Renationalise
Railtrack
By Ann Cryer MP
Westminster
News
All the latest news on the work of the Socialist Campaign Group of Labour
MPs in Parliament
A
downturn in the world economy
Jim Mortimer looks at the possible consequences of a slow-down
in the world economy
Foot
and mouth and the world agricultural business
Dr Ian Gibson MP examines the roots of the foot and mouth crisis
Press
harassment ruled against
Tom O'Malley, from the Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom
looks at the consequences of a new court ruling for the individual's right
to be free from press harassment
Keep
racism out of the general election
More than 2000 people rallied at Trafalger Square on 24 March in defence
of asylum rights and against racism
Capital
women have their say
Three hundred women attended the first London women's conference organised
by the London Mayor's office.
What the next government should do
Time
to end the pay gap
Mary Turner, President of the GMB sets out the case for ending the
differentials in pay between men and women
Wanted:
ethics in foreign policy
Tess Kingham MP calls for the next Labour government to devise a truly
ethical foreign policy
Restore
the pensions-earnings link
Rodney Bickerstaffe puts forward the argument in favour of restoring
the link between pensions and earnings
Choices
for the CWU election
As members of the CWU are going to the ballot box to select a new General
Secretary, Socialist Campaign Group News interviews candidate Billy
Hayes
Macedonia
- the cost of western involvement in the Balkans
Alice Mahon MP argues the situation in Macedonia is the direct
result of Kfor's unwillingness to stand up to the KLA
Terror
Act ban denies justice
Jeremy Corbyn MP looks at the most recent legislation which bans several
political organisations
NMD
Watch
Keeping an eye on developments of Bush's missile defence system
Scottish
unions push equalities agenda
Rozanne Foyer, Assistant Secretary of the Scottish TUC previews the
forthcoming STUC congress
The recent report by the House of Commons transport select committee condeming Railtrack’s record on safety, maintenance and renewal and suggesting that renationalisation be considered is in line with the opinion of rapidly growing numbers of MPs, rail workers, commuters and the general public.
On renationalisation the report said that ‘It is unacceptable that the taxpayer should be compelled to bail out a private monopoly company which has acted so incompetently, without taking any stake in the company in return’. The truth of this was underlined days later when John Prescott announced a cash injection of £1.5 billion. Although this money has been taken from funds already agreed for 2006, the size of the amount shows that the select committee was correct to conclude that Railtrack produces costs which are ‘likely to end up being borne, one way or another, by the government’.
We should be able to expect a safe and efficient rail service. Instead increasing numbers of people are turning away from rail travel and using their cars. This can only mean more avoidable accidents and deaths.
We are told that it would cost between £5 and £6 billion to renationalise Railtrack. But at the moment the public is subsidising a private monopoly with no strings attached — and no end in sight. Why should this be? At a minimum Labour should commit itself to some form of equity shareholding in return for this public money.
John Prescott has also announced that Railtrack will not be responsible for building the second phase of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link nor for the upgrading of the East Coast main line. Those who do become responsible for these may also seek public money.
An Early Day Motion tabled by myself in the House of Commons argued that privatisation of the railways by the previous government was ill-conceived and calls on the government to ‘restore confidence in the rail network by returning Railtrack to public ownership and accountability with a clear onus to monitor track maintenance and renewal alongside a culture of safety and reliability as opposed to the present regime which places profitability before all else’. One hundred and eight Members of Parliament have so far signed this call. This is a very high number to support such a motion. However, I believe it is quietly supported by many more — possibly a majority of Labour MPs.
It is my view that these MPs are representative of public opinion and that if Labour were to have in its manifesto a commitment to restructuring the ownership of the railways and introducing at least an element of public ownership it would be both right and a vote winner.
...and keep the tube
safe
by Bob Crowe,
RMT Assistant General Secretary
The RMT’s strike action on 29 March succeeded in a
virtual shutdown of the underground with only one in sixteen trains running
— an even greater impact than the last strike on 5 February. This followed
an 11:1 vote in favour of action, the largest ever on the underground.
The recent report of the Health and Safety Executive, which has postponed acceptance of the PPP rail safety case beyond the 1 April deadline following the identification of 273 outstanding safety issues, has confirmed the fears of tube workers that safety on the underground is deteriorating on a daily basis. The report was the HSE’s most detailed assessment of the PPP to date and identified concerns over derailments, co-operation between infrastructure companies, passenger fatalities and the interface with other train operators.
This report should be the death knell for the Public Private Partnership. London Underground is light years away from proving that the PPP is safe. Ideology is being put before safety. It is now essential that Tony Blair intervene to prevent a disaster on the tube.
The date of 29 March was picked to coincide with the International Transport Federation’s worldwide railway safety day when hundreds of thousands of rail workers in over forty countries campaigned to put safety before profit. Our members believe if they do not act today, there will be a catastrophe tomorrow. Neither they, nor the public, can afford a Hatfield on the tube. Members at the grassroots are telling us that London Underground have not addressed their concerns over safety. There was a groundswell of support among our members to take action.
Unfortunately, our sister union ASLEF was not able to take part as they were informed by LUL that they could be subject to a legal challenge for damages. We are appalled that yet again London Underground has threatened to use the courts against a trade union. However, we did not let that deter us and it was encouraging that many ASLEF members refused to cross our picket lines.
Both ASLEF and RMT have written to all London Labour MPs, CLPs, branches and councillors outlining our concerns. We have pointed out that tube staff are in the best position to identify safety concerns and have asked that they do all they can to persuade London Underground that the fears of tube staff need to be seriously addressed.
We hope that readers of Socialist Campaign Group News will do all they can to support tube workers in their ongoing struggle for a safer underground.