RMT fights privatisation
WORKERS, MAY 2007 ISSUE
Commuters using the East London Line were presented with an urgent message from the RMT union on 12 April as part of its ongoing campaign against the privatisation of London Rail. Transport for London's proposals under the new franchise, which will extend to the East London Line, are too complex and compromise public safety to a frightening extent, says the RMT, accusing TfL of drifting blindly into fragmentation.
The existing line is part of the Underground network, with unified signalling, train and station operations under direct public control. Maintenance and renewals are sub-contracted to Metronet. Under the new plans at least eight players will be involved in running a hybrid tube and rail service on the line – two for signalling, two for infrastructure maintenance, two for infrastructure renewals, one for train and station operations and one for train maintenance.
Some track, stations and signals maintenance will go to a private contractor, and some to Network Rail. Some signalling operations will be the responsibility of London Underground and some will go to Network Rail. Train, stations and ticketing will go to a private contractor. Responsibility for building and maintaining trains will fall to the engineering firm Bombardier, although TfL will retain ownership. Arrangements for cleaning are still unclear.
"It seems that precious few lessons have been learned from the nightmare fragmentation of national rail privatisation or the disastrous part-privatisation of Tube infrastructure, because the same dangerous formula is being lined up for London Rail," warns General Secretary Bob Crow. Urging commuters to join the campaign, he said it was not too late to tell TfL to keep the line public and run as a unified part of the tube network.