DEFENDING RAIL RENEWALS

RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: april 2011 :: RMTnews 8 N etwork Rail has agreed a new health and safety procedure which includes seconding six RMT health and safety reps to improve the safety culture within the company. The newly-appointed lead union safety reps (LUSRs) are Steve Wallace based in the union’s Glasgow office, Adrian Yates and Alan Clews based in the south east, Sean McGowan based in the Doncaster office, Adrian Fricker based in Birmingham office and Barry West based in the Bristol office. The group met with officers and executive committee members to conduct a detailed examination of the objectives of the new committee which included the need to identify and recruit health and safety reps to fill any vacancies up to the agreed number. The new procedure allows health and safety reps to attend TUC Stage I and II training and other training “as may be agreed from time to time”. The group also needs to establish a series of regular meetings with senior managers within Network Rail to promote health and safety. During their period of six-month secondment the reps will continue with their current RMT roles whether as a local health and safety rep or area council rep. As well as having an RMT base office the group will liaise with regional organisers and attend as many branch and area council meetings as possible. Newly-appointed rep for Scotland Steve Wallace welcomed the creation of the new group and hoped it would be the start of a more permanent arrangement overseeing health and safety within the company. T he government is undertaking a review of the railways and the Secretary of State for Transport will probably introduce a rail white paper this year. RMT parliamentary group member Kelvin Hopkins MP has tabled an Early Day Motion 1383 to contribute to that debate. The 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. The government says it is undertaking the review because railway costs are too high but one of the main causes of high costs is because railway renewal work is carried out by a complex web of private contractors and sub contactors who are all trying to make a profit. As well as being expensive and inefficient, this system has led to a delay in essential rail works and the loss of thousands of skilled rail jobs. Substantial savings could be achieved if renewals were carried out in-house by one organisation, as was the case before rail privatisation. Independent research has demonstrated that substantial savings could be achieved if such renewals were carried out in-house. Please send off your postcard to ask your MP to sign EDM 1383 which urges the government to assess the benefits of this proposal. DEFENDING RAIL RENEWALS Every member will receive a postcard with this magazine to send to their MP in support of Early Day Motion 1383 calling for rail renewals to be brought back in-house RMT APPOINTS NETWORK RAIL SAFETY REPS