MPs urge Network Rail to rethink maintenance staff cut

[whole diary]

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

Network Rail has been urged by MPs^▸ (Member of Parliament, or Mile Post - a method of measuring the railway in miles and chains from a starting point - usually London, depending on context) to reconsider plans to sack railway maintenance workers.

David Lepper, Labour MP for Brighton Pavilion, tabled an Early Day Motion opposing "the decision of Network Rail to introduce compulsory redundancies". He said the government-subsidised company should be expanding its workforce to improve safety.

Network Rail said it would use new technology to improve the railways and no final decisions had been made.

The House of Commons motion, also signed by former transport minister and West Worthing Conservative MP Peter Bottomley, said MPs were "extremely concerned" at the decision to introduce compulsory redundancies amongst rail maintenance workers.

The motion added that they were "alarmed at the safety implication" of reducing a workforce responsible for safe inspection and repair of track, signals and other rail infrastructure. It said the cuts would affect most of the rail network, and include "the loss of 40 jobs on Network Rail's Sussex route".

Network Rail said it could not confirm the number of Sussex jobs affected.

Similar Early Day Motions relating to Network Rail cuts in other parts of the UK^▸ (United Kingdom) have also been tabled.

A company spokesman said maintenance techniques had to evolve as they "become more efficient". He said: "We are continuing with discussions on our plans with our people and their union representatives, and no final decisions have been made. Our plans to restructure maintenance depots will enable us to direct resources to where they are needed and enable them to be more responsive."

Network Rail would not jeopardise its safety record, he added.

The firm, which employs 33,000 people, announced in September that it would cut 2,549 jobs, including sub-contractors.

[ChrisB]

The Labour MP^▸ (Member of Parliament, or Mile Post - a method of measuring the railway in miles and chains from a starting point - usually London, depending on context) has a simple solution - tell his leader not to cut Network Rail's budget....

fat chance....

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

RMT^▸ (National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers) and TSSA^» (Transport Salaried Staffs' Association - about) rail unions urge maintenance cuts rethink

Rail workers are due to lobby Parliament in protest at plans by Network Rail to cut maintenance jobs.
The Rail Maritime and Transport union will hand a dossier to MPs^▸ (Member of Parliament, or Mile Post - a method of measuring the railway in miles and chains from a starting point - usually London, depending on context) detailing how it says cuts will undermine safety.
RMT general secretary Bob Crow said: "We are sending a clear message to MPs that the rail maintenance job cuts are a lethal gamble."
Network Rail insisted that there would be "no compromise on safety" as a consequence of the job losses.
The firm, which employs 33,000 people, announced in September it would cut 2,549 jobs, including sub-contractors.
According to the RMT, hundreds of rail workers have contacted the union with examples of fewer track safety inspections, delays to level crossing repairs and a reduction in safety checks on railway signals.
Mr Crowe said the cuts would create "the perfect conditions for another Hatfield, Potters Bar or Grayrigg railway tragedy".
"The jobs to be axed are of those workers responsible for inspecting and repairing the track, signals, level crossings and overhead lines," he said. "They work 365 days a year, day and night in all conditions to keep the railway safe. Now they are going to be sacked as part of a so-called efficiency drive and we are calling on MPs of all parties to join us in a campaign to stop these fatally flawed cuts from being bulldozed through."
Gerry Doherty, leader of the Transport Salaried Staffs Association, said Network Rail needed to put "safety first" by keeping maintenance jobs "whatever the pressures on the public purse".
He added: "It seems unbelievable that we are pressing a Labour government on railway safety more than eight years after the Potters Bar tragedy."
But a spokesman for the company said it had a "clear commitment" to taxpayers to reduce costs.
He added: "A common structure, new technology, higher standards and better knowledge of our assets will allow us to focus our efforts improving our service for passengers, providing a safe, efficient and reliable railway. Network Rail is always willing to talk to the RMT about its concerns."

[ChrisB]

It's the start of the public sector spending cuts....

THe DfT^» (Department for Transport - about)/ORR^» (Office of Rail and Road, formerly Office of Rail Regulation - about) need to amend the CP4^▸ (Control Period 4 - the five year period between 2009 and 2014) expenditure budget then. It's in the Government'sd hands this, not NR^» (Network Rail - home page)'s....