STRIKE action could be taken by train staff in support of a colleague who was apparently sacked because he told the truth about sub-standard food.

Rail Union RMT will ballot all on-board East Coast members at Edinburgh Waverley for both strike action and action short of a strike over the sacking of crew leader Mark Doughty.

Mr Doughty was fired after he responded to passengers’ complaints about the poor standard of food in first class by making on onboard announcement that staff shortages and a broken boiler were to blame.

East Coast management has claimed that this action brought the company into disrepute – a claim that the union has branded as “a hideous distortion of the facts”.

If staff at Edinburgh vote for action over Mr Doughty’s sacking, it will have a dramatic impact on East Coast Train services in our region, including stops at Durham, Darlington and Northallerton.

An RMT spokesman said that although some onboard staff do join the service at Newcastle and further south, if the trains are not running out of Edinburgh in the first place then they will not be reaching the North-East region.

RMT General Secretary Mick Cash explained why the union has decided to ballot members, saying: “RMT is appalled that a legitimate complaint from a member of the public over the companies failings has been twisted and distorted by East Coast into a case against the member of staff whose only crime was tell to the truth about staff shortages and faulty equipment

“The unfair and disproportionate punishment meted out by management to Mark Doughty is a total miscarriage of justice.

“This is not a situation that can go unchallenged and as a result, the union’s executive committee has decided to ballot our all our on-board East Coast members at Edinburgh Waverley for strike action and industrial action short of a strike, to force the company to re-employ Brother Doughty.”

A spokesman for East Coast said the decision to dismiss Mr Doughty also took into account the wider context of his employment with the company.

He said: “Whilst this remains an internal matter, we are of course aware of the RMT’s intention to ballot its membership over the dismissal of Mr Doughty.

“We have clear and thorough processes, agreed with the trade unions, for managing disciplinary issues and these have been followed."

Ballot papers will be dispatched from Monday (February 23) and the ballot will close on March 10.