BRING GNER BACK IN-HOUSE TO SAVE JOBS AND RAIL SERVICES

www.rmt.org.uk :: september 2006 :: RMTnews 19 T he union has demanded that East-coast mainline franchise GNER be brought back under public control immediately to stop jobs and rail services falling victim to the financial crisis engulfing its parent company SeaContainers. RMT made the call as SeaContainers’ implemented an effective freeze on recruitment and announced that it wants to get rid of half of the 300 ticket office staff. There are similar concerns over the future of station staff, on-train personnel and maintenance workers. The company has been struggling with a huge debt burden and if SeaContainers runs aground, the government will be forced to effectively re- nationalise the flagship service. The company had seen GNER as a cash cow and is making desperate attempts to squeeze a profit from GNER’s rail operations including further sharp fares hikes, service cuts and a wholesale attack on jobs and conditions. “SeaContainers were only ever interested in this franchise to wring as much money out of it as possible, but their current financial crisis makes matters even worse and it is absolute madness to allow a supposedly profitable franchise to be butchered,” said general secretary Bob Crow. GNER’s passengers have already had to endure a massive 8.8 per cent hike in unregulated fares this year, but now the company plans to slash staff as well. “RMT will resist with every means at our disposal job cuts that are aimed solely at squeezing profits to satisfy SeaContainers’ debtors and shareholders. “We hope that passengers will also resist the attacks on their services and support the only sensible course, which is to bring the franchise back into the public sector, and keep it there,” Bob said. R MT has been campaigning against proposals to remove standards for licensed Thames watermen and lightermen introduced following the Marchioness disaster in 1989, which claimed 51 lives. The union’s parliamentary group has put down Early Day Motion 2266, which has been signed by 55 MPs, pointing out that Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) proposals will devalue the safety knowledge and experience needed to work on the river. The revisions are being made in order to comply with a new European Union Directive on harmonising boatmasters licences which does not allow for the application of higher standards. Parliamentary group convenor John McDonnell MP has urged the government to ensure that competency standards and qualifying service time for boat masters operating on the Thames are no less than the current standards for time- served watermen and lightermen. RMT Thames watermen representative Paul Baker has made representations at meetings of the MCA Working Group supported by general secretary Bob Crow, shipping secretary Steve Todd and John McDonnell. A meeting has also been held with the Minister responsible for the proposed changes Stephen Ladyman and a group of London Labour MPs have now written to the Minister expressing their concerns. You can help the campaign by asking your MP to sign Early Day Motion 2266. RMT DEFENDS SAFETY STANDARDS ON THE RIVER THAMES Bring GNER back in-house to save jobs and rail services