TSSA Journal March 2013

March 2013
INSIDE
n Better Rail gets creative
n Transport fit for London
n Ireland: Jobs not debt
Fighting
the Axemen
in this issue
Transport Salaried Staffs’
Association
General Secretary: Manuel Cortes
Joining TSSA
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TSSA Journal
Editor: Ben Soffa
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Vol 109/issue 1227
2
March 2013
7
Irish workers
struggling under the
weight of bank debt.
Coverage of the mass
protests on page 7,
whilst similar ‘street
theatre’ campaigning
is discussed on 12-13.
18-19
Christian Wolmar
sets out his
vision for moving
transport in
London towards a
brighter future.
editorial
March sees the
fiftieth
anniversary of the
Beeching Report,
whilst we’re now
20 years on from
the start of the
Tory’s programme of
rail privatisation. Both were disasters
for transport workers and the public
alike, and both have had to be at least
partially reversed.
4–10 News and campaigns
u Privatisation: 20 years on
u Fare rise protests
u Big win at Amey Consulting
u Ireland: Jobs Not Debt
u Members receive Honours
u Winning for TSSA in Labour
13 General secretary: ATOC still not listening
12–13 Better Rail campaign gets creative
14 Fighting prejudice against travellers
15 Glenis Willmott MEP:
The EU and public ownership
16–17 Wolmar: Moving London forward
18–20 Salveson: Beeching 50 years on
21 Building our branch
22–23 Advice: Morrish solicitors and Helpdesk
21 Letters
CC BY NC delete08
In this issue Paul Salveson looks at the
Beeching Report, the campaign against
it and examples of the lines reprieved
or re-opened since the ‘Beeching Axe’
struck (pages 18-20). General Secretary
Manuel Cortes reports on ATOC’s first
ever meeting with the rail unions (page
11) and how the Government look set
to put off major franchising until after
the 2015 election. With franchise
extensions expected to be offered as
‘management contracts’, the pretence
of private sector investment by TOCs
falls away, just as the collapse of
Railtrack back in 2002 started the flow
back from the fully private model John
Major and co had envisaged.
No one underestimates how much
effort will be required to fully reverse
the failed experiment of privatisation,
but we’re working hard to upgrade our
direct access to the levers of power
through the Labour Party (page 10).
With Labour odds-on to form the next
government, TSSA is looking to train up
and support people to organise around
our goals within the party or to
become local or Parliamentary
candidates. Even if you’re not yet a
Labour member but want to find out
more, do have a read and get in touch.
As ever, your letters, thoughts and
ideas for future articles are always
welcome. This is your magazine, so do
get in touch if you’re involved in
something that should be shared with
other TSSA members. I hope you enjoy
this issue.
Ben Soffa, editor
TSSA Journal
3
news
ply”
old off chea
s
g
in
e
b
s
t
e
ass
question of
o
n
is
e
r
e
h
T
“
1995
Wrong.
er
28 Novemb
“Fares will be lower, following privatisation”
Wrong.
20 March 1997
“Governme
nt
to be broad funding after privatis
ation is exp
19 Decemb ly similar”
ected
er 1
995
Wrong.
20 years on: the scam of privatisation
THIS JANUARY MARKED the
20th anniversary of the
introduction of legislation
allowing for the break up and
sell-off of British Rail. The
measures, which finally made
it through Parliament in
November 1993 can now be
clearly seen as one of the
most scandalous and wasteful
acts of vandalism against
public services carried out by
the last Conservative
government.
Each of the above claims by
the Prime Minister of the day,
John Major, proved to be false.
Assets were chronically
undervalued in the rush to sell
them off as fast as possible.
The Porterbrook rolling stock
operator was privatised for
£527m yet just six months
later was sold on for £825m –
a tidy £300m profit for half a
year’s ‘risk’ of guaranteed
profits. Whilst the sell-off was
a disaster all round, the
process gave huge windfalls to
shareholders and didn’t even
maximise the short-term gain
for taxpayers – Railtrack was
privatised for £1.9bn but just
4
March 2013
three years later had a market
value of £7.8bn.
Far from remaining ‘broadly
similar’ as Major claimed,
taxpayer subsidy has gone up
fourfold, up from £930 million
to £3.8 billion per year, whilst
fares have more than doubled,
up over 102 per cent since
1995.
TSSA planned to run a
somewhat cheeky press advert
on the anniversary, noting ‘It
wasn’t just Edwina who John
Major screwed – he also screwed
our railways and millions of
passengers’. After this was
banned by the advertising
regulator, the ensuing
coverage raised the disaster of
privatisation without the
Association actually needing
to run the advert!
The Association will be
using the anniversaries of the
later stages of the legislation
to further raise just how badly
the experiment of privatisation
has failed. You can help spread
the message of the campaign
by highlighting the facts
above in a letter to your local
paper.7
Thee Grreat
e Railway Disaster
eat
Edwina: “I suppose this is the end of the line, John.”
It wasn’t just Edwina who John Major fooled around with...
He also fouled up our trains and millions of passengers.
Twenty years
rs ago the To
ories voted to sell off our railways to private firms:
w Fares have more than doubled, up 102.5% since 1995*
axpayer subsidy has gone up fourfold, up from £930million to £3.8billion**
w Ta
w We now have the most inefficient rail network in Europe and the most expensive fares**
w We also have the only privately-run railway in Europe. Germany
manyy,, Italyy,, Spain and France all have
publicly-run
railways.
largely
Let’s have
Let’
hav a public railway that puts
passengers ahead of private prrrofit
ofit
Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association
www.tssa.org.uk
Sources: *House of Commons Library; **The McNulty Report, May 2011
news
FareFail message is louder than ever
IN JANUARY, RAIL fares rose
by an average of 4.2 per
cent – in many cases a lot
more. It is the tenth
consecutive year that fares
have risen above inflation, and
with wages stagnant, many
travellers can no longer cope.
Commuters right across
the UK have lost out, but for
those in the South East, where
daily rail travel is the most
common, the story is the
bleakest. In 2003, an annual
season ticket from Sevenoaks,
in Kent, to London cost
£1,660. Today, it costs £3,112
– a rise of 87 per cent. Even
when you take into account
inflation, this is a huge – and
unacceptable – increase.
The impact is now
becoming really noticeable.
Rising fares have put a severe
squeeze on family budgets,
already faltering in the tough
economic climate created by
George Osborne’s austerity
dogma. Add it to the mix of
wage stagnation, child benefit
cuts and soaring utility bills
and it is understandable why
public anger towards the
government’s rail fares policy
is building. Many who use
trains have no other option
but to do so – in this context,
they regard the year-on-year
fare hikes as a tax on going to
work.
This has meant the
spiralling cost of rail travel has
become a political hot potato.
In February, Ed Miliband
announced his intention to
‘stop the train company price
rip-offs on the most popular
routes’. For its part, the
Government has sought to
downplay the impact of fares.
Transport Minister Norman
Baker said in January that the
current system was ‘not ideal’
but that fares are ‘not as
expensive as presented’.
The need for even-greater
public pressure on politicians
to commit to a strategy for
lower fares has been behind
the re-launch of the ‘FareFail’
campaign, which TSSA has
participated in from the start.
Railway employees never see
the benefit of ever-rising
fares, and by involving
ourselves in a broad coalition
with rail users, we can play
our part in a powerful alliance,
including people interested in
looking beyond fares, and
Ed Miliband:
Labour will ‘stop
the train company
price rip-offs on
the most popular
routes’.
willing to argue for the
retention of staff and services.
That’s what lay behind the
‘FareFail’ days of action on
2 January and more recently
on 14 February, when our
Valentine’s day event – ‘Love
Trains, Hate High Fares!’ – saw
actions at over 40 stations
nationwide. It’s all part of our
effort to keep the pressure up,
build relationships with rail
passengers and remind
politicians that together, we
cannot be ignored.
Thanks to the involvement
of TSSA members, the
movement against runaway
train fares is gaining ground
and winning new allies – in
2013, let’s make it a key issue
in the debate around public
transport, the environment
and the economy. 7
i
CC BY NC Joanna Kiyoné
To find out more visit
www.togetherfortransport.org or
contact TSSA Community
Organiser George Woods
[email protected].
TSSA Journal
5
news
TSSA rep Colin Savage tells the story of a great win at Amey Consulting, where through a concerted organising campaign,
hundreds of extra employees now have the benefits of collective bargaining.
Winning at Amey –
agreement signed at last
IN THE AFTERMATH of a
dispute over pay and the
weakening of collective
bargaining in 2011, workers
at Amey had already been
seeing people doing the
same work and the same
hours receiving very different
pay rises as a result of an
earlier TUPE transfer.
People realised they had
no real say in their futures,
they needed a collective
voice and collective
bargaining with the
employer. Those already
covered by a earlier collective
agreement realised their
group was diminishing, with
the growth in numbers of
those outside the
arrangement weakening it
further. Instead of fighting
each other, the groups joined
under one banner – TSSA.
TSSA reps began a
campaign for fairness, a voice
and collective bargaining.
Many on both sides doubted
we could achieve the levels of
recruitment to legally require
recognition. Yet they
overlooked one thing: We had
forged one, strong, committed
team who valued fair play and
fair pay for all and were willing
Reps Jim Mckinney, Colin Savage, Tarnia Wilson behind senior
regional organiser Alan Valentine, signing the agreement with
Sean Roberts, business director for Amey Consulting Rail.
to fight for it.
Working together, reps
began a successful three
month recruitment campaign.
The target, of 40 per cent +1
was daunting, but we had faith
in ourselves, our group and our
message. In three months over
110 members were recruited,
which was no small feat. We
exceeded the target and have
continued to build on it since.
Are we ‘done’? Nope, this is a
marathon not a sprint, but
with each step forward there
are more runners in our team
and less spectators watching
from the sidelines.
Our team travelled
hundreds of miles to attend
meetings with staff to talk
about joining TSSA to build
that voice – to show they
were not alone, there was a
better way. Jim Mckinney,
Tarnia Wilson, Patricia
Massop, Dave Merrett, Dave
Marshall and Paul Messenger,
ably assisted by TSSA staff
Alan Valentine, Luke Chester
and Ray Barber. Many more
provided useful contacts,
spoke to their colleagues and
encouraged them to join. Our
thanks go to all of them.
For the staff within Amey
Inter Urban (Operations) Rail,
TSSA was successful and
added several hundred staff
previously on personal
contracts into collective
bargaining. Thanks to
members’ efforts there are
now more than 500 extra staff
in Amey covered by collective
bargaining than in 2010.
To the few still denied
collective bargaining, we will
work hard on your behalf to
correct this. If you are in this
group let us know. 7
i Do you believe in fair play
and fair pay? Do you want a
voice in your future, a voice
that is listened to and given the
respect it deserves?
Contact our organising team
on [email protected]
or speak to one of the reps on
[email protected].
Are you a new member that
has unanswered questions?
Get in touch on
[email protected].
Railway Employees Privilege Ticket Association
Available to all in the transport industries, TSSA members, family and retired
staff. REPTA offers many free, discounted and special rates, listed in our
80 page Yearbook, sent with your membership card.
New for 2013: membership discounts at National Railway Museum, free Limited
Personal Accident cover for travel on public transport. Discount cinema tickets
continue for 2013. You can book rail travel with Raileasy via our website.
6
March 2013
£4.50 per year. Additional cards for family members
£3. Send cheques/POs to REPTA, 4 Brackmills Close,
Mansfield NG19 0PB. Tel: 01623 646789.
Include name, address, email and date
of birth for each + code ‘TSSA’ or
join at www.repta.co.uk.
Ireland
Over 60,000 people joined the protest in Dublin
110,000 march against
austerity in Ireland
shrunk by over 25 per cent in
the last three years.
Irish Congress of Trade
Unions general secretary David
Begg told protestors in Dublin
that the recent deal with the
ECB had not solved the
problem: ‘1.8 million people
[in work] cannot possibly pay
off a bank debt burden of €64
billion – especially a debt they
played no part in running up.
There is nothing fair about this
deal. We saved the European
banking system in 2008, an
act of extraordinary solidarity
with Europe – now we want
some solidarity in return’.
TSSA’s senior Irish
organiser Patrick McCusker
adds, ‘Irish people have taken
on an incredible 40 per cent
of the total cost of the bank
crisis across the EU. Each Irish
citizen has already paid €9000
compared with an EU average
of €190 per person. The
disparity between the pain
inflicted on the Irish people,
with less than 1 per cent of
the total population of the
EU, (and just 1.2 per cent of
its GDP) and the contribution
from many other, richer,
states is unacceptable.’
‘Bank debt and austerity
have prevented any hope of
economic recovery. We cannot
just stand by and let our
children and grandchildren
face a future of unemployment,
emigration and poor public
services all to pay the debts
incurred by gambling banks
who’ve paid nothing for their
greed, dishonesty and
incompetence.’
Marchers sent a strong
message to the troika, other
EU governments and working
people across Europe that
only a comprehensive write
down of Ireland’s debt burden
can save the economy from
decades of recession.
The €64 billion debt will
hang round the necks of
generations of Irish people
for decades to come unless
the burden is lifted. This is a
struggle we cannot afford to
give up on.7
Manuel Cortes
joined the
TSSA members
marching in
Cork
Bob Teahan
ON SATURDAY 9 FEBRUARY an
estimated 110,000 people
joined the ‘Lift the Burden –
Jobs not Debt’ marches called
by the Irish Congress of Trade
Unions. Demonstrations took
place across the country to
call for urgent action to tackle
the growing unemployment
crisis and the €64 billion debt
burden which is crippling the
country. Over 60,000 took part
in the Dublin protest, while at
least 15,000 turned out in
Cork, 13,000 in Waterford,
10,000 in Limerick, 7,000 in
Sligo and 5,000 in Galway.
TSSA, other unions,
community organisations and
a wide range of civic society
groups who have been hit hard
by the current and former
government’s austerity
policies joined the protests.
As the trade unions warned,
these polices have devastated
the economy and society. The
Irish domestic economy has
TSSA Journal
7
news
Tory corporate funding exposed
A NEW WEBSITE reveals the millions of pounds paid to Tory MPs and their local parties by
corporate interests. SearchTheMoney.com lists the publicly-declared outside earnings and
donations of each Conservative and reveals just how many are doing private work on the side
or are assisted with ‘research’ by large companies. The site – supported by TSSA – reveals a
number of rail companies, including First Great Western, Grand Central and DB Schenker / EWS
all donating up to £55,000 to MPs or the Conservative Party directly. 7
i
Why not search the site for your nearest Tory MP and share what you find in a letter to the
local press? www.searchthemoney.com.
New campaign for justice at work
THE RIGHT TO organise in a union and
take strike action are internationally
recognised human rights, but legislation
brought in between 1979 and 1995
means workers in Britain have fewer
rights than 100 years ago. Lawful ballots
with huge majorities are often
frustrated in the courts, whilst
notification periods before action can
be taken reduce our ability to respond
flexibly.
A new campaign to call for the
positive protection of our right to
organise and defend our interests at
work is soon to be launched, with
support from TSSA and dozens of other
unions. The campaign calls for laws that
will allow unions to better protect their
members, prevent undemocratic legal
maneuvers by employers and restore
and extend collective bargaining.
After decades going backwards, and
the gap between rich and poor
widening, it’s time to make a change.
We need to build the strongest demand
possible for modern unions laws that
allow unions to operate democratically
and freely. 7
i You can join the launch rally on
Saturday 23 March from 1.30pm to
4.30pm at Friends Meeting House, Euston
Road, London or find out more at
www.tradeunionfreedom.co.uk.
8
March 2013
news
Members receive New Years Honours
ONE OF TSSA’S longest-standing
members, Doug Reynolds, was made an
MBE for services to the community.
Doug joined TSSA’s forerunner, the
Railway Clerks’ Association after leaving
the RAF in 1946. He held positions at
branch and company level and was chair
of the London South East Divisional
Council. Doug served as a councillor for
30 years and was the first Labour Mayor
of Kingston, in 1974. After retirement
Doug threw himself into voluntary work
and even at the age of 92 is still chair of
the Kingston Pensioners’ Forum and
president of the local RAFA and the
Probus Club. Doug told the Journal, ‘It’s
just very nice to be recognised for the
work you’ve done in the community’.
Member and transport campaigner
Jon Honeysett was also awarded an
MBE ‘for services to rail in Kidsgrove’,
receiving a personal letter from the
Department for Transport’s Permanent
Secretary congratulating him on his
award. Jon has spent years
campaigning for local services as well
as raising rail electrification, disability
access and ensuring the railway is as
green as possible. Jon said, ‘It was with
great surprise, and delight, that I
discovered I had been awarded the
MBE. Although a retired TSSA member
for many years, I was warmly greeted
by our Association members when my
wife Sarah and I joined the TUC march
in October’. 7
Jon Honeysett MBE
THE ARTICLE ON Equal Pay in the January
edition of the Journal correctly noted that an
equal pay claim must be brought within six
months from termination of employment. It
is important for members and reps to
appreciate that there are other triggers
which may mean that the six month time
limit starts to run. Members who are TUPE
transferred need to make a claim within six
months of the date of the transfer (because
the transfer for equal pay purposes means
‘termination’ of the old employment).
Likewise, where there are any significant
contractual changes (such as promotion), an
equal pay claim must be lodged within six
months of the date of such changes.
Members who think they may have a
claim should contact their local rep without
delay, or email [email protected]. 7
Correction: Due to a production error, a
previous version of the TSSA membership
form was included in the last issue of the
Journal. Please accept our apologies for any
confusion caused.
TSSA Journal
9
A politic al voic e
Sam Tarry, TSSA’s newly-appointed political officer introduces
our work to increase members’ political power in the run up to
the next election.
Keeping the heat on!
Building our
political voice
WE ARE NOW just over two
years out from what could be
one of the most pivotal
elections in decades. With
austerity policies driving down
living standards and the
industries TSSA members
work in facing huge
challenges, we need to build
our collective power to lead
change and influence
decision-makers in our
communities and to shape the
debate at a national level.
Before becoming TSSA’s
first ever political officer, I’ve
been running campaigns in
the community organising
team, from ‘Sack Boris’ to
building coalitions on fares
and against staffing cuts.
Outside of work, I’m a Labour
councillor in Barking and
Dagenham, so used to the
challenges of engaging and
representing people locally.
TSSA recognises that as a
smaller union, our numbers
alone don’t guarantee we’ll be
heard. We need to punch
above our weight to get the
best deal for members and to
win on the issues that matter
to our union. Whether that be
on public ownership of rail,
our Better Rail strategy, or in
the development of members
seeking to become political
representatives themselves,
we need to get organised. We
need to build our power – and
our ability to support those
politicians fighting our corner,
and of course opposing those
that don’t. We need a stronger
voice – and my work as
political officer will be to help
build this.
We also want to work with
TSSA members interested in
becoming political
representatives, offering
training on how to become a
local councillor, or even an MP,
MSP or AM. We will be
organising campaigning in
support of TSSA-endorsed
candidates at elections and
running more training on
community organising.
To build our political
power as a union – you – as a
member, are essential. Could
you help with these campaigns,
think about standing for
election, or speak to people in
your workplace or community?
We’ll be there to support you
every step of the way.
Pioneering community
organiser Saul Alinsky once
said, ‘Action comes from
keeping the heat on. No
politician can sit on a hot issue
if you make it hot enough.’ Let’s
turn up the heat! 7
i
Interested in being
involved? Contact Sam Tarry
on [email protected].
TSSA has a longstanding and positive relationship with
the Labour Party – but we know that we need to build our
power within it as well as better support those members
already involved so we can win on our issues. We need
more TSSA members equipped with the knowledge and
confidence to get involved, and to think about standing
for office, at a local, devolved, UK or European level. If you
are a member of the Labour Party (or indeed another
party) we would be very keen to hear from you. Whether
you are active, hold a position, or are just interested in
meeting other TSSA members who are also involved in the
Labour Party, then please get in touch. We are looking to
launch a new TSSA Labour Network later this year and we
want as many members involved as possible.
10
March 2013
general secretary
Manuel
Cortes
In the last week of January, almost 20 years to
the day since the hapless John Major and his
Transport Secretary John MacGregor published
the 1993 Railways Act, the railway unions met
with the Association of Train Operating
Companies (ATOC) for the very first time. ATOC
wanted to discuss our recent pronouncements
on fare increases and public subsidy.
As you may be aware, the legislation which
sold off our railways had a tortuous journey
through Parliament before finally passing on
5 November 1993. Rail privatisation was then –
and continues to be – very controversial.
Unfortunately, those events of 20 years ago were
just the opening salvo in what has clearly been an
unmitigated disaster for passengers and taxpayers
alike.
John MacGregor, told the House of Commons
in February 1993, ‘I see no reason why fares
should increase faster under the new system. In
many cases, they will be more flexible and will be
reduced’. Yet, recently published data by the
House of Commons Transport Select Committee
shows that average rail fares have more than
doubled – an increase of over 102 per cent since
1995. In addition, taxpayers have been helping
foot the bill for the spiralling costs that
fragmentation introduced into our industry as
public subsidy has increased fourfold. In the year
to April 2012, a staggering £3.88bn of support
was required. Rail fares expert Barry Doe has
recently unveiled figures which show that some
walk-on fares have increased by more than three
times the rate of inflation since 1995 – an eyewatering 208 per cent!
Given all of this, you would have thought that
the collective voice for train operators would have
tried to strike a conciliatory tone when we met nothing could be further from the truth. ATOC
seems to be like the alcoholic who can’t admit
they have a problem. In what was largely a preprepared statement read to us by its Chair, they
claimed that everything we said on fares or public
subsidy was either untrue or misleading. How can
this possibly be the case? Our information comes
from either the Department for Transport, the
House of Commons or from their very own
‘ATOC want us
to shut up
because our
message is
clearly catching
the public
mood.’
‘It took 18
years for ATOC
to meet us –
why would we
stop the
campaign that
made it
possible?’
comment
ATOC: 18 years to meet us,
yet nothing new to say
National Rail Enquiries website. Frankly, if
franchise agreements were not shrouded in
secrecy, we may have had greater access to better
data. However, transparency is not ATOC’s forte.
Their members repeatedly refuse to release details
of franchise agreements under so called
‘commercial confidentiality’ – complete nonsense
when taxpayers’ money is at stake!
There was at least one positive outcome of this
rather fruitless exchange. The reason why ATOC
wants us to shut up is because our message is
clearly catching the public mood. As I said to its
Chair, it has taken 18 years and many requests for
you to agree to meet with the unions – why on
earth would we stop the campaign that has made
it possible? Of course, we won’t! Instead, we will
turn the volume up even louder. We launched
Together for Transport on the basis of seeking to
empower public transport users, with Better Rail
and Action for Rail providing a clear voice from
rail workers in this debate. It is clear that this
strategy is already starting to pay handsome
dividends. It is the growing public discontent
which made ATOC, all of a sudden, wish to speak
to the rail unions.
Let’s face it, we have a broken franchise system
and passengers have had more than enough of
rip-off fares. The Government’s recent decision to
offer short-term contract extensions to train
operators appears all too convenient. It means
many franchise decisions may well be pushed
back beyond the general election. In other words,
Ministers have put the future structure of our
railways in the ‘too difficult’ box.
As you well know, public ownership is the
only sane way out of this expensive madness.
Growing passenger anger provides our biggest
potential ally in making this a reality. Our aim is
to help build a rail users’ movement with enough
power to have an impact on the outcome of the
next general election. We want to galvanise
passengers’ anger into a powerful force, that if
need be, can compel what will hopefully be an
incoming Labour administration
into running our railways in the
interests of passengers and not for
the benefit of shareholders!7
TSSA Journal
11
Better Rail
Talented TSSA gets creative
Andrew Wiard
As part of the Better Rail campaign, the ‘Year of Horror 2013’ got off to a strong start, with TSSA members and
allies taking action against fare increases and threats to services. In 2010 TSSA helped bring together the #farefail
coalition, whose actions since then have highlighted the inflation busting fares imposed by the government each
year. Right from the start of the year, TSSA members have been joining with community activists and allies in
carrying out leafleting sessions at stations across the UK.
Action at London St Pancras on January 2 marked the day fare
increases were introduced. The action gained widespread
coverage across TV and the press, with general secretary Manuel
Cortes giving interviews underlining both fare increases and
threats to staff.
Andrew Wiard
January actions
February actions
Valentines Day saw ‘Love trains, hate high fares!’ actions at over
40 stations, including below 'The Meeting Place' lovers’ statue at
St Pancras and hand-painted placards at Oxford. ‘Farefail Fridays’
also began – weekly Friday actions with the Ghost Train in places
where passengers have been hit by the ‘top 10’ fare increases.
The events marking the 150th anniversary of the London
Underground saw a picket in defence of the funding of London
Transport Museum, facing a 25 per cent budget cut. Watch the
video, including clueless Mayor Boris Johnson declaring the
Museum to be in ‘fine fettle’ whilst he oversees cuts that
threaten many of its activities: www.tssa.org.uk/London
TransportMuseum.
Fares leafleting continued at stations throughout the UK, with
the ‘Ghost Train’ visiting York. TSSA’s Film Group took the
campaign into the community, with Reps interviewing
passengers about what they thought of the fare increases.
March action – save the date!
27 March is the 50th anniversary of the
Beeching Report. Check our website for soon to
be confirmed details of the action day jointly called by TSSA and
other rail unions.
12
March 2013
Better Rail
Street theatre
Film Group
Our TSSA Film Group took the Ghost Train up to York to
highlight horror fares and see how passengers in Yorkshire are
feeling the pinch. You can see some interviews at
www.tssa.org.uk/better-rail-films.
Pete Worral, a TSSA rep at Network Rail, asked Katie for her
opinion. She said, ‘I think it’s disgusting, because it’s starting to
get to the point where people can’t afford to get to work and
back, they’re just far too high!’
Another passenger told Manjit Gill ‘I don’t really see how they
can justify putting train fares up when the service I receive isn’t
better than it was when the trains were a lot cheaper. Actually, it
would be a lot cheaper for me to drive, which is the thing I don’t
really want to do, because I am green and I do try to do the best
for my environment, but now I feel I’m kind of being bullied into
the prospect of having to buy a car, because it would be so much
cheaper for me.’
During 2012 our Film Group volunteers have put together a series
of videos to highlight the negative impact of the government’s
programme of change in the railways. These include a short film,
interviews with passengers on fare increases and cuts to station
staff and asking TSSA members and the public what they think
will make a better railway. In 2013 they will be interviewing more
TSSA members about their role on the railway, the skills they
have and what they are doing to fight for a better railway.
You can see the Film Group’s work at www.tssa.org.uk/
better-rail-films.
This summer we plan on bringing our ‘horror’ theme to life by
introducing an element of street theatre as part of our actions,
using the horror characters we introduced in the November
Journal.
There is a long history of using street theatre – performed in
any busy place, often with just a few props – to make a political
point. Brief sketches can get people thinking and debating in a
way that addressing them with a megaphone never would.
Are you interested in taking part in street theatre workshops?
No previous experience is required. Sign up for street theatre
workshops on www.tssa.org.uk/better-rail.
We will have costumes for some of our Year of Horror
characters, but we need your help to develop their ‘story’ and
discover ways to communicate this to the public. That’s why we
will hold workshops run by actors who will help you discover your
hidden talents and have some fun!
Crazed Ticket Vending Machine
Our CTVM will visit stations and amuse passengers
with its crazy tickets and comic breakdowns!
Passengers tell us consistently they want more
staff, not more machines. Help our CTVM show its
true colours this summer!
Freddie Cuts
We first met Freddie Cuts at the 20 October
demonstration. Now we need to make sure our
politicians got the message that the proposed
cuts to ticket offices and station staff are
horrific! Help us tell Freddie Cuts’ story and
why we need to fight the horror cuts!
Toxic Waste Monster
Over £1 billion could be saved each year if the railways were
returned to public ownership. How can we impress upon people
they need to fight the toxic waste that’s
being defended by the Tory-led government?
Help us find a way to banish the Toxic Waste
monster into the wastelands of privatisation!
Sound interesting? Sign up for Street Theatre
Workshops today! www.tssa.org.uk/better-rail.
Get active in the fight for a better railway
Over the next few months we will have a programme of actions on fares, Ghost Train visits to stations and visits to local MPs. We
need you to sign-up to help us be heard by decision makers. Now is the time to get involved and make a difference.
What you can do right now:
Pledge to help get our postcards on fares out to passengers: www.tssa.org.uk/pledge
l Come along with other TSSA members and Reps to visit your local MP, or sign up for our Political Lobbying course
www.tssa.org.uk/better-rail
l Sign up for workshops on Street Theatre www.tssa.org.uk/better-rail
l Tell us what you think will make a better railway on www.tssa.org.uk/better-rail-ideas
l
i
For more information contact Nadine Rae on [email protected].
TSSA Journal
13
prejudic e against travellers
Last year TSSA’s Conference passed policy condemning the harassment and discrimination faced by
one of the most marginalised communities in Britain and Ireland. Here, London-resident Irish traveller
Marion Mahoney, writes of her experiences along with Gill Brown of the Traveller Law Reform Project.
Marion Mahoney
‘Until barriers are broken down,
nothing will change’
I AM AN Irish Traveller living
on a council run Travellers’
Site in London’s Tower
Hamlets. We pay rent and
Council Tax – this has been
my family’s home for years.
In 2004 we heard, by
chance, that Crossrail was
coming through where we
live. We asked our council
and MP about it but got no
response. It was only when
we went along to a meeting
on Crossrail, aimed at the
local Asian community, that
we saw a map that showed a
shaft they were going to be
drilling right where our site
is. When I asked if they knew
about us, no one did and all
they could say, both then and
afterwards, was that we
would have to leave or be
evicted. For people in top
jobs to talk to us the way
they did was shocking – just
writing us off, there and
then.
We were afraid for our
children’s future, but with
support from the London
Gypsy and Traveller Unit and
our London Assembly
member, we kept at it.
Eventually I went to
Parliament where I’d been
asked to give evidence to
Crossrail Bill Select Committee.
We came up with an idea to
move to the site of a nearby
derelict factory, and now –
some years on – we are about
to move there. These days we
have good communication
with Crossrail – but it took a
lot of work to get there.
I have told this story
because it shows how the
way that many people think
about gypsies and travellers
comes from the top. All the
authorities showed either
almost complete ignorance
or held stereotyped
assumptions about us. No
one was going to support us
when they were planning to
move us out of our legally
rented homes, and what’s
more, no one knew anything
about our culture or who we
really were. It is this which
keeps us hidden and out of
the mainstream.
I believe that much more
needs to be done, especially
in schools. Most gypsy and
traveller children start school
with a disadvantage from the
start: the parents of many
other children only know
about us from the tabloid
press and pick up prejudice
against us. Over the years I
have heard of parents and
even teachers saying, ‘Don’t
mix with them’, ‘They are
dirty’ or ‘They will steal from
you’. Often a traveller child
may be the only one in the
class and try to hide who
they are, but when it comes
out, the bullying can start
and without the school
stepping in, that child is on
the path to having poor
education outcomes, just
because of who they are.
Often the tabloids and
ignorant radio and TV
entertainers, use the word
‘pikey’, despite us trying to
fight it. It is a derogatory word
and is very offensive to
gypsies and travellers as it
means the lowest of the low
and people who don’t count.
It’s the same as the offensive
words used in recent times
towards black and Asian
people – and it has the same
result. Gypsies and Irish
travellers are recognised
ethnic groups and covered by
the Race Relations Act so
please, if you see or hear
anything offensive about us,
stand up and do something.
We want nothing more than
for our children to be
educated and integrated
whilst, like many other groups,
keeping our own culture. Until
barriers are broken down,
nothing will change.
I want to thank the TSSA
for passing the resolution at
your conference condemning
the harassment and racism
we face from the tabloids
and elsewhere. We are used
to fighting for our own rights
and it means a lot when
people come out on our
side. 7
i
To find out more, see the
London Gypsy and Traveller
Unit on www.lgtu.org.uk.
14
March 2013
Europe
European Union rules get
blamed for everything from the
mythical ban on re-using glass
jars for homemade jam to
preventing the renationalisation
of the railways. Labour’s leader
in the European Parliament,
Glenis Willmott MEP, asks
whether EU rules are really a
barrier to bringing Britain’s
fragmented railway system back
under public control.
Glenis Willmott MEP
Are EU rules really a barrier to reuniting
the railways under public control?
‘IT’S AGAINST EUROPEAN LAW’
is one of the arguments
often raised against
reunifying the railways under
public control. The others are
that the involvement of the
private sector brings
innovation, greater
investment and greater
efficiency, and that it would
cost too much to buy back
the assets.
But as the Rebuilding Rail
report by independent think
tank Transport for Quality of
Life very clearly shows,
European rules do not dictate
that railways must be fully
privatised. Nor is there a
requirement for railway
infrastructure to be in private
ownership or a ban on train
services being operated by a
government-owned
enterprise.
The EU has been involved
in railway policy since 1985
and since then several waves
of EU law have indeed
promoted and extended
competition. But when John
Major’s Conservative
government decided to
separate track and trains
during privatisation 20 years
ago, it went far beyond any
EU rules.
As Rebuilding Rail shows,
the UK – not the EU – has
decided that the railways
must be privately owned, that
the running of passenger
services and railway
infrastructure must be
completely divorced, and that
trains must be leased from
private companies.
What EU rules do require is
that freight and international
passenger services must be
open to competition; railways
must hold assets, budgets and
accounts separate to those of
the State; the manager of
railway infrastructure must
draw up separate accounts to
the provider or providers of
passenger services; and that
certain ‘essential functions’ of
infrastructure management
must be independent of train
operators.
In several other European
countries, either all or a large
proportion of passenger and
freight services are under
public ownership:
l In France, both the train
operator SNCF and the
infrastructure operator RFF
are state-owned.
l In Germany the state-owned
operator Deutsche Bahn runs
90 per cent of passenger
services.
l In Italy, the state-owned
railway company FS Holding
owns both the national rail
infrastructure manager RFI
and train-operating company
Trenitalia.
l The Spanish railway is
almost entirely in public
ownership.
l Even in Sweden, the first
country in Europe to take
steps towards privatisation,
the state-owned rail operator
SJ operates more than 80 per
cent of all passenger services.
European law relating to
railways continues to develop.
In September, one of the
chief legal advisors to the
European Court of Justice
said that the German model,
in which the transport
operator is integrated with
the infrastructure manager,
conforms to EU rules.
In October, transport
ministers and MEPs agreed a
‘recast’ – or consolidation and
amendment – of EU rules,
restating that national rail
networks must be open to
private competition for rail
freight and cross-border
passenger services.
In January the European
Commission published
proposals for a Fourth Railway
Package that would open up
domestic passenger services
to competition. These must
be approved by the European
Parliament and Member States
before they become law.
But other European
countries have managed to
retain the railways under
public ownership and there is
no reason why the UK could
not do the same.7
TSSA Journal
15
Christian Wolmar
Millions of Londoners and commuters are totally dependent on the city’s transport system
coping with ever-greater demand. Christian Wolmar takes a look at the policies required to
keep London on the move.
Moving London in the
right direction
London is a booming city and it’s going
to get better. Successive governments
have been accused of channelling
railway investment into the capital and
there’s no doubt that this is the case.
Just look at how the railway scene in
London will change by the end of the
decade. The expanded Thameslink will
allow up to 20 trains (24 theoretically) per
hour through the capital, linking a whole
host of new destinations south and north
of the river. Then on the east-west axis,
there will be Crossrail, a new railway being
built to the highest standards of any in
the country, with emblematic stations.
16
March 2013
Between them, these two lines will create
the equivalent of the much lauded RER
network in Paris, with, at its heart,
Farringdon station which will become the
only one in Britain with trains heading in
all four points of the compass as well as
benefiting from a frequent Underground
service just one stop from King’s Cross.
Crossrail 2 is being promoted
by business interests, but with
very little support from
Transport for London
Together with the continued
refurbishment of the Tube system and
the wonderful expanded London
Overground routes, London will have the
kind of rail service that many other cities
can only dream about. But it’s not
enough and this is where the lack of
vision and strategy of the current Mayor,
Boris Johnson, is letting down Londoners.
First, on the rail front, there are no
concrete plans – or even a blueprint –
for any expansion. Crossrail 2, the old
Hackney-Chelsea route, is being
promoted by business interests, but with
very little support from Transport for
Christian Wolmar
Boris Johnson, rooted in
‘Mr Toad’ Tory policies, does
not understand that
domination by private cars is
coming to an end
one of London’s key tourist sites. But
after that, nothing much changed and
sadly we now have a Mayor who blusters
and talks the talk, but actually has no
understanding of how to make London a
more liveable city. Boris Johnson scrapped
plans to give Parliament Square the same
treatment as Trafalgar Square, leaving
another tourist hot spot to remain as a
roundabout for fast moving cars. The
wonderfully evocative statue of Winston
Churchill is left marooned in the
inaccessible central square. Oxford Street
remains a red barrier with up to 300
buses per hour and a shameful accident
record. Yet study after study has shown
that pedestrianisation leads to
commercial success for local retailers. No
one shops from inside their car.
And all this boils down to one simple
policy. The number of cars coming into
central London must be further reduced.
Everything flows from that simple
concept. There are a whole host of
measures which can be used to
discourage car use and encourage
alternatives: reducing fares, creating more
cycle and bus lanes, getting rid of
gyratory systems that have become
speedways, expanding the congestion
charge zone and making it more
sophisticated, creating a universal 20 mph
limit, pedestrianisation (especially of
Oxford Street) and much more. My
particular favourite is to rip up the
northbound lane of Park Lane, hewn out of
Hyde Park in the 1960s, and give the space
back to the Royal Park.
Other cities across the world have
realised the importance of this strategy.
Copenhagen has led the way with a long
term strategy of reducing car use and
boosting cycling to levels where it will
become the dominant mode in the city
centre. Paris is closing off a busy Seine
embankment road to accommodate
cycling and walking. Even in New York
there have been massive changes, with a
network of excellent cycle lanes being
quickly established and Times Square
being pedestrianised, resulting in the
renaissance of what had been a rather
dingy area. The same trend of squeezing
out private car use and improving public
transport, as well as facilities for cycling
and walking, can be seen in cities as far
afield as Bogota and Buenos Aires.
But not in London where we have a
Mayor who refuses to do anything that
may affect ‘traffic flow’ or take away
space from cars. So we have cycling
superhighways that are little more than
advertisements for Barclays Bank, with
no understanding that they need to be
continuous and safe, and money spent
on the crazy ‘dangleway’ across the river
which is great as a tourist attraction but
serves little transport purpose.
All this must change. As the veteran
transport commentator Adam Raphael
wrote in Transport Times recently, ‘the
simple truth which the Mayor refuses to
admit is that you cannot civilise London
without restraining traffic’. That must
be the task of the next Mayor who will
benefit from the superb new train
services that will undoubtedly bring yet
more people into the centre of the
capital who will want to get to their
destinations by walking, cycling and
taking buses, not driving. 7
i Christian Wolmar, who is seeking to
be the Labour candidate for London Mayor
in the 2016 election would welcome
invitations to come to speak at branch
meetings and can be contacted through his
website, www.wolmarforlondon.co.uk.
CC BY NC ND 2 SouthEastern Star
London. The Mayor, rightly, is however
pushing for more suburban lines to be
taken out of the wasteful franchising
system and be given to Transport for
London as part of a further expansion of
the London Overground network, but
that seems to be the extent of his
railway policy. Moreover, that lack of
vision extends into other aspects of
transport and this is letting down all
those who live or work in the capital.
Cities are changing and Boris Johnson,
rooted in old fashioned ‘Mr Toad’ Tory
policies, does not understand that.
Essentially, looking at it from a historic
point of view, the age where private cars
dominate the urban landscape is coming
to an end. For around 50 years after the
invention of the internal combustion
engine, cars were allowed free rein into
cities that actually were not built to
accommodate them. So buildings were
demolished, historic streets widened, car
parks created and so on. But then city
planners realised that this wasn’t working,
and instead started imposing restrictions
on cars. We got traffic wardens, parking
meters, controlled parking zones,
restrictions on deliveries and bus lanes.
Parts of central London such as the heart
of Swinging London – Carnaby Street and
Leicester Square – were pedestrianised,
and no longer did new office blocks have
to provide car parking. It was realised that
allowing cars unrestricted access to the
centre of the city was not the way to
bring about economic success.
Quite the opposite. It was realised that
encouraging cars into city centres merely
created congestion and gridlock, and it
was people travelling in on trains and
buses who did the shopping and spent
the money. Public transport was seen as
the key and investment in the
Underground began to flow once again
after a 20 year post war hiatus. To some
extent Ken Livingstone understood this.
He introduced the congestion charge
zone and greatly improved bus services,
making the network reliable enough for
people to be able to get to work
confidently using the bus.
But then he rather ran out of steam.
He introduced a great scheme to improve
Trafalgar Square in the face of much fuss
from taxi drivers and opposition
politicians, and it has greatly improved
The only addition to the tube map planned
under Boris Johnson is carrying the
equivalent of just two full tube trains per
day, despite millions being spent on the
‘dangleway’.
TSSA Journal
17
Paul Salveson
Moore/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
Britain’s railways and
communities are still
paying the price for the
catastrophic decisions
made 50 years ago this
month in the Beeching
Report. Paul Salveson
looks at what was lost,
what was saved and the
lessons for modern
campaigns against
railway cuts.
The Beeching axe –
50 years on
The name of ‘Beeching’ has entered the
English language. To ‘do a Beeching’
implies a reckless act of destruction. It
was Dr Richard Beeching, the first
Chairman of the British Railways Board,
who was the infamous ‘axe man’
responsible for the closure of thousands
of miles of railways in the 1960s and
1970s. His report, ‘The Re-shaping of
British Railways’, was published 50 years
ago, on 27 March 1963. The
recommendations of the report were
enthusiastically adopted by the
Conservative Government of the day,
which had of course appointed him
with a clear remit to ‘sort out the
railways’. Transport Minister Ernest
Marples, who had made his fortune
from road-building, warmly endorsed
Beeching’s advice to close thousands of
route miles of the national network.
The unions put up a lukewarm
opposition despite their members’ futures
being on the line – nearly 9,000 clerical
and supervisory jobs alone were under
threat, and many more in the ‘waged’
grades. Yet it is hard to escape the
18
March 2013
conclusion that a stronger fight could
have been mounted. The National Union
of Railwaymen’s general secretary, Sid
Greene, was of the traditional right-wing
school which was most comfortable
having ‘a quiet word’ with the men in
power. William Evans, the retiring general
secretary of Aslef, described the report as
‘a very able document and an entirely
honest attempt to rationalise the railway
system’. Evans’ comments were
repudiated by his executive. The first
statement from the TSSA came from
future Labour minister Ray Gunter who
told a TV interviewer that the Beeching
report was ‘one of the bravest efforts I
have known in industry to face the
economic facts of life.’ Labour’s transport
spokesman George Strauss welcomed the
report though expressed concern about
‘the proposals to curtail railway services
on the drastic scale suggested.’ Fighting
talk, indeed! What we were seeing was the
culmination of the post-war pro-roads
consensus which viewed railways as a
thing of the past. At best, their future lay
in a small number of main-line routes.
The report’s targets were not just littleused rural branch lines. Important
commuter routes such as Liverpool to
Southport and Leeds to Ilkley and
Wetherby were on the death list. Main
lines such as Edinburgh to Carlisle via
Hawick (‘The Waverley Line’) were to
disappear, leaving major Borders towns
isolated. Thankfully, some routes managed
to survive, but many lines which could
have played an important role in solving
today’s transport problems were
mercilessly cut. Any BR manager who had
ideas for reducing costs of local lines such
as ‘pay-train’ operation was told in no
uncertain terms to shut up if he wanted a
career to look forward to.
Most rank and file members of TSSA
were horrified at the implications of
Beeching but felt helpless in the face of a
Government determined to implement
the report. The rail unions discussed
options which included a national rail
strike but this was rejected by the TSSA.
However, the unions managed to extract
improved resettlement and redundancy
terms. The fight was lost before it hardly
Paul Sal veson
concept of public transport, well-meaning
but misguided social democrats who saw
rail subsidies as a regressive, beneficial
only to the middle classes, and a variety of
lobbying interests who would benefit
from the expansion of road building, car
ownership and road haulage – including
trade unionists opposed to the
development of rail freight services.
Threats to cut large swathes of the rail
network continued throughout the 1980s.
The Serpell Report (1983) presented
‘options’ which included a network of just
1,630 route miles – a loss of 84 per cent.
The report, published during Thatcher’s
reign, was a disgrace from beginning to
end. Thankfully, the hornet’s nest of
outrage it stirred up ensured it was
quietly shelved. However, some of its
proposals for bus substitution continued
as ‘live’ options, with routes such as
objections – including one from a dog!
This was a highly effective campaign
which enjoyed very broad support which
included but went way beyond the unions.
This was the railways’ equivalent of the
miners’ strike; failure would almost
certainly have led to a new round of line
closures. It was a model for how to
campaign effectively. In the face of huge
opposition, the Government backed down.
The Settle-Carlisle went on to prosper,
today carrying growing volumes of both
passenger and freight.
By the late 1980s – after the turningpoint of the Settle-Carlisle’s reprieve – rail
closures were less and less acceptable.
However, the 1990s still saw the
occasional outburst from ill-briefed
politicians, reflecting a continuing undercurrent within Whitehall that was hostile
to rail. However, the direction of policy
CC BY ChantryBee
began. Closures followed in rapid
succession, making opposition difficult
and fragmented. BR was under pressure to
deliver results and line after line went
with hardly a whimper of protest. ‘Last
trains’ became local carnivals with trains
carrying many times their normal
passengers. I can remember the last train
from Horwich in September 1965, hauled
by a steam locomotive cleaned and
embellished by local enthusiasts the night
before, departing from this railway town
to the accompaniment of dozens of
exploding detonators. It was all a bit
unreal. Cold reality set in very quickly,
with many towns and villages virtually cut
off. The so-called ‘replacement bus
services’ lasted a few years, sometimes
just months, before they were withdrawn.
We are still counting the cost.
There was some local resistance.
Probably the strongest fight was waged
against the closure of the Waverley Line,
with riotous scenes on the last day. Like
many more Beeching closures, this route
is now, at least in part, being re-opened at
very considerable cost. It should never
have been shut in the first place.
Subsequent accounts of Beeching by
railway historians have bent over
backwards to be positive about the report.
However, a new book puts a more critical
slant on the Beeching legacy. ‘Holding the
Line – how Britain’s railways were saved’ is
written by two highly experienced
railwaymen, Lord Richard Faulkner, former
adviser to the British Railways Board and a
Labour peer, and Chris Austin OBE, who
spent many years at the BRB and
subsequently held senior roles at the
Strategic Rail Authority and then ATOC.
The book is the first detailed account of
successive attempts to reduce the size of
Britain’s railway network, of which
Beeching was only the most well known.
The book shows, with clear evidence, that
there really was what almost amounted to
a conspiracy in government circles to
destroy what was once the best railway
system in the world. The authors write:
“There was no single conspiracy to
destroy the railways, but individuals from
various parts of the political spectrum
were drawn to the supposed Holy Grail of
a much smaller network and a ‘profitable’
core. They included right-wing free
market ideologues opposed to the
As well as passenger trains, the Ribblehead viaduct on the saved Settle – Carlisle line
now sees dozens of freight movements a day, relieving the overcrowded West Coast
route.
Norwich – Sheringham, Shrewsbury –
Chester and Newport – Gloucester under
consideration. Today, these are all
flourishing routes; they could have ended
up as nothing more than cycling paths.
The last major attempted closure came
in the early 1980s when British Rail
announced its intention to shut the
Settle-Carlisle Line. The route had been
threatened, but reprieved, in the 1960s.
The announcement led to a high-profile
campaign which saw over 23,000
switched from what do with a stateowned BR towards how best to privatise
it. Ironically, the complex and highlyregulated structure that emerged in the
1993 Railways Act gave greater protection
to local railways than they had ever
enjoyed before. This did not prevent some
rear-guard attempts at further reductions
in the network. The Northern Rail Review
was undertaken as recently as 2005 but
found that ‘the Northern Rail franchise is
an efficient and well-managed operation
TSSA Journal
19
Paul Salveson
20
March 2013
Route to be retained
Route to be closed
Today, the main problems facing
Britain’s local railways are not lack of
passengers but shortage of capacity to
meet constantly rising demand. The socalled ‘basket-case’ lines of the 1970s are
now carrying trains which are bursting at
the seams with passengers. The challenge
of the next 20 years will be to provide the
capacity – both extra trains and more
track capacity – to meet the sort of
growth that the so-called experts of the
1960s dismissed as a pipe-dream. It was
the romantics like John Betjeman and the
unheard rank and file railway workers who
were proved right, not the ‘realists’ such
as Beeching and Serpell who were so
disastrously wrong. 7
i ‘Holding the Line: how Britain’s
railways were saved’ by Richard Faulkner
and Chris Austin is published by Ian
Allan (RRP £19.99) but available on
special offer to TSSA members at £13.95
including postage. Use voucher code
HTL13 on www.ianallanpublishing.com
or write to: Offer HTL13,
Marketing Department,
Ian Allan Publishing
Ltd, Riverdene Business
Park, Hersham, Surrey
KT12 4RG. Cheques
should be payable to
Ian Allan Publishing
Ltd.
CC BY SA 3 Cronholm144
and that there are no obvious and
acceptable ‘quick wins’ to improving value
for money’.
By then, the ‘community rail’ initiatives
around the UK had shown real results,
with increased passenger numbers leading
to a virtuous circle of improved services
and facilities, and more passengers. It’s
possible that if ‘community rail’ had not
come along when it did, in the mid to late
1990s, we might not have escaped
without some line closures in the early
2000s.
Apart from being wary of trusting in
‘the expert’, a key conclusion in viewing
the history of actual and attempted rail
closures must be the importance of
organised, ‘professional’ campaigning. This
is different from having ‘words in ears’ in
the corridors of power. It is about largescale mobilisation of the kind that saved
the Settle-Carlisle Line, involving
communities, unions, businesses and
other interests. It is about building allies
beyond the narrow ‘railway’ interest and
making the wider case for rail in
economic, social and environmental
terms. More lines might have survived if
the unions had been less focused on
getting good redundancy terms for their
members and more on reaching out to
the wider community to oppose some of
the most outrageous closures.
Are we out of the woods now, 50 years
after Beeching? Over the last 20 years, the
regional Passenger Transport Executives
(PTEs) have done much to promote line
and station re-openings. Beeching has
gone into reverse, at least in some parts
of the country. If we hadn’t had the PTEs
our local rail networks in the big Northern
and West Midlands conurbations would be
like Bristol’s – virtually non-existent. And
few would argue that devolution of rail
powers to Scotland, Merseyside, London
and Wales has been anything other than a
success. We need more devolution,
providing we get the right size, funding
and governance structures in place. As the
Northern PTEs move towards a single ‘rail
executive’ body, with their county and
unitary council neighbours, there are
grounds for hope that rail in the North
will finally get the attention it deserves,
matching the investment that has gone
into the Scottish and London rail
networks.
organising
Anthony Barrable with
Chris Bond, Melissa Heywood,
Martin Hill and
Kevin Williams
Building stronger branches
WHILST THERE ARE now many
more ways to hear about
union activity than there
were in decades gone by,
branches can still play a vital
role in helping members raise
concerns, discuss issues or
plan action within a company
or region.
Throughout TSSA there’s a
great diversity of branches –
with some more active than
others. The Journal caught up
with one branch which has
returned to a high level of
activity after a number of
years in the doldrums – East
Midlands Trains No 1 Branch.
Branch chair Kevin Williams
takes up the story of how
both the branch and TSSA’s
membership in the company
has been revived: ‘I first
became a rep when we were
being TUPE transferred
because of the creation of the
East Midlands franchise. I
guess I just started by talking
to people, whether they were
members or not and giving
them the basic information. In
the space of a couple of
months we gained 15 or 20
members just at Nottingham
station. I think that’s the main
way all of us have grown our
membership and the number
of people turning up at
meetings – it’s just talking to
people and being visible.
We’ve built up the number of
members from perhaps 20 per
cent back then up to over 80
per cent density at
Nottingham today.’
‘Back then, the branch was
totally dormant. Our TOC is
spread over such a wide area
and with different shifts,
people were finding it really
hard to make evening
meetings, so we settled on
lunchtime meetings and it
just snowballed from that. We
always advertise meetings
widely and have had people
up from London and right
across the region.’
Regional organiser Anthony
Barrable, who helped get the
branch functioning again,
adds, ‘We did a survey on
whether members did want
their own company-specific
branch, which they did, and
then we looked at where the
members were and found
Nottingham had the highest
concentration of interest.’
Branch secretary Melissa
Heywood told the Journal,
‘We’re a team that all work
together. Several of us have
been to TSSA’s branch officer
training which was really
useful – we also linked up
with other branches in the
Divisional Council to learn
about how they run their
meetings.’
Martin Hill, who is now on
TSSA’s TOC Council, adds,
‘We’re all in this to fight for a
better railway but we know
there’s different ways to
interest different people. As a
Learning Rep, I’ve really been
pushing forward that agenda
and through that, we’ve
found a different group of
members who want to get
involved.’
Chris Bond underlined ‘A
lot people think a branch is
just for reps but we’ve been
trying to get it across that it’s
for everyone.’ 7
Renewing your branch
TSSA will shortly be launching a guide to branch renewal
and development, detailing a step by step process towards
transforming your branch. This will include tools to help
you evaluate your current work and develop an action plan
towards building activity, attendance and impact. All
branches will be sent a copy, but to receive one directly,
email [email protected].
Does your branch want to propose a specific organising
project or take up actions around the Year of Horror 2013?
Contact [email protected].
TSSA Journal
21
Based on CC BY NC SA 2 thisisbossi
TSSA personal injury service
“I was in shock – I hadn’t realised
the extent of my injuries”
Jane was on her way to
work. After getting off
her train, she slipped on
liquid that had leaked
onto the platform while
rubbish bins were being
washed.
“At first I reported it to
the station Health &
Safety officer to get the
mess cleaned up so noone else slipped on it –
there weren’t even any
warning signs about. I
was in shock, so hadn’t
realised the extent of my
injuries which worsened
over a short period.”
Jane had suffered serious
injuries to her shoulder,
elbow, wrist and thigh,
which later required
surgery and numerous
months of physiotherapy.
“When I got to the office
I reported it to our TSSA
Rep and they told me to
call the TSSA Injury
Helpline which was the
best thing I ever did.”
Jane was then put in
touch with Joe at Morrish
Solicitors, TSSA’s legal
experts in accidents and
injury claims.
“I got advice on medical
treatment for my injuries
from a specialist very
quickly and Joe, the
solicitor, was fantastic,”
says Jane. “Claiming for a
personal injury isn't as
time consuming as you
might think and Morrish
solicitors deal with
everything for clients,
giving advice and a
friendly prompt service
every step of the way!”
Joe contacted the cleaning
contractor involved,
alleging they had failed to
adopt basic health and
safety measures and had
breached regulations.
Initially, they refused to
admit liability, so Joe
commenced court
proceedings. Following
negotiations and
submitting evidence, the
cleaning company
admitted their mistakes
and the case was settled
before a trial. Jane
accepted a significant
settlement for her injuries.
“I couldn’t believe the
cleaning company refused
to admit they were at
fault initially, as they had
made basic health and
safety mistakes. I really
appreciated the support
provided by TSSA and Joe
at Morrish solicitors. I
know they give advice on
claims for personal injury,
help members get advice
on treatment and recover
compensation on a no
win no fee basis where
appropriate. I was able to
get proper rehabilitation
with my compensation
and thanks to them I am
now back at work.”
l Based on a real life
case. Certain details have
been altered to protect
identities.
Morrish Solicitors LLP
provides expert legal
advice for accidents and
injuries to TSSA members
and their families,
wherever the accident
may have occurred. Call
0800 093 0353.
Morrish Solicitors is a
Limited Liability
Partnership and regulated
by the Solicitors
Regulation Authority.
Accidents do not happen
- they are caused!
As a member of the TSSA, should either you or your immediate family suffer injury
through someone else’s negligence, you will be entitled to FREE legal advice and
representation from our specialist personal injury lawyers Morrish Solicitors LLP.
No money will be deducted from any compensation recovered and no charge will be
made to you or your family for the advice and representation you receive.
If you’d like to find out more, call us today and we will look after you.
ACCIDENTS AT WORK
22
March 2013
ACCIDENTS OUTSIDE WORK
ASSAULTS
TSSA Personal Injury Services
Free to Members & their families
0800 093 0353
ROAD TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS
SLIPS OR TRIPS
OCCUPATIONAL DISEASE
hel pdesk
If you have a question about your workplace rights, call our employment law specialists on 0800 3282673
in the UK or 1800 805272 in the Republic of Ireland or email [email protected]
Hours: Monday to Thursday 8am–6pm Friday 8am–5pm
worked for my employer for
nearly 30 years, and I am being
made redundant on 1 March. They
tell me that I will receive £12,900
redundancy plus they will pay me
four weeks in lieu of my
contractual notice. I have been
transferred under TUPE three
times but I thought I would get
more than that. The equivalent of
five months’ salary doesn’t seem a
lot for all those years.
Do the firm need to
consult us?
Q. I am the rep in a small travel
agency which used to have 10
branches but now only has four.
There are about six staff in each
branch. The owners are closing it
down and making us all
redundant. I say they must have a
30 day consultation period where
more than 20 staff are being made
redundant but they say they don’t
have to. Who is right?
A.Here comes the lawyer’s
definitive answer: it depends. The
law says there must be consultation
where there are more than 20
redundancies ‘within an
establishment’. The problem then
arises over what constitutes an
establishment. The company is no
doubt trying to claim each shop is a
separate establishment to prevent
the compulsory consultation. There
has been a lot of case law over what
is meant by ‘establishment’, and the
latest Employment Appeals Tribunal
decision seems to be that
establishment means the unit to
which each employee is assigned.
Therefore if fewer than 20 people
work at a particular branch, then for
consultation purposes the
establishment does not meet the
criteria for compulsory consultation.
This does not mean that your
work as a rep is over. You can still
represent each individual member,
making sure the employer is
following proper procedures and
statutory requirements, and make
sure the members know and get
what they are entitled to (see the
previous answer).
Republic of Ireland
Based on CC BY 2 Gwydion M. Williams
A. It looks as though they are
offering you the statutory
redundancy pay and you’re dead
right it isn’t a lot, but sadly that’s all
you get. Under the statutory scheme
you are entitled to one week’s pay
for every year of employment, up to
a maximum of 20 years. For each
year over the age of 40 that
increases to a week and a half, so
you get 20 x 1.5 weeks = 30 weeks’
pay. So far so good, but the
employer can cap that amount. The
cap was £430, however, the
(slightly) good news is that from 1
Feb it is now £450, so you are
entitled to the current maximum
statutory redundancy pay of
£13,500. You are also entitled to
statutory notice pay of one week for
every year worked up to a
maximum of 12 weeks. You can
also be paid for any untaken leave.
If you have taken more than your
accrued leave they cannot take that
back unless your contract says so.
As you have been TUPEd, check
your original contract to see if that
says anything about redundancy
pay. If that offers you better than
the statutory pay, then that’s what
you should get.
0800 3282673/1800 805272
Q. I will be 63 in April. I have
UK
Redundancy pay – is that it?
TSSA Journal
23
letters
This is your chance to share your views with thousands of other TSSA members. The deadline for the next issue
is 8 April. Letters may be edited for length or clarity. Email [email protected] or write to TSSA Journal, Walkden House,
10 Melton Street, London, NW1 2EJ.
letters
We’re a global movement
When you were probably
suffering from the cold,
Mitch Tovey and I took a
trip to Uganda and
Rwanda. We didn’t expect
to see a great deal of trade
union activity but when
we arrived at the Rwandan
border after a lengthy and
bumpy bus ride, we were
amazed to see an
International Transport
Workers’ Federation (ITF)
poster encouraging trade
union recruitment and
organising to fight
HIV/AIDS. The ITF, to
which the TSSA is
affiliated, has been
campaigning against
HIV/AIDS for many years,
as transport workers are
particularly vulnerable
because of the nature and
conditions of their work.
Another poster, which
gave Mitch some delight,
was promoting a football
match between Arsenal
and Southampton in a
local hall. Mitch, a Spurs
supporter, noted with glee
that the price to watch the
match was 4p which, in
his opinion, was sheer
robbery!
During our time in
Uganda a number of
people asked for our views
on gay rights and
marriage – we gave no
quarter and put forward
our opinions with some
vigour. They were not well
received but despite our
differences we found
people very welcoming in
both countries. We also
managed to see a great deal
including the memorials to
those hundreds of
thousands that had been
murdered in Rwanda. We
had a discussion with the
commissioner responsible
for Uganda’s co-operatives
and met the general
secretary of the Uganda
Co-operative Alliance who
gave us a detailed review of
the movement’s current
progress. Among our many
interesting days was one
spent at Jinja where we
visited a Fairtrade factory
that exports dried fruit to
the UK. Malcolm also gave
a talk on catering to staff
and students at a training
hotel. However, the town’s
real claim to fame is that
it is the source of the Nile
and it is also where
Gandhi’s ashes were
scattered. It was a great holiday.
Malcolm Wallace and
Mitch Tovey Benefits of membership
for retirees
I am a retired BR
employee but I have
chosen to keep my TSSA
membership. I also
happen to be visually
impaired. When I came
across an ATOC article in
the Railway Pensions
Scheme’s ‘Penfriend’
newsletter, I was dismayed
to learn that safeguarded
(ex) employees who
carried an endorsement
on their Staff Travel card
reading ‘and attendant as
holder is (partially) blind
/ disabled’ would no
longer be entitled to travel
alone using their staff
travel facilities.
The reasons why this is
wrong are too many to go
into here, but it
overturned the practice of
the previous 20 years at a
stroke. I put together my
case for objecting and
approached ATOC
directly. I was informed
that ATOC had looked at
the decision and saw no
reason to change their
position.
I then presented my
case to my local branch
after which TSSA HQ
agreed to refer my case to
Morrish solicitors.
After correspondence
between Morrish and
ATOC, ATOC have now
confirmed that they
accepted my case and that
subject to DFT agreement
the rules would be
clarified and practice
reverted.
The main interests of
TSSA must remain with its
active employees, but
TSSA has recently
recognised formally the
importance of serving its
retired members by
sanctioning the creation of
an official Retired
members group.
The handling of my
complaint and result has
justified – if justification
were needed – my
decision to keep up my
membership of TSSA after
my retirement. In these
days of systematic cuts, the
voice of the individual is
easy to disregard but
having the backing of
organised support may
sometimes achieve
otherwise unachievable
goals. I would urge any
readers who are coming
up to retirement to retain
their membership or any
former members to rejoin.
A C Hart
Darlington No 1 branch
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24
March 2013