RMT Slams Network Rail for Putting Bonuses Before Public Safety

Rail union RMT today slammed Network Rail bosses for putting bonuses before public safety after the union received a point blank refusal from the company to a request for the publication of risk assessments relating to the deferral of 28% of their track renewals programme in the drive to claw back nearly £3 billion in cuts.

RMT first requested the risk assessments, which would outline the dangers to the travelling public and rail workers from the shelving of essential track renewals, on the 20th March 2009.

RMT has repeatedly asked for publication of the risk assessments over the past three months and today received a letter from Chief Executive Iain Coucher confirming that they will not be made available.

RMT are taking legal advice and are mobilising a political challenge to the refusal to let rail staff and the public see details of the safety risks associated with the deferral of track renewals. Nearly 70 MP's have signed Early Day Motion 794 calling on the Government to intervene to reinstate the rail renewals work.

Speaking from the RMT's annual general meeting on the Isle of Man, RMT General Secretary Bob Crow said:

"Just days after the news broke that Network Rail bosses are to receive massive bonuses they have been caught out trying to hide key safety information from the public and from rail staff on the implications of their decision to defer 28% of rail renewals. There is no question that the bonuses are taking priority over rail safety and that's a disgrace.

"Network Rail have used every trick in the book to keep this safety information out of the public domain and RMT wants to know what they've got to hide. We will use legal and parliamentary channels to drag this information out into the daylight.

"RMT is in no doubt that the deferral of trail renewals makes another disaster like Hatfield, Potters Bar or Grayrigg more likely and that's why we are determined to force Network Rail to publish their risk assessments."

Early Day Motion

EDM 794

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.