KEEP SOUTH EASTERN TRAINS PUBLIC

RMTnews :: december 2005 8 E xactly two years after South Eastern Trains was rescued from the private sector on November 9 2003, RMT renewed its call to keep the franchise in public hands. RMT members were out in force across the region, demonstrating that re- privatisation amounts to daylight robbery and urged commuters to join the campaign to stop the franchise being re-privatised. “Since Connex was booted off South Eastern Trains, services have been getting steadily better and there are 500 more staff around, yet the operation is costing taxpayers £1 million a month less,” RMT general secretary Bob Crow said. “Whatever way you look at it, South Eastern Trains is a public-sector success story and it would be nothing short of a betrayal to throw it back to the privateers to bleed dry again. “Commuters have made clear their overwhelming opposition to plans to slash ticket-office opening hours, and RMT members for action to defend the 100 ticket-office jobs already under threat in the run-up to re-privatisation,” he said. The union has consistently argued that the sell-off has been opposed by the public, the unions and Labour Party MPs and members, and a massive veil of secrecy has been drawn over the bidding process, which has led to Govia winning the contract. “South Eastern Trains has proved that rail services can be run more efficiently by the public sector, and we are asking commuters who rely on its services to join our campaign to get the sell-off dropped,” Bob Crow said. KEEP SOUTH EASTERN TRAINS PUBLIC!