PARLIAMENTARY COLUMN

9 While fireworks will light up the sky on November 5 the date is also a dark day in the history of our railways. Twenty years ago this day the Railways Act passed into law leading to the break up and privatisation of British Rail. For all its faults, British Rail was an integrated, publicly owned railway where the majority of rail workers were employed to work together for the public good. And despite being starved of investment, BR was one of the most efficient railways in Europe. Today our railways are a patchwork of competing railway companies, with workers employed on a variety of different conditions, where the companies put profits before passengers. All the independent research shows that privatisation has been a failure. The railways now cost three times as much to run. Passengers pay the highest fares in Europe and there has been minimal private sector investment. Passenger growth has been not been due to privatisation, it’s been the result of economic growth and massive public investment. Directly Operated Railways on the East Coast Main Line has shown that publicly owned and operated railways in the UK can deliver increased performance while receiving much lower subsidy than private operators and thus returning significantly more to the taxpayer, which can be reinvested in the service. But just as we are making progress in making the case for public ownership new European Union regulations will impose the privatisation of rail passenger services across the European Union. The set of proposals contained within the EU’s “Fourth Railway Package” will make the tendering of rail passenger services mandatory, increase open access operation and will impose the separation of train operation and infrastructure management in every EU member state. In short, the Fourth Railway Package will impose the model of fragmented and privatised railways that has been an abject failure in the UK. Implementing these measures across the EU would be a similar disaster for passengers and taxpayers alike. We are now in a very important battle and it is vital that RMT members lobby both their MP and MEPs to make the make the case for public ownership. The EU’s proposals can be defeated if, in the UK and Europe, we mobilise enough opposition and make the case for public ownership. That’s why on November 5 I will be supporting the national day of action called by the RMT-backed Action for Rail campaign, where the unions will be leafleting as many stations as possible. It does not take long to contact your MEP and MP. Simply go to the RMT / Action for Rail website and it will take just a few moments. It will not take long to ask your family, friends and workmates to do the same. Politicians respond to pressure. I know! Let’s start applying some. Ian Davidson is the Labour MP for Glasgow South West and a member of the RMT Parliamentary Group. FIGHTING RAIL PRIVATISATION Parliamentary column motion on rail re-nationalisation with our sister rail unions with a passionate plea for the railways to be put back in the public sector where they belonged. RMT delegate Glenroy Watson moved an emergency motion condemning the London Transport cuts and the Tory proposals for a strike ban. RMT delegate Willie Shearer spoke eloquently on the need for the UK to have a proper maritime strategy and successfully seconded a motion on the subject while fellow seafarer. Executive member Darren Procter successfully moved the RMT position on improved safety rights for seafarers and offshore workers and remembering the 25 years since the Piper Alpha disaster. Bob Crow also seconded an emergency motion highlighting safety concerns following the North Sea helicopter tragedy with unity among the offshore unions to do all that was possible to prevent another tragedy. Youth RMT delegate Lorna Tooley made an impassioned and moving speech on the motion that had been submitted by the TUC’s LGBT conference highlighting the escalating attacks and threats to LGBT people that are taking place in many countries. It was a proud moment for the union and LGBT members in particular as the motion Lorna moved had originally been submitted to the LGBT conference by the RMT. All the other RMT delegates made contributions either in the Congress Hall, within the delegation or in a number of successful fringe meetings hosted by RMT, including Ruth Strong, Alex Gordon, Daren Ireland, Sean McGowan, Sean Hoyle, David O Donnell, Mansur Khan, Deborah Rio Alonso, Keith Simpson and Jared Wood. If you are interested in being a delegate to the TUC next year please contact your branch secretary. RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: october 2013 :: RMTnews