PARLIAMENTARY COLUMN

Parliamentary column DEFENDING RAIL Recently we had an excellent Lobby of Parliament by over 200 RMT members on the subject of Network Rail’s scandalous plans to axe 1,500 jobs in key areas of maintenance. The reality of this hatchet job on the western region is the proposed axing of 300 maintenance workers. Too many Parliamentary lobbies, for whatever reason, end up as missed opportunities for activists and MPs; not this one. RMT members and their executive emphatically expressed to the many MPs who attended the anger of rail maintenance workers at Network Rail’s cavalier approach to safety. This anger is keenly felt by those of us MPs who are active in the RMT Parliamentary Group. We continue to be snubbed by Network Rail Chief Iain Coucher in our efforts to convince Network Rail’s Head Officer to come to Parliament to answer the serious concern that MPs have over the planned job cuts – Mr Coucher insists that we must come to his plush new office around the corner from Kings Cross station. The continued refusal to simply attend a meeting with MPs in Parliament does not reflect well on the Chief Executive of a company that is backed by the government and, not unlike most train operating companies, would not survive without public subsidy. Politicians and trades unionists need to impress upon the public the real threat to workers and public safety from Network Rail’s alarming plan. UK plc might be in economic recession but no country can afford to scrimp on rail safety. We saw at Hatfield, Potters Bar and Grayrigg the fatal consequences of such hazardous economising. There have already been some positive results from the Lobby, with the Office of Rail Regulation shaken out of its reluctance to comment on Network Rail’s sharpening of the axe. The ORR is, of course, vulnerable to accusations of a conflict of interest in this matter. It is part of the regulatory cabal that told Network Rail to make efficiency savings of 21% by 2014 yet is also the body responsible for enforcing health and safety on the rail network – a clear conflict of interest. MPs Ann Cryer, Kelvin Hopkins and myself went to see the Rail Minister, Chris Mole to impress upon him the damage that these cuts will have on the rail Industry, and on morale amongst Network Rail employees in particular. We left him in no doubt that this situation needed to be resolved as a matter of extreme urgency or the campaign would be escalated. What is so disappointing is that these disastrous cuts come at a time when we should be investing in a better rail network including taking back into public hands those failing franchises that have been a complete drain on the state. The government needs to completely re-orientate itself to listen to those who know most about the railways having spent their working lives in the industry. On a personal note can I thank those RMT members who have supported my campaign for the re-doubling of the Stroud Valleys line between Kemble and Swindon. Though we are not quite there in terms of finding the £45 million budget to progress this I am sure that the strength of feeling over this matter will force the rail authorities with government support to undertake this key piece of work. David Drew MP for the Stroud Constituency RMT helpline 0800 3763706 :: february 2010 :: RMTnews 9 of Rail Regulation wrote to Transport Secretary Lord Adonis. In the letter ORR chair Anna Walker said that ‘useful intelligence’ on the safety implications of the cuts from RMT had helped the railway directorate to better target inspections. “I can assure you that we have been scrutinising Network Rail’s restructuring proposals for some time and we will continue to do so. “We will make our own independent judgment on whether the proposed new structure can safely maintain the railway, and will take appropriate follow up and enforcement action if we believe safety may be compromised as a result of the changes. “I have asked Ian Prosser, our director of railway safety, to report to the ORR Board on February 16 his conclusions and next steps on the RMT’s concerns and he will then write separately to Bob Crow, to respond to the specific points he has raised……we expect assurance, confirmed by our own inspection activity, that safety will not be compromised as a result of changes made,” she wrote. In response to the ORR letter RMT general secretary Bob Crow welcomed the intervention of the rail regulator in response to the RMT dossier. “Clearly Network Rail should call an immediate halt to the cuts process that has already left many depots short of staff as vacancies have been left unfilled,” he said. RMT will continue to collect reports from members on the ground and will feed this into the ORR and the government to reinforce the safety case against these cuts. RMT has no doubt that the impact of slashing safety-critical maintenance staffing levels to the bone will have fatal consequences if Network Rail is allowed to get away with their plans. *A film of the lobby can be found on YouTube by searching the site for - Network Rail workers lobby MPs over job cuts