Safety fears of rail staff

Government cuts to Network Rail’s funding have put the health and safety of maintenance staff and passengers at risk, says a report from the TUC’s Action for Rail Campaign.

The research was carried out by Sonia Mckay and Nick Clark of the Working Lives Institute at the request of four rail unions — ASLEF, RMT, TSSA and Unite. Their report — The impact of efficiency savings on Network Rail staff, performance and safety — voices workers’ concerns that a major accident could happen as a result of the culture that has developed in rail maintenance where safety is threatened because of a lack of resources.

The study looks at the experiences of rail workers and finds a number of concerns including: lower safety standards and under-reporting of safety concerns; maintenance staff working long hours and travelling to jobs that are a long distance away; and the increasing use of staff on zero-hours contracts.

Rail staff told the researchers that funding cuts have meant that teams working on renewing the tracks are smaller and jobs need to be completed in a shorter time. Workers are also now expected to work alongside moving trains, sometimes without adequate safety measures in place.

TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady said: “Budget cuts are creating the conditions where many rail employees fear a major accident is just waiting to happen.”

www.tuc.org.uk/sites/default/files/NetworkRailEfficiency.pdf