From RMT general secretary Bob Crow.

McNulty and the Rail Delivery Group

I will be writing to you separately on RMT’s campaign against the McNulty Report and our Parliamentary Lobby on 25th October, however I would like to provide you with a report on how the Train Operators and Network Rail have formed a Rail Delivery Group which is seen as the body to implement the McNulty Report.

There is no trade union involvement or passenger involvement in the Rail Delivery Group; something that is very strange for a Group which is supposed to be inclusive and provide a platform for dialogue on the future of the industry.

RMT, TSSA and ASLEF wrote to the Rail Delivery Group to ask if it was its intention to have representatives from the trade unions. The Unions were advised that this was a matter for Government. We then met the Secretary of State for Transport Philip Hammond MP who told us that union involvement was a matter for the industry.

The trade unions requested a meeting with the Rail Delivery Group and the three General Secretaries from RMT, TSSA and ASLEF met with the Chair of First Group Tim O’Toole and Chair of Network Rail David Higgins who are the Rail Delivery Group Chair and Vice Chair respectively. We put it to them that there should be an opportunity for us to put our viewpoint across and for a passengers’ representative to do the same. We were told that the Rail Delivery Group is in an embryonic stage looking at all issues and that there were a number of other bodies not represented such as the suppliers.

We said that we were very disappointed as the representatives of the workers, not to be involved and effectively, they were bypassing their staff. They did say that it is their intention in November to report back to a wider industry group to give their report as they have misgivings regarding McNulty and whether it can be fully implemented.

I asked them about rumours Network Rail and South West Trains are working together to form a joint management of the South West Trains franchise. They replied that it was “purely thinking”. As you can see they are not sitting still but are organising for the regionalisation of the industry and allowing the private sector a greater say in the rail network.

Further details of RMT’s campaign against McNulty and our major Lobby on 25th October will be circulated in due course, and as you can see from this report, it is essential that rail workers must vigorously oppose the McNulty report in every way we can. Make sure 25th October is in your diary NOW.