Ballot result
EDM 80: Network Rail and Safety

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RAIL UNION RMT announced today that following the failure of Network Rail to offer anything conclusive aimed at resolving disputes involving signalling and maintenance staff, after hours of talks, members will be taking industrial action:-

Signalling staff:

Strike action between 06. 00 and 10. 00 hours and between 18. 00 and 22. 00 hours on the 6th, 7th and 8th and 9th of April.

Maintenance (infrastructure) staff:

Strike action from 06. 00 hours on Tuesday 6th April to 23. 59 hours on Friday 9th of April.

An overtime ban, ban on rest day working and a ban on on-call duties to be in force throughout this period for both groups of staff running through to 06. 00 hours on Saturday 10th April.

RMT General Secretary Bob Crow said:

“RMT negotiators have worked flat out to try and reach an agreement that protects rail safety, job security and working agreements in the disputes involving signalling and maintenance staff on Britain’s railways. Despite long hours of talks we have received nothing concrete from Network Rail that addresses the key issues.

“It remains the case that Network Rail, in a drive to slash 21% from their budget, want to axe 1500 maintenance posts, lump maintenance functions onto over-worked signallers, rip up agreements and impose changes that will quite clearly undermine safety across our railways and make another Hatfield, Potters Bar or Grayrigg disaster an inevitability.

“RMT members could not sit back and wait for Network Rail to drag our industry back to the dark days of Rail Track with their cash-driven cuts plans. We have decided to stand up and fight and the ball is now in Network Rail’s court to come back with meaningful proposals aimed at resolving these disputes.”

RMT Network Rail maintenance vote overwhelmingly for action over 1500 safety-critical job cuts

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RAIL UNION RMT confirmed today that members on Network Rail maintenance have voted by 77% for strike action and by 89% for action short of a strike over plans by the company to axe up to 1500 safety-critical jobs and to rip up national agreements on working practices.

The RMT executive will now discuss the next steps in the dispute at a meeting next Friday – 19th March - in light of the massive mandate for action that has been delivered by the members and to consider the ballot result in sister rail union TSSA. RMT has issued a further call to Network Rail Chairman Rick Haythornthwaite today to re-open talks on the maintenance cuts plans.

RMT General Secretary Bob Crow said:

“RMT members were faced with a stark choice in this ballot. They could either sit back and wait for these cash-led maintenance cuts to lead to another major disaster on Britain’s railways or they could vote to take action to stop the attack on rail safety. They have overwhelmingly voted to take action.

“Nobody should be under any illusions about just how determined RMT members are to win this dispute and to stop this reckless gamble with rail safety. Nearly 150 MP’s have signed the Early Day Motion opposing Network Rail’s cuts plans and have urged the Government to intervene to call a halt to this jobs carnage on the tracks. We are reissuing that call today.

“RMT is in no doubt that the cuts programme drawn up by Network Rail would drag us back to the dark days of Railtrack and would make another Hatfield, Potters Bar of Grayrigg disaster an inevitability. That is what this dispute is all about and even the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) has had to concede that the botched attempt to bulldoze through these cuts has raised serious safety concerns.“

“RMT remains available for talks with Network Rail and we would hope that in light of the overwhelming mandate for action delivered by our members today that the Chairman will respond to our request for meaningful discussions aimed at ensuring that the staffing levels required to deliver a safe rail system are maintained.”

EDM 80: Network Rail and Safety (146 signatures)

That this House notes the decision of Network Rail to announce the loss of thousands of frontline maintenance jobs by spring 2010; believes that this will mean that in a matter of months there will be a drop of up to 20 per cent. in the number of rail workers carrying out essential inspection and maintenance work; further believes that these deep and rapid cuts raise genuine and urgent concerns as to whether Network Rail will be able to ensure the safe and efficient running of the railway, including the adequate inspection and repair of track, signals, overhead lines and other infrastructure; is deeply concerned that Network Rail is failing to consult the trade unions on the safety implications of the proposals; further notes that the cuts are in part due to the fact that the economic rail regulator, the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR), has asked Network Rail to make efficiency savings of 21 per cent. over the next five years; is further concerned that because the ORR is both the safety and economic regulator it will be difficult for an objective view to be taken as to whether the safety of passengers and workers will be put at risk; believes the cuts cannot be justified; and calls on the Government to use its power as the primary funder of Network Rail to intervene to ensure that Network Rail directors put safety first.