Avanti West Coast urged to withdraw 'transparent' staff uniforms

Avanti West Coast has been urged to immediately withdraw new ‘transparent’ uniforms issued to its train staff.

The RMT Union described the uniforms as consisting of ‘flimsy’ new blouses and shirts.

And they said that staff had lodged complaints over the uniforms due to feeling uncomfortable wearing them.

The train operating company, however, said that the issue “was not raised” by staff during trials of the uniform.

RMT general secretary Mick Lynch called on Avanti to listen to staff and rectify the situation.

“We have received a large number of complaints from members on ‎the West Coast Mainline who have been issued with these flimsy new blouses and shirts by Avanti which are basically transparent,” he said.

“The shoddy items need to be withdrawn immediately and replaced with quality garments made of the appropriate material.

“Rail workers already suffer widespread abuse as they go about their work without having to wear uniforms that leave them feeling uncomfortable, exposed and a target for that abuse.

“The company need to take urgent and immediate action to rectify this situation, listen to their staff and respect their duty of care.”

A spokesperson for Avanti West Coast said: “The uniform has been trialled by staff from across the business and this issue was not raised.

“The composition of the shirt is heavier than the current uniform and conforms with international standards of grading quality.

“Our staff have the option to wear alternative items including a polo shirt, dress, or layer with other garments as part of the design and we’ll continue to work with them to take onboard their feedback.”