DELEGATES vowed yesterday to fight off job cuts expected to be imposed by the new Thameslink franchise owner.

The Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern (TSGN) contract was last month awarded to Govia.

The seven-year franchise begins in September.

RMT delegates said they were well aware of the privateer’s plans for the line — driver-only trains, cuts to station staff, the closure of ticket offices and worse terms and conditions.

“There will be cuts to booking office staff, there will be cuts to station staff,” Leamington delegate Mark Baker said.

“We want a guarantee of no compulsory redundancies and no reduction in rates of pay.

“Otherwise this is going to be the thin end of the wedge. It will be death by a thousand cuts.”

Conference agreed to oppose all cuts and will ballot for industrial action if necessary.

Acting general secretary Mick Cash added: “This is all tied up in the government’s ideological franchising policy.

“The best way to stop all of these attacks is to bring them back into public ownership. A lot of the problems will be easier to tackle because we are cutting out the profit element.”