Get the latest news from RMT as it happens - join our media mailing list

Subscribe  here

Accessing PDFs

  1. RMT Media and Publications

RMT calls on MEPs to reject rail privatisation across the EU

Publication Date: January 17 2007

As MEPs prepare to vote tomorrow (Thursday) on the ‘Third Railway Package’, Britain’s biggest rail union RMT has written to British members urging them to reject proposals for the ‘liberalisation’ or further privatisation of rail passenger services.

RMT general secretary Bob Crow said today: "Rail workers and the travelling public have had considerable experience of the devastating failures of rail privatisation and these proposals will make matters even worse in the UK."

 

The Jarzembowski report being presented in Brussels proposes the 'liberalisation' of rail passenger transport in the form of 'open access' for international transport from 2010 and national rail passenger transport from 2017 (2022 for the new member states).

 

"The UK government has been able to assume a degree of greater control over Britain's railways through better regulation, but open access competition will only introduce further fragmentation, fewer services or even more public money to keep the level of rail services.

 

"These proposals also entrench the disastrous separation of rail infrastructure from rail operations and perpetuate the system where private train operators will seek to maximise profits on the backs of direct public subsidy or the indirect subsidies that states provide for railway infrastructure," said Bob Crow.

 

He also warned that rail passenger 'liberalisation' would force smaller and poorer member states simply to sell off national assets to virtual monopolies based in the larger states.

 

"Before Brussels decides how member states should run their railways why not ask what rail workers and the travelling public think of these plans which only benefit corporate interests?" Bob Crow said.

 

ends

 

Notes to editors: RMT letter toUK members of the European Parliament follows.

 

 

TO: ALL UK MEMBERS OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

 

16th January 2007

 

Dear Colleague

 

Liberalisation of Rail Passenger Transport:  Please vote against the further privatisation of rail passenger services on 18th January.

 

As you will be aware on 18th January 2007 you will be voting on the 3rd Railway package, a key element of which will be the "liberalisation" or further privatisation of rail passenger services.

 

I am writing to advise you that the RMT fully supports the views of the European Transport Workers Federation on this matter. As you would expect we also have our own concerns as the UK's largest rail union who have had considerable experience of the failures of rail privatisation. We fear that the proposals that you are voting on will make matters even worse in the UK.

 

As you will be aware the Jarzembowski report proposes liberalisation of rail passenger transport in form of "open access" for 

 

  • International transport from 2010

 

  • National rail passenger transport from 2017 (2022 for the new Member States).

 

The RMT strongly opposes rail passenger liberalisation for the following reasons:

 

  • Passengers will not benefit from liberalisation of rail passenger services. Open access competition will lead to cherry picking and the network providers have to compete with single route providers on profitable routes. The consequence will be either fewer offers for the passengers or even more public money to keep the level of services.

 

  • Open access competition will jeopardise passenger services regarding timetable information, ticketing or connections.

 

  • Rail passenger liberalisation will jeopardise the existence of national railway companies in smaller EU Member States and Central and Eastern Europe. Quite simply this is yet another attempt to force poorer EC states to sell off the national assets.

 

  • Liberalisation will result in further job losses and poorer working conditions in the sector.

 

We also find it quite astonishing that in many ways these proposals replicate the disastrous policy of the UK railways. The plans entrench the separation of rail infrastructure from rail operations. They perpetuate the system where private train operators will seek to maximise profits on the backs of direct subsidy from governments or the indirect subsidies that states provide for railway infrastructure.

 

It is also the case that the proposals to introduce national liberalisation for nation states from 2017 are in contradiction to the current policy trend on the UK railways.

 

The UK Government has been able to assume a degree of greater control over Britain's railways through better regulation. The proposals for open access could set back this progress allowing private railway companies to run on a route as it wishes. There are no rules regarding quality of services to be respected.  At least the current system of what can be described as regulated competition allows service quality criteria to be imposed

 

As such the proposals as they would stand could wreak further confusion and fragmentation on the UK railways and prevent our railways being planned in the national interests.

 

We do hope you agree with the views of the overwhelming majority of the British public that we can achieve best value for the tax payer and fare payer if we argue for railways that are integrated,  publicly owned and publicly accountable. We hope you agree that the British public would find it difficult to understand proposals to introduce further fragmentation and privatisation of our railways.

 

As such we would strongly urge you to reject the directive on liberalisation of rail passenger transport by voting in favour of amendment no 35.

 

In addition we would ask that you vote against amendments 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 13, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 28, 30

 

Thank you for taking the time to read this correspondence and I hope we can rely on your support.

 

Yours sincerely

 

Bob Crow

General Secretary