WHERE NOW FOR PUBLIC TRANSPORT?

6 RMT held another highly successful fringe meeting at Labour Party Conference in Liverpool highlighting the need for insourcing and public ownership. RMT’s annual fringe around transport has become a regular fixture in the conference calendar and gives the union the opportunity and profile to make the case for public transport and public transport workers. This year under the theme ‘is Labour Delivering on Public Transport?’ the packed-out meeting discussed a wide range of issues including the case for insourcing, the government’s policies on rail public ownership and bus services and the case for stronger legal protections for transport workers from assaults. The discussion was kicked off by RMT general secretary Eddie Dempsey by exposing the fact that rail privatisation had driven up costs and weakened the sector’s ability to deliver long-term value. “The widespread outsourcing of cleaning, security, construction and maintenance work has increased costs and delayed projects due to fragmented contracts, risk aversion and compensation claims. “The creation of Great British Railways (GBR) is an opportunity for rail to become a strategic pillar of national productivity revival operating under a unified, public-sector- led model. “By redefining productivity, reintegrating the network, and investing in domestic capabilities the rail sector could become a vehicle for national renewal and reignite broader economic growth,” he said to applause. The panel of speakers included Mick Whelan, Aslef general secretary, Maryam Eslamdoust, TSSA general secretary, Marcus Johns, Senior Research Fellow Institute for Public Policy Research and Chris Hayes, chief economist at the Common Wealth think tank. RMT Parliamentary Group member and local Labour MP Kim Johnson chaired the meeting and local RMT branches organised another fantastic display of union banners.  Thanks also to all the Labour Party delegates and unions who after the fringe meeting joined our union’s protest against rail and tube workers facing job losses under the government’s new immigration rules. WHERE NOW FOR PUBLIC TRANSPORT? RMT fringe at Labour conference gets union message across RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: nov/dec 2025 :: RMTnews