by Keith Richmond
The RMT has welcomed an assurance from the Transport Secretary Lord Adonis that Network Rail’s controversial “restructuring proposals” – which put 1,500 jobs at risk – are being carefully scrutinised. The Office of Rail Regulation has intervened to examine the proposals after the union raised serious safety concerns over the threat by the company to cut the maintenance jobs.
Bob Crow, the union’s general secretary, said: “We welcome the intervention of the rail regulator in response to the RMT dossier on the safety implications of the cuts. Network Rail should call an immediate halt to the cuts process that has already left many depots short of staff as vacancies have been left unfilled.”
In a letter to Lord Adonis, Anna Walker, chair of the ORR, said: “I can assure you that we have been scrutinising Network Rail’s restructuring proposals for some time and we will continue to do so. We will make our own independent judgement on whether the proposed new structure can safely maintain the railway, and will take appropriate follow up and enforcement action if we believe safety may be compromised as a result of the changes.”
She has asked Ian Prosser, director of railway safety, to report by the middle of the next month and has then promised to respond to the union on the “specific points” it has raised.
Mr Crow said: “RMT will continue to collect reports from our members on the ground and will feed this in to the ORR and the Government to reinforce the safety case against these cuts. We have no doubt that the impact of slashing safety-critical maintenance staffing levels to the bone will have fatal consequences if Network Rail are allowed to get away with their plans.”
