13 July 2021
RMT Press Office:
RMT responds to rail regulator report into rail industry’s performance and safety record.
RAIL UNION RMT today responded to rail regulator the Office of Rail and Road’s annual report into Network Rail’s performance and safety.
The report, which details Network Rail’s record over the last 12 months praises the rail industry for its response to the Covid19 crisis whilst highlighting the role of health and safety on our railways following several tragic and avoidable fatalities over the last year.
RMT General Secretary Mick Lynch said:
“The rail regulator is right to highlight the role rail workers have played during the Covid-19 crisis to keep our railways moving and ensure people, food and medical supplies get to where they need to be safely. However, there is a huge glaring omission in this report and that is the fact that Network Rail backed by the Government is planning to introduce the biggest attack on jobs, conditions, safety and pay in generations.
“Cutting jobs, increasing workloads, reducing and diluting standards, inspections and safety critical disciplines is a toxic cocktail of measures which could have disastrous consequences for safety. Network Rail is importing danger and returning to the dark days of Railtrack where cutting corners and staffing led to fatal accidents and it is vital the rail regulator ensure this simply is not allowed to happen.”
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