Our Railways - where to now? |
Ann Henderson |
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The three main rail unions (RMT, TSSA, and ASLEF) held a high profile lobby of Parliament at Westminster on Tuesday 20th July, as part of the all union campaign for a publicly owned, publicly accountable railway. This was the day that the Secretary of State for Transport Alistair Darling MP was spelling out the government's plans for the future of rail transport, following the publication of the rail review the previous week. The Labour government continues to shy away from addressing the truth on the issue of Britain's railways. Whilst the UK rail review does move the industry slowly along to more central control over decisions about investment and priorities, with the abolition of the Strategic Rail Authority and the transfer of some of those responsibilities into the Department of Transport, increasing the remit of Network Rail, the truth is that the industry is still fragmented and that profits are being creamed off for the benefit of shareholders rather than the travelling public. Public expenditure (ref. Catalyst Forum report July 2004) on the railway system has reached £3.8 billion a year, which is more than in the last 30 years; the returns for that investment are neither efficient nor effective. Catalyst Forum, a left-of-centre think tank, has been commissioned by the three rail unions to produce a report on the state of Britain's railways, and Tuesday 20th July also saw the publication of the first working paper 'Renaissance Delayed ?- New Labour and the Railways'. This independent report lays out the background on the investment into Britain's railways, and effectively tackles the Labour government's failure to address the damage caused by the privatisation in 1993 under the Conservative government. Whilst there is no doubt that some of the changes since 1997 have been for the better, unless the fundamental question of who owns, and who is accountable for running, the railway, then the problems will continue. In October 2003 Network Rail (formerly Railtrack) announced its decision to take all track maintenance work back in house, thereby ending the contracting and sub-contracting which had dramatically increased costs, decreased safety and weakened employment conditions. This decision was welcomed by the unions. The recent Rail Review announcements laid out considerable devolution of rail powers to the Welsh Assembly, to the Scottish Parliament, and to the Greater London Assembly. In Scotland this will mean that decisions transfer to the Scottish Executive on the specifications for both the franchise for ScotRail, responsible for over 90% of the passenger train services that run in Scotland, and on the rail infrastructure in Scotland. The Scottish Executive will require Network Rail which will now have greater responsibilities, to deliver. This shift from UK responsibility will require the first amendments to the Scotland Act since devolution. The unions and the wider labour movement have welcomed the devolution of more powers, seeing opportunities for transport policy to be moved up the agenda and for investment priorities to be determined by those closer to the needs and plans of the Scottish people. However, there is a note of caution, on which the Catalyst Report also makes comment - namely that for investment levels to be maintained and indeed increased in Scotland an adequate transfer of funds from Westminster will need to come alongside the transfer of rail powers. Whilst there can be arguments for some reshuffling of Scotland's current budget to increase funding for a better rail infrastructure, the money raised in Scotland alone will not be adequate. There are also issues to be considered over the future of 'cross-border' services, with the Virgin Cross Country services and the East Coast Mainline services currently operated by GNER, and already there is speculation that these may no longer run through into the north of Scotland, if access to 'Scotland's tracks' becomes too costly. Devolved decision making can be of great benefit, but within a centrally planned and funded rail infrastructure. Since Labour came to power in 1997, there has been very slow incremental movement towards more central control of Britain's railways, but not nearly fast enough. The promises to renationalise the rail network were electorally popular and indeed the only sensible way to proceed. There can be no justification amongst Labour supporters for a system continues to deliver profits at great public subsidy. The RMT union estimates that in the ten years since privatisation began the Train Operating companies have taken over £1 billion out of the industry in profit. This s only made possible by a constant subsidy from the taxpayer - in 2003-04 TOCS received from the SRA (the taxpayer) a net subsidy of £2 billion. 'Competition' is not an appropriate mechanism to deliver a socially and economically essential rail network. The rail unions have consistently campaigned on this since the conservative government pushed ahead with privatisation in 1993. It is time that the issue moved back up the Labour Left's agenda too. The Catalyst Forum working paper provides a useful tool in this campaign, and further reports will be published in the run-up to the next General Election. In July lobby of the Parliament at Westminster attracted over 200 rail workers, meeting with their MPs from all over the country, sand similar events will be held in coming months. Simultaneously, the TSSA and ASLEF have been taking the campaign through Labour's own policy structures, and at the July Policy forum there was considerable support for a position, moved by the TSSA, arguing for bringing the railways back into public ownership. This will be going to the UK Labour Party Conference in September, and all constituency delegates and union delegations are urged to give it full support. There is overwhelming public support for such a policy, and tinkering with a system that is inherently a failure will not deliver the rail network we need for the future. There is an opportunity to work with all the rail unions in moving this right up the political agenda. Ann Henderson is a member of Edinburgh South CLP The paper is being sent to Catalyst subscribers and can be downloaded from our website at http://www.catalystforum.org.uk/pubs/paper24.html. For additional hardcopies please contact the Catalyst office on 020 7733 2111.
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