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THE boss of Connex, whose services to London commuters have been so bad it was sacked from the South Central franchise last year, has been awarded a 63% pay rise. Connex, which continues to run the South-East commuter franchise, lifted chief executive Olivier Brousse's pay from £95,000 to £155,000. The average increase for Connex rail workers last year was 3.5%.
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RMT rail union leader Bob Crow called Brousse's pay rise a 'classic case of rewards for failure', adding: 'We will certainly have it in mind when we present future wage claims.'
The train company's accounts also showed that Connex used some of its revenues to pay a £20m dividend to its French parent company. Union leaders said it should have been reinvested in the British rail network.
Brousse, whose pay rise can be partly explained by his promotion during the year from commercial director, is on a 'meet and greet' campaign to win over Connex South East customers. 'It's not easy sitting with commuters,' he admitted at the weekend. 'You know the service is not particularly good and it could be better. They can be angry very easily.'
Brousse, 37, is attempting to turn round Connex's poor image by introducing new trains and carriages to replace the ageing slam-door fleet, by recruiting new train drivers, and even by appointing a 'strategic marketing director', in what rivals say will be one of the hardest jobs in the industry. But he admits that commuters are likely to be critical of Connex's service for years to come. 'Overcrowding is a reality and it's here to stay,' he said. 'Can we run any more trains into London? No, it's not going to happen in the coming years.'
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