RAIL SAFETY NOT EUROPEAN RAIL PRIVATISATION

RMT helpline 0800 3763706 :: february 2010 :: RMTnews 17 JOINT UNION STATEMENT RAIL SAFETY NOT EUROPEAN RAIL PRIVATISATION We call upon the European Railways Agency (ERA) to give a clear commitment that rail safety and jobs will not be sacrificed in the interests of competition and profit. We note that: • the ERA is responsible for implementing the rules governing the European internal market across national rail systems • since 2006 liberalisation of rail freight has led rail unions to raise serious concerns over safety following a series of avoidable accidents involving privatised freight operators including in the Channel Tunnel (21 August 2006 and 11 September 2008), Montauban (26 April 2008), Livernan (21 May 2009), Viareggio (29 June 2009) • the Inter-Governmental Commission on the Channel tunnel is examining the safety regime to prepare the route to meet European Union requirements to open international passenger traffic to competition from 1 January 2010 • the UK secretariat of the IGC safety authority has said that in light of European rail legislation it is time to ask whether current safety rules remain relevant • Eurostar is the only passenger train operator that satisfies the current safety regime • the current review of safety appears likely to scrap the requirement that passenger trains using the tunnel be able to split in half and leave in separate directions in the event of an emergency • the escape doors from the main tunnels to the emergency service tunnel that runs between them are 375 metres apart - a standard-length train could find itself stranded some distance from an escape door in a fire, forcing passengers to travel further on foot, possibly through smoke, to reach an exit We reject any weakening of operational safety rules governing cross-border rail traffic. We are concerned that the drive to competition contained in the EU rail packages is causing national and international safety authorities to put the interests of competition before safety. We call on all transport unions and organisations that defend public transport and the environment to oppose the systematic destruction of national rail networks, jobs and safety standards brought about as a result of the implementation of European Union rail liberalisation packages. As a first step we are calling for a mass protest at the offices of the European Railway Agency in Lille on Tuesday April 13 2010. Signed by RMT, ASLEF, CGT(France), SNTSF (Portugal) ORGANISING, MILITANCY AND REVITALISATION: THE CASE OF RMT March 4 18:00 at Bloomsbury Central Baptist Church near Tottenham Court Road Tube SPEAKERS: PROFESSOR RALPH DARLINGTON RMT GENERAL SECRETARY BOB CROW RMT PRESIDENT ALEX GORDON The meeting will look at why RMT has adopted an alternative organising model, rejecting social partnership in favour of mobilizing workers through industrial action and overtly political trade unionism. Such an approach has been neglected by academics and practitioners alike, despite appearing to be more successful in terms of growing membership levels, collective bargaining gains and the vibrancy of union organisation. Professor Ralph Darlington critically evaluates the relationship between union organising, militancy and revitalisation by examining the experiences of RMT. French state operator, London & Continental Railways of the UK or SNCB of Belgium, partners in the cross-Channel service. An Inter-Governmental Commission on Channel tunnel safety is preparing the route to meet EU competition rules to open international passenger traffic to competition. IGC UK secretariat head Terry Gates said no final decision had been made but it was time to ask whether safety rules needed to be rewritten. He told the Financial Times: “The IGC would not want to stand in the way of trains passing through the tunnel. But safety is paramount”. Eurotunnel spokesman John Keefe said: “The simple position is that there is now open access for all high-speed train operators who have got equipment that meets safety requirements”. RMT has warned that the pressure from EU competition rules is already leading to safety being watered down. For instance, RMT members working for Eurostar recently passed a vote of no confidence in the company’s senior management and have demanded assurances on the safe running of the service following the major breakdowns just before Christmas. During the disruption Train Managers were requested to work on a train alone in contravention of all safety rules. In a letter to the company, RMT has also demanded disclosure of the full facts on a range of staff concerns such as why it took up to eight hours to get stranded trains out of the Euro Tunnel and why it took an additional four hours after the trains left the tunnel to implement any contingency plan to rescue passengers and staff. JOIN THE PROTEST Make sure your branch is represented in Lille. A circular will shortly be sent out from head office calling for participants to sign up or contact head office on 020 7529 8307 or e-mail m.carty@rmt.org.uk LONDON UNDERGROUND ENGINEERING RMT BRANCH SPECIAL MEETING All welcome