NETWORK RAIL is trying to spin its way out of controversy over dangerous cuts to its track-renewals programme.

NETWORK RAIL is trying to spin its way out of controversy over dangerous cuts to its track-renewals programme, Britain’s biggest rail union charges today.

As the government-funded rail-infrastructure company launched a media campaign emphasising its spending plans, RMT renewed its call for a reversal of a dangerous squeeze that demands 22 per cent “efficiency” savings up to 2014 – including a 28 per cent cut in track renewals this year.


The union has welcomed a parliamentary motion tabled by Stroud MP David Drew and signed by 45 others to date, which calls for a reversal of the cuts, a moratorium on job losses across the railway industry and a strategy to manage the industry in a way that helps to cushion the effects of the recession (text below).


“No amount of spin can disguise the hard reality that Network Rail is under a huge financial squeeze and has shelved nearly a third of the track renewals projects it had already scheduled for this year,” RMT general secretary Bob Crow said today.


“Added to cuts in track-inspection and signals-maintenance frequencies, that not only threatens to undermine safety, but it also puts at least 1,000 skilled engineering jobs at risk, and there will be no let-up in our campaign to get these cuts reversed.


“That would be simply wrong at any time, but during a recession it is scandalous – not least when NR is government funded and the government has said it will help the economy weather the worst of it by spending money on public projects,” Bob Crow said.


ends


Note to editors: Early Day Motion 794

NETWORK RAIL AND THE ECONOMIC DOWNTURN

Tabled by David Drew and signed by 45 others at March 31 2009


That this House welcomes efforts by the Government to lessen the impact of the recession and save jobs by intervening in the private sector industries, such as the car industry; notes with concern that Network Rail, which is heavily reliant on billions of pounds of Government subsidy is deferring 28 per cent. of rail renewals work, such as track and signals replacements; notes that Network Rail has confirmed in its 2009-10 business plan that this huge reduction in track renewals expenditure will have a major impact on the supply chain with 20 to 30 per cent. less heavy materials resulting in supply chain redundancies; is appalled that this will mean massive job cuts and supports the view of the rail unions that Network Rail's actions undermine the Government's stated intentions to use infrastructure projects to boost employment; further notes with concern that Network Rail is cutting the frequency of track inspections and routine signals maintenance which, combined with the reduction in renewals work, will significantly raise safety risks to passengers and workers; urges the Government to use its power as funder of Network Rail immediately to intervene to ensure that this essential rail renewals work is not deferred, to introduce a moratorium on job cuts and to develop an industry-wide strategy to ensure that railways can be managed in a way which mitigates rather than exacerbates the effects of the economic downturn.


For the latest list of signatories, please visit:

http://edmi.parliament.uk/EDMi/EDMDetails.aspx?EDMID=37854&SESSION=899