PARLIAMENTARY COLUMN

Parliamentary column RMT helpline 0800 3763706 :: february 2011 :: RMTnews 9 With the McNulty review into the railways due to report in April and the Secretary of State for Transport probably introducing a rail white paper this year our railways are approaching a policy cross roads and decisions that are made this year and next could determine the shape of the industry for the next generation. This month I have tabled Early Day Motion 1383 to contribute to that debate. My motion focuses on an area of railway work that is absolutely vital to the safe and efficient railways but receive scant public attention, that of rail renewals which includes installing overhead lines and signals, and laying track. My motion expresses concern that currently renewals work is carried out by numerous contractors and subcontractors and Network Rail is making the mistake of managing these contracts by prioritising short-term budgetary objectives over the needs of the railway infrastructure. I and many of my colleagues believe this “feast and famine approach” has resulted in essential renewals being delayed leading to a poorer service and increased costs in the medium and longer term. RMT members will know all to well that this policy has also directly resulted in the loss of thousands of skilled rail jobs and railway knowledge, as demonstrated by Jarvis being forced into administration. Such an approach is a false economy and it would be far better for if Network Rail instead took all its renewals functions in-house. We know from McNulty that the decision by Network Rail to bring its maintenance function in-house from 2004 has delivered maintenance cost savings of over £400 million per annum, of which at least £100m is reported to be a direct result of reduced interface costs. Renewals and enhancements account for three quarters of Network Rail’s expenditure and it is clear that also bringing renewals in- house could provide significant substantial savings. It would also provide more security of employment and stability than the current policy of deferring renewals which can lead to involve an extension of agency and sub- contracted labour and worsening conditions of employment. I shall be raising bringing renewals in – house with both the government and the Labour’s policy review process. Congratulations to RMT and its parliamentary group for an excellent seminar on the bus industry, another area of transport policy that does not get the attention it needs. It was good to see over 100 people pack into the seminar. It was also welcome to see so many of my parliamentary colleagues there who will know that buses face a triple whammy of cuts in national and local funding and changes to the arrangements of funding for concessionary bus passes. And like so many of these callous government cuts it will be the young, poor and vulnerable who suffer most, yet another reason to join the TUC’s March for the Alternative on March 26. I hope to see you there. Kelvin Hopkins Labour Member of Parliament for Luton North RENEWING TRANSPORT POLICY C onDem government shipping minister Mike Penning will not uphold draft regulations drawn up by the last Labour government to outlaw pay discrimination on UK ships in UK waters. The government is now proposing to stop discrimination for EU nationals but allow discrimination to continue for non- EU nationals. RMT national secretary Steve Todd said that whilst it may stop discrimination against EU seafarers it was not enough. “We will have to ensure that EU maritime unions put the squeeze on their governments to end such discrimination,” he said. The minister also intends to completely ignore the findings of the Carter Report which recommended the outlawing of section nine of The UK 1976 Race Relations Act which explicitly allows for pay discrimination. Last month the European Commission issued a ‘reasoned opinion’ under EU infringement procedures which provides the UK government with two months to act. RMT solicitors first lodged the complaint with the European Commission in March 2006 following years of inaction by the Labour government. Since the complaint was made the Department for Transport has continued to delay action. The previous government did put down serious proposals to outlaw discrimination, with draft regulations drawn up for implementation alongside other Equality Act measures in October 2010. The previous regulations would remove discriminatory pay applied to EU nationals on UK and some EU flagged ships in UK territorial waters. It would also have covered some non-EU nationals on UK ships in UK territorial waters. RMT general secretary Bob Crow said that the minister was shamelessly hiding behind EU critical opinion to prevent pay justice on UK ships. “This ConDem government wants to continue with the modern day slavery on the ships of shame that taints the UK fleet. “RMT will continue to fight for pay and conditions to be applied without exemption,” he said. GOVERNMENT REFUSES TO END PAY DISCRIMINATION AT SEA