DEALING WITH NETWORK RAIL

RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: april bulletin 1 2020 :: RMTnews 3 RMT is circulating a number of documents to members working for Network Rail following detailed negotiations at a senior level between employers and RMT representatives. All documents are complementary to each other and may be of assistance to all grades of transport workers. They are as follows: 1 COVID-19 - SAFE WORK PRINCIPLES FOR NETWORK RAIL STAFF AND CONTRACTORS: https://bit.ly/3drAA9r 2. COVID-19 - PRIORITISING WORK AND MINIMISING EXPOSURE: https://bit.ly/39i5PAr 3. Guidelines for key workers - social distancing in the workplace: https://bit.ly/3dsN1Sh 4. Guidelines Social Distancing whilst Working at Home: https://bit.ly/39k1Pj5 These Safe Work Principles Guidelines set out NR’s general position for its own staff and supply chain contractors during the period of the health emergency. Network Rail has agreed in a statement that it should not attempt to run its business as usual. “Network Rail and its supply chain companies shall amend their workloads, practices and required staffing levels to that which are essential to provide, operate and support the railway. In doing so, they will reduce the number of staff required to operate and maintain the railway safely and reduce the numbers of workers potentially in circulation and exposed to infection and transmission.” This should reduce the numbers of key workers required and in circulation on the railway and only essential work for the operation of the railway should be carried out. Staff that are not required for this essential work should remain at home. The document also sets out that best practice in protecting workers by NR and their supply chain including enforcing distancing and eliminating the congregation of staff should be applied. SECTION 10 GIVES A COMMITMENT THAT: “Staff that are symptomatic, have underlying conditions, or have members of their household, that are considered vulnerable will be required to stay at home and will be paid their full pay. For staff working to a roster this will be their base roster or base published roster including any contractual allowance.” The Prioritising Work and Minimising Exposure document is a clarification of the commitment to only conduct essential work to provide operate and support the railway in this period. You will see that it provides for “priority maintenance only” and will “not require staff to undertake non-essential maintenance tasks”. Track renewals are to be paused and the work bank reviewed in each Rote to determine if the work can be carried out within the social distancing guidelines; where this is the case the work will proceed. Where work cannot be completed whilst complying with social distancing guidelines then the criticality of the work is to be reviewed and work should proceed only where it is deemed critical to maintaining a safety and operational railway. The other documents are NR policies which they have compiled following our discussions and represent their interpretations of practices to be adopted based on the commitments given in the safe work principles and the general health guidance provided by the government. There are two separate documents for those working at home and another for key workers required to come to the workplace. For the key workers you will see there are some changes in work practices including home start and travel direct to worksite, use of own vehicles with company insurance covering. Mileage payments will be made for own car use in this period and the details will be covered in a separate document. Company vehicles can be used for home to work travel and the HMRC restrictions have been lifted for the period. These again are positive commitments and will help to alleviate concerns about travelling in groups in vehicles and congregating of staff at booking on points and mess rooms. Local pragmatic solutions will develop to work around the problems that will arise once these principles and policies are published. However, whatever solutions are created to deal with most issues there is no getting away from the fact that on track there will be certain tasks that will certainly compromise the two metre distancing, or the task will not be possible. Members carrying out such task will have to make the best use of PPE (gloves, masks, eyewear etc.) to minimise the risks. While the principle do seem oriented to track work they do apply to all staff and our members in signal locations, control rooms, offices, etc. will have to be vigilant in enforcing social distancing at all times taking whatever practical measures they can. In compiling these documents there has been genuine dialogue with NR and it has changed their stance and approach during the process which at the beginning was essentially business as usual and prompted by the Department for Transport. There will be further developments as the emergency continues and the union will remain in constant dialogue with the company and inform members of all developments. DEALING WITH NETWORK RAIL RMT is continually negotiating safe working principles with Network Rail during the current health emergency