can be. The on-board changes are part of those plans which put the customer at the heart of all our operations.

“We are puzzled by the RMT’s decision to ballot as we have ruled out compulsory redundancies. A strike would also cost our people pay for no reason, and we have well prepared contingency plans which mean we expect to run a full timetable with customers travelling as normal. We would welcome the RMT reopening discussions at any point.”