SEWAGE SUCCESS

Following a high-profile RMT campaign, Network Rail, the Scottish government and Abellio ScotRail have put in additional resources to end the dumping of raw sewage onto Scotland’s rail infrastructure by the end of this year. RMT coordinators at ScotRail Jim Gray and Dane Smith led the campaign said that the completion of the work was great news for workers employed at Scotrail in the engineering department as they will no longer have to deal with human waste spread all over the undercarriage of the rolling stock while undertaking their duties. “RMT infrastructure members at Network Rail and at contracting companies have had to endure the infrastructure being contaminated by human waste for far too long and I am delighted this is now coming to an end in a few weeks’ time,” said Mr Smith. They both took the opportunity to thank Syeda Ghufran, head of engineering projects at Scotrail and her team for their diligence in keeping the programme on course on a tight schedule. Jim and Dane hope the successful campaign in Scotland will send a message to other train operating companies and the government that a twenty first century railway must not tolerate nineteenth century methods of dealing with human waste. The union has written to the Chief Executive of Network Rail demanding clear assurances that the filthy and disgusting practice will end by a clearly defined cut-off point with no exemptions or derogations. RMT has written the letter after Mark Carne told the press that the practice would be phased out by next year – a pledge that RMT wants turned into a cast iron guarantee with an assurance that punitive action will be taken against those train companies that attempt to flout it. RMT also wants assurances that train companies will not be allowed to duck the issue by simply stripping out their toilets and replacing them with seats as has happened in the past on the south coast. RMT general secretary Mick Cash wrote to NR concerning recent articles in the press with regards to the end of dumping raw human sewage out on to the rail track. “My trade union has been raising this very issue for many years and many times promises are made with reference to new rolling stock, modern technology and facilities back in depots and sidings. I have to ask you, what makes it so different this time around?” “I would ask you to ensure that every operator across all sectors of the industry is operationally bound to provide suitable and sufficient arrangements for the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health by an agreed cut-off date. “If it’s good enough for the workers in Scotland from December 2017 it should be the same standard for rail maintenance and track workers in England and Wales?,” the letter said. Mick Cash said that the union had fought long and hard to end practice of dumping human waste on Britain’s railways for many years now and was sick and tired of being fobbed off with warm words and vague targets. “We want cast-iron guarantees and we want them now. “It is outrageous that wealthy, profiteering private train companies have been allowed to get away with this scandalous abuse for so long because they are too greedy and tight-fisted to bring it to an end. “The financial responsibility for ending this scandal should fall to the rail rip-off merchants and not the British taxpayer. “The government cheerleaders at the self-styled Rail Delivery Group are quick to stick the boot into Britain’s guards when they stand up for public safety. “It is time for them to get their house and their industry in order and show some support for the workforce for whom a dousing with faeces from a passing train is a regular occurrence,” he said. RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: november/december 2017 :: RMTnews 15 SUCCESS: RMT coordinators at Scotrail Jim Gray (centre) and Dane Smith (right) with Syeda Ghufran, head of engineering projects at Scotrail. SEWAGE SUCCESS Union welcomes ScotRail plan to end dumping raw sewage on rail tracks and calls on others to follow suit