NORTHERN FOREIGN TAKE OVERS THREATEN RAIL JOBS

RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: january 2016 :: RMTnews 16 Passengers on the Northern Rail and Trans-Pennine franchises will now be subsidising the cost of travel in Germany and France after the two countries were handed the contracts to run them. Arriva Rail North, which will run Northern Rail from April, is wholly owned by the German state railway Deutsche Bahn and the French public railway SNCF have a 45 per cent stake in First TransPennine. RMT general secretary Mick Cash said that as well as paying the highest fares in Europe, passengers will be subsidising the cost of travel in mainland Europe. Berlin has openly admitted that it is sucking profits from the privatised rail industry in Britain to provide lower fares and better services at home. German Transport Ministry spokeswoman Vera Moosmayer boasted of such a strategy in relation to its state operator Deutsche Bahn. “We’re skimming profit from the entire Deutsche Bahn and ensuring that it is anchored in our budget - that way we can make sure it is invested in the rail network here in Germany,” she said. Mick Cash said that the awards were no surprise but will still came as a bitter blow to rail users and rail staff across the North. "Rather than all the garbage about the Northern Powerhouse this announcement opens the door to years of cuts to staff and safety and to profiteering on an epic scale. "RMT has waged a public fight against this carve up, engaging the public and local politicians, and that fight goes on. “The battle for a publicly owned, people's railway will continue regardless of today's profit-driven fit up,” he said. POSTCARD Every RMT member in the North of England will receive a postcard with this magazine calling on the chairman of Rail North Sir Richard Leese to guarantee that the Guard will be kept on rail services. It calls for ticket offices to be kept open and properly staffed, clean stations and trains with directly employed rail workers retained to at least their current levels. Please take the time to send this off to put maximum pressure to ensure jobs and safety are paramount and prevent a run-down of services in the interests of profit. RMT has long warned that passengers in the North are to be used as used a cash-cow to hold down fares and improve services for railways in EU states like France, Holland and Germany. As a result there will be cuts to rail services and staff here Will your council be supporting Northern railways? Or cutting rail jobs and services? NORTHERN FOREIGN TAKE OVERS THREATEN RAIL JOBS German state captures Northern Rail and French retain control of Trans-Pennine franchise POSTCARD: Northern members, please send postcard enclosed