WIREDGOV

More than 20,000 jobs on the UK's railways could be lost as a result of the government's reforms to the rail industry, unions claim today (Monday) as they launch their Action for Rail campaign.

As part of its plans for the future of the rail industry, the government is asking train operating companies (TOCs) and Network Rail to outline how they will make cost reductions in line with the recommendations of the Rail Value for Money review led by Sir Roy McNulty. More than a quarter of these savings - £260m a year - will come through staffing cuts.

According to the McNulty Review this could lead to around 20,800 job losses, including rail guards, staff in ticket offices and on station platforms, catering staff and workers in maintenance and signalling.

Surveys consistently suggest that a lack of staffing is one of the key concerns of rail passengers, and more than 10,000 commuters and train users have so far registered their opposition to staff cuts in response to union campaigns.

The McNulty Review calls for the closure of 750 Category E (or small-staffed) station booking offices around the UK. Leaked Department for Transport emails indicate that agreement has already been reached with one train operator, London Midland, to completely close or severely reduce opening hours at ticket offices at 86 of its 90 stations, leaving many deserted at all hours and leading to the loss of around 100 staff.

These cuts will go ahead in the face of opposition from 18,000 London Midland passengers who responded to a public consultation petition against the closures, as well as the West Midlands integrated transport authority, Centro.

This week (Monday 28 May to Friday 1 June) the TUC, ASLEF, RMT, TSSA and Unite are launching an Action for Rail campaign which will bring passengers, campaigners and unions together to register their opposition to the government's proposals.

The campaign will be launched with a photo opportunity with TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber, ASLEF General Secretary Mick Whelan, RMT General Secretary Bob Crow, TSSA General Secretary Manuel Cortes and Unite National Officer Julia Long at London Euston Station at 8.30am on Monday 28 May - more details to follow in an operational note.

More than 100 Labour and Liberal Democrat MPs have already signed a motion in Parliament registering their concerns, including two former leaders of the Lib Dems, Charles Kennedy and Menzies Campbell.

Under the new government plans, TOCs will be provided with longer franchises of up to 15 years and will be given much greater freedom over fare setting and train schedules. Unions and campaigners fear this will lead to closure and reductions of unprofitable services in rural areas.

TUC Deputy General Secretary Frances O'Grady said: 'The government vision of a rail industry with deserted stations, closed ticket offices and trains with no staff is one that appeals to train operators seeking to cut costs and maximise profits - but train passengers are appalled.

'The public wants the help, reassurance and safety that rail staff provide, which is why so many passengers have responded to our campaign and have expressed their anger at the plans to cull the rail industry workforce.'

ASLEF General Secretary Mick Whelan said: 'In Victorian times we had three classes of coaches on the railways - first, second and third. These government proposals would make the whole railway third class. Ministers need to get out of their limos and find out what rail passengers want.'

RMT General Secretary Bob Crow said: 'This government, using the McNulty Rail Review as cover, is hell-bent on a policy of vandalising and de-staffing the railways regardless of the consequences for both staff and the travelling public.

'RMT has already exposed the fact that London Midland, the trail-blazer for these policies, stands to pocket millions of pounds in additional profits from its ticket office closure programme while passengers are left to take their chances in a criminals' paradise.

'The joint union and passenger fight against these profit-driven plans is a fight for the very future of a safe and affordable rail network in Britain.'

TSSA General Secretary Manuel Cortes said: 'McNulty will mean a third class rail network paid for with eye watering year on year fare rises.

'For implementing these cuts, ministers will reward the private operators with inflation plus annual fare rises over new 15 year franchises. It is a licence to print money.'

Unite National Officer Julia Long said: 'Rail companies are making millions but they are being told to sack staff and cut services by the government so they can reduce subsidies.

'The rolling stock leasing companies who own all the trains and carriages have not invested in new train building, leaving overcrowded trains and a struggling train manufacturing industry.

'Customers are being fleeced while hard-pressed rail workers are being made scapegoats.'

NOTES TO EDITORS:

- The McNulty Review indicates the following levels of jobs areat risk under different categories of rail worker:

- Passenger Focus' National Passenger Survey (Autumn 2011) shows that 'personal security' and 'availability of staff' are two of the worst three areas of passenger satisfaction at stations. Personal security scored more highly on trains, but less than half of all rail passengers were satisfied with the availability of a staff member on their train. In response to the Command Paper, Chief Executive of Passenger Focus Anthony Smith said: 'All our research indicates passengers really like the reassurance only the presence of staff can bring. Taking staff away from stations would represent a very short-term, short-sighted saving.'

- List of stations and times for postcard day of action today (Monday):

Midlands

Birmingham New Street: 8.30-9.30am and 4.30-5.30pm

Derby: 8.30-9.30am and 4.30-5.30pm

Nottingham: 8.30-9.30am and 4.30-5.30pm

North East

Doncaster: 7.30-9.30am

Hull: 4.30-6pm

Leeds City: 7-9am

North West

Liverpool Lime Street: 4-5.30pm

Liverpool Moorfields (Old Hall Street Entrance): 8-9am

Manchester Piccadilly: 7.30-9am

Manchester Victoria: 7.30-9am

Preston: Time tbc

South East and Anglia

Euston: 7.30-9.30am

Day and time tbc (please check website): Barking, Brixton, Chafford Hundred, Fenchurch St, Hackney Central, Harrow and Wealdstone, Limehouse, Longfield, Ockenden, Rochester, Stanford Le-Hope, Southend East, Tilbury Town/East Tilbury.

South West and South Wales

Bristol Temple Mead: 7.30-9am

Cardiff: 7.30-9am

Exeter: 7.30-9am

Paddington: 7.30-9am

Plymouth: 7.30-9am

Reading: 7.30-9am

Swansea: 7.30-9am

Wessex

Portsmouth: 7-8.30am

Southampton: 7-8.30am

Waterloo: 7-8.30am

Scotland

Edinburgh Waverley: 7.30-9am

Glasgow Central: 7.30-9am

Glasgow West Street: 7.30-9am

- List of meetings between rail unions and trades councils being held on 31 May:

Andover 7.30pm - Andover Guildhall, High Street, Andover, SP10 1LP

Battersea and Wandsworth 6.30pm - The Bread and Roses, 68 Clapham Manor Street, London SW4 6DZ

Barnstaple 7pm - Castle Centre, Barnstaple, EX31 1DR

Blackburn 7.30pm - Blackburn Central Library, Town Hall Street, BB2 1AG

Bristol 7pm - Council House, College Green, Bristol, BS1 5TR

Cardiff 7pm - Unite Offices, 1 Cathedral Road, Cardiff, CF11 9SD

Liverpool 7pm - Unite Offices, Jack Jones House, 2 Churchill Way, Liverpool, L3 8EF

Southend 7.30pm - Southend Central Library, Victoria Avenue, SS2 6EX

- For more information about Action for Rail please visit www.actionforrail.org

- All TUC press releases can be found at www.tuc.org.uk

Contacts:

Media enquiries:

TUC
Liz Chinchen T: 020 7467 1248 M: 07778 158175 E: media@tuc.org.uk
Rob Holdsworth T: 020 7467 1372 M: 07717 531150 E: rholdsworth@tuc.org.uk
Elly Gibson T: 020 7467 1337 M: 07900 910624 E: egibson@tuc.org.uk

Rail unions:

ASLEF Chris Proctor M: 07714 504 410 E: cproctor@aslef.org.uk

RMT Geoff Martin M: 07831 465 103 E: G.Martin@rmt.org.uk

TSSA Tom Condon M: 07894 390 480 E: condont@tssa.org.uk

Unite Ciaran Naidoo M: 07768 931 315 E: ciaran.naidoo@unitetheunion.org