RMT Revenue Control rep Tony Rowntree recently emailed Network Rail protesting against the proposed loss of 1500 jobs on the mainline network as reported in RMT News. Below is Network Rail's reply, and below that are some comments from RMT head office countering that reply.

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Dear Mr Rowntree,

Thank you for your e-mail of 22 January 2010 regarding Network Rail’s plans for the maintenance of the railway.

Network Rail’s mission is to provide a safe, reliable and efficient railway for passengers and freight, to meet the needs of 21st century Britain. However, the company has also made a clear commitment to reduce the cost of running the railway. This means delivering greater levels of efficiency in all areas of activity, including maintenance.

A common organisational structure, the introduction of new technology, higher standards and a better knowledge of our assets will help to improve our service for passengers and freight customers, providing a safe, efficient and reliable railway. Any changes that are made will be made transparently and subject to ultimate scrutiny by the railway safety authority – ORR/HMRI (Her Majesty's Railway Inspectorate).

Last year Network Rail announced a planned reduction of about 1,500 posts in the maintenance function over the next 18 months. This reduction becomes possible following the introduction of certain work practice changes. These changes include being able to roster the workforce to do its work when the network is available rather than at times when trains are running; to allow workers at one depot to work in another depot’s area; to determine the size of maintenance teams on the basis of the task or tasks they are undertaking; and to have standard job descriptions throughout the country.

Network Rail has offered voluntary redundancy as an option for those who wish to take it and more than 900 expressions of interest have been received so far, with some people having already left the company. The success of this voluntary scheme has meant the deadline for applications has been extended until the end of February. Discussions on the plans with our people and their union representatives are continuing, and no final decisions have been made.

However, if there continue to be high numbers of people choosing to take up the voluntary redundancy scheme currently on offer, and the changes to working practices proposed by Network Rail are agreed, the maintenance efficiencies the company must deliver for 2010 will have been delivered. In addition, where possible, Network Rail will be looking to redeploy those who do wish to stay with the company.

Furthermore, an offer has been made to the trades unions on the pay deal for maintenance. This offer is over and above the annual pay rise and general bonus scheme, and includes guaranteed payments for reaching certain levels of productivity. This has been accepted. Increased productivity in maintenance is key, as this will help Network Rail deliver the required 21% efficiency savings in the years to 2014.

Network Rail is determined to deliver a railway that costs the British people less. In the five years to March 2009 the cost of operating, maintaining and renewing the railway was reduced by some 28%, and further reduction of 21% will be delivered in the five years to March 2014. This has been achieved at a time when passenger numbers are at their highest for almost a century; punctuality is at levels never before recorded; and there are more trains on the network every day than at any time in the history of the railway in Britain, on a network half the size it was before the 1960s.

The industry as a whole has had a strong safety record over the last few years, which Network Rail will not do anything to compromise, and the company would not have signed up to the regulatory settlement if it was not possible to deliver it without compromising safety.

Kind regards,

Brian Wortman
Communications Executive – Community Relations
Government & Corporate Affairs
Network Rail

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Dear Tony,

Thank you for your email. The content of Network Rails response is very disappointing, particularly as it contains at least one glaring inaccuracy.

In paragraph 7 they claim that your union have accepted a productivity linked pay deal, this is utterly untrue. This had been put forward by Network Rail in exchange for members accepting changes to their terms and conditions. Your union has not agreed to this and would never agree to any alteration to members terms and conditions without members having a say.

Thank you for addressing this matter with Network Rail as they must be held accountable for their behaviour and should be made to explain their actions. We will be raising this inaccuracy with Network Rail at the earliest opportunity.