26 June 2026
RMT Press Office:
Rail union RMT and the Trades Union Congress have jointly called on the government to intervene to protect skilled rail engineering jobs under threat at Balfour Beatty depots in Crewe and Preston.
The call comes as dozens of workers continue to face the prospect of compulsory redundancy following Balfour Beatty’s announcement earlier this year that it intended to cut 67 jobs.
RMT and the TUC have warned that allowing the loss of highly skilled rail engineering staff would further weaken the industry’s skills base at a time when the government has already acknowledged a looming workforce crisis across the railway.
In a joint letter to ministers, the trade union organisations challenged claims that the dispute is simply a commercial matter for Balfour Beatty, arguing that the threatened job losses are directly linked to Network Rail funding decisions and could be mitigated through the allocation of alternative work.
RMT General Secretary Eddie Dempsey said: “These workers are paying the price for a broken outsourcing model that allows responsibility to be passed around while skilled jobs are put on the chopping block.
“It is completely unacceptable that 67 rail engineering jobs can be threatened with compulsory redundancy at the same time as the government is warning that tens of thousands of rail workers will leave the industry by the end of the decade.
“Ministers cannot claim there is a skills shortage on the railway while standing by and allowing experienced engineers to be thrown out of work.
“Balfour Beatty operates within a long-term alliance with Network Rail and these cuts are a direct consequence of decisions taken elsewhere in the industry.
“The government has the power to intervene and ensure alternative work is made available to protect these jobs.
“If Labour is serious about building a modern railway and maintaining the skills needed for the future, it must intervene to avoid a needless loss of skilled workers which would further damage the rail supply chain in the regional economy.”
TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak said: “Rail is a key strategic industry. It depends on a skilled, experienced workforce to function safely and effectively.
“We cannot afford to lose good, unionised engineering jobs at a time when the sector is already facing serious workforce pressures.
“Allowing these roles to disappear would be short-sighted and risks undermining the long-term resilience of the rail network.
“Its vital the government brings together employers, unions and Network Rail to identify solutions that protect these jobs. That means using every lever available to secure alternative work and avoid unnecessary and damaging redundancies.”
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