TRAIN company First Great Western (FGW) is recruiting a special category of staff to be used as strike-breakers, the RMT conference heard yesterday.

The staff, known as “customer ambassadors,” have their own distinctive uniforms, earning them the nickname “Ribena kids.”

FGW train driver Eddie Dempsey said the staff were in a special “non-operational” management role.

Assistant general secretary Steve Hedley accused the firm of conducting a “vicious” campaign.

“If the guards are on strike, they (the ambassadors) will become guards,” he said. “If the gateways are on strike, they will stick them on the gates. They are trying to smash up union organisation by bringing in this flexible grade.”

FGW guard Brian Pascoe said the firm did not recognise the union, which covers management grades, but the “ambassadors” were becoming disillusioned with their treatment.

“The feedback I’m getting from some of these ambassadors is that they want to get into this fight,” he said.

“Eddie Dempsey said FGW’s plan was to have a reserve workforce to break strikes. But these workers are very dissatisfied with their lot.

“They were told they were a special grading, getting more than other staff.

“Now they realise that this management service grade is a poison pill. They are starting to come over to us en masse. Now is the time to recruit workers.”

Conference voted unanimously to demand formal collective bargaining, recognition for the new staff and, if necessary, hold a ballot for industrial action.

FGW was unavailable for comment.