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R
MT has written to Welsh
First Minister Carwyn Jones
demanding that he call an
immediate halt to plans that
would unleash a £5 billion
privatisation of Welsh railways.
In a letter to Mr Jones
general secretary Mick Cash
says;
“I met with colleagues from
Transport for Wales (TfW) on
July 25 2017 to go through the
forthcoming Wales and Borders
franchise.
The meeting was a sham as it
was blatantly obvious to me
that a decision had already been
taken to give the private sector
the South Wales Valley lines and
the Hansford Review into
Network Rail has now confirmed
my belief that privatisation of
Network Rail is the chosen
option:
“The forthcoming South
Wales Metro upgrade project
will provide an interesting new
example, as the successful third
party bidder will take over,
upgrade and extend transport
infrastructure around Cardiff”.
Andy Thomas Managing
Director of Network Rail’s Wales
Route has also confirmed this
stating “That under TfW and the
government, there would be a
transfer of those assets and the
running of those services.”
Furthermore this shows that
Ken Skates claim that this is “an
ambitious and creative not for
profit model” is equally bogus.
I am staggered to find that it
is a Welsh Labour government
that is privatising Network Rail’s
infrastructure and is acquiescing
with a Westminster Tory
government in the piecemeal
privatisation and break up of
Network Rail.
It is equally disgraceful that
this privatisation is one which
will guarantee that the
successful ‘third party bidder’
will be either the French,
German, Dutch or Chinese
government.
I cannot express how
disappointed I am that this
privatisation is happening
despite the expressed opposition
of my union and passengers and
in the face of overwhelming
public support for the
renationalisation of the railways.
We therefore demand that
you immediately stop the
process to privatise the South
Wales Valley lines and meet
with me to discuss this as a
matter of urgency.
I look forward to hearing
from you at your earliest
opportunity”.
Mick Cash said that the idea
that RMT would sit back while
plans were hatched for a £5
billion scheme to hand Welsh
railways lock, stock and barrel
to private operators under the
control of the Dutch, German,
French or Chinese was
ridiculous.
"RMT is appalled and angry
that a Labour administration in
Wales would even consider a
proposal that mirrors the failed
Public Private Partnership on
London Underground which
collapsed in total chaos.
“The plan would also pave
the way for smashing up and
privatising the publicly owned
Network Rail area by area.
"This plan needs to be called
to a halt right now and we are
giving Carwyn Jones the
opportunity to pull back from
the brink,” he said.
12
F
ollowing pressure from the
union Babcock has now
agreed to meet Welsh
government ministers to look at
“all sensible and appropriate
alternatives” in the wake of their
recent announcement of the
proposed closure of their
Newport Rail depot, which is
currently putting 31 jobs at risk
in Wales.
The news comes after a
recent tri-partite meeting with
RMT and Network Rail and
pressure from Welsh Assembly
Members.
Under the original proposals
Babcock intended to move work
out of Wales to England to
facilitate the Newport depot
closure.
Workers from the Midlands
and Bristol will then need to
travel to Wales to carry out the
company’s railway contracts
there. These jobs are skilled
specialist railway jobs giving
good skilled employment in a
low employment area – recent
work carried out from this depot
in the Cambrians and on the
Ebbw Vale line has been highly
praised.
In addition to the loss of the
depot the move would
undermine jobs with good RMT
negotiated terms and conditions
and replace them with much
lower paid contractors. This
casualisation of the work will
inevitably mean less safety for
the workers.
RMT general secretary Mick
Cash said that the Welsh
government now had a golden
opportunity to work with
Babcock to keep this depot open
to allow these much needed jobs
to remain in Wales.
“It was announced recently
that the Welsh government
successfully negotiated Spanish
train builders CAF to set up in
Newport with Welsh government
financial assistance and Babcock
Rail workers are looking for
similar support.
“RMT wants to thanks John
Griffiths AM Newport East and
other AMs for their support
which has ultimately led to the
company reconsidering the
closure,” he said.
NO RAIL PRIVATISATION
IN WALES
RMT demands that first minister call immediate
halt to £5 billion welsh rail privatisation plan
An Arriva Trains Wales passes along track near
Abergele and Pensarn station in north Wales.
RMT FIGHTS TO SAVE NEWPORT BABCOCK RAIL DEPOT