16 April 2024
RMT Press Office:
RAIL UNION RMT called an urgent summit today (April 16, 2024) to save train manufacturing jobs at Derby and blamed rail industry privatisation as being the root cause of the threat to UK train manufacturing.
RMT, the largest rail union, called for an urgent summit of unions, the rail industry and the government to thrash out a plan to save the Alstom train manufacturing site in Derby, including the option of nationalisation.
RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said that it was tragic that passengers and the climate were in desperate need of modern and reliable trains and skilled workers and capacity were ready to deliver that, but the government and rail industry had not been able to match up the demand and supply of new trains.
“The root cause of this failure is the privatisation and break up of a once unified public rail industry into multiple companies, with competing, profit motivated short-term interests which has prevented a lack of coherent planning for the delivery of rolling new trains and infrastructure.
“This is not new: it is a problem that has plagued the railway supply chain for many years.
“The consequences of the UK losing its last remaining train manufacturing facility will not only be devastating for jobs and the local community it would be disastrous for passengers as the government will have to rely on imported stock which could be more expensive to build and maintain.
“That is why we are today calling for a summit to save UK train manufacturing and develop a strategic plan that must include consideration of the nationalisation of UK train manufacturing,” he said.
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