March 2013

INSIDEn Better Rail gets creativen Transport fit for Londonn Ireland: Jobs not debt

Fightingthe Axemen

2 March 2013

in this issue

Transport Salaried Staffs’Association

General Secretary: Manuel Cortes

Joining TSSA T: 020 7529 8009F: 020 7383 0656E: join@tssa.org.uk

Your membership detailsT: 020 7529 8018E: details@tssa.org.uk

Helpdesk (workplace rights advice for members)T: 0800 3282673 (UK)

1800 805 272 (Rep of Ireland)

Websitewww.tssa.org.uk (UK) www.tssa.ie (Ireland)

@TSSAunionfacebook.com/TSSAunion

TSSA JournalEditor: Ben SoffaE: journal@tssa.org.ukT: 020 7529 8055M: 07809 583020

General queries (London office) T: 020 7387 2101F: 020 7383 0656E: enquiries@tssa.org.uk

Irish office from Northern Ireland T: +3531 8743467F: +3531 8745662

from the Republic T: 01 8743467 F: 01 8745622E: enquiries@tssa.ie

TSSA Journal is published by TSSA, Walkden House10 Melton Street London NW1 2EJ

Design and production: Wild Strawberry Communicationswww.wildstrawberry.uk.com

Views published in the Journal arenot necessarily those of TSSA.Acceptance of adverts for productsor services does not imply TSSAendorsement.

TSSA Journal is printed by TU Ink onLeipa Ultra Silk comprised of 100%post-consumer waste. The polythenewrapper is oxo-degradable.

Vol 109/issue 1227

Irish workersstruggling under theweight of bank debt.Coverage of the massprotests on page 7,whilst similar ‘streettheatre’ campaigningis discussed on 12-13.

Christian Wolmarsets out hisvision for movingtransport inLondon towards abrighter future.

18-19

7

TSSA Journal 3

editorial

March sees thefiftiethanniversary of theBeeching Report,whilst we’re now20 years on fromthe start of theTory’s programme ofrail privatisation. Both were disastersfor transport workers and the publicalike, and both have had to be at leastpartially reversed.

In this issue Paul Salveson looks at theBeeching Report, the campaign againstit and examples of the lines reprievedor re-opened since the ‘Beeching Axe’struck (pages 18-20). General SecretaryManuel Cortes reports on ATOC’s firstever meeting with the rail unions (page11) and how the Government look setto put off major franchising until afterthe 2015 election. With franchiseextensions expected to be offered as‘management contracts’, the pretenceof private sector investment by TOCsfalls away, just as the collapse ofRailtrack back in 2002 started the flowback from the fully private model JohnMajor and co had envisaged.

No one underestimates how mucheffort will be required to fully reversethe failed experiment of privatisation,but we’re working hard to upgrade ourdirect access to the levers of powerthrough the Labour Party (page 10).With Labour odds-on to form the nextgovernment, TSSA is looking to train upand support people to organise aroundour goals within the party or tobecome local or Parliamentarycandidates. Even if you’re not yet aLabour member but want to find outmore, do have a read and get in touch.

As ever, your letters, thoughts andideas for future articles are alwayswelcome. This is your magazine, so doget in touch if you’re involved insomething that should be shared withother TSSA members. I hope you enjoythis issue.

Ben Soffa, editor

4–10 News and campaignsu Privatisation: 20 years on

u Fare rise protests

u Big win at Amey Consulting

u Ireland: Jobs Not Debt

u Members receive Honours

u Winning for TSSA in Labour

13 General secretary: ATOC still not listening

12–13 Better Rail campaign gets creative

14 Fighting prejudice against travellers

15 Glenis Willmott MEP: The EU and public ownership

16–17Wolmar: Moving London forward

18–20 Salveson: Beeching 50 years on

21 Building our branch

22–23 Advice: Morrish solicitors and Helpdesk

21 Letters

CC BY NC delete08

4 March 2013

news

20 years on: the scam of privatisation

Sources: *House of Commons Library; **The McNulty Report, May 2011

Transport Salaried Staffs’ Associationwww.tssa.org.uk

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Edwina: “I suppose this is the end of the line, John.”

Edwina: “I suppose this is the end of the line, John.”

Edwina: “I suppose this is the end of the line, John.”

Edwina: “I suppose this is the end of the line, John.”

It wasn’t just Edwina who John Major fooled around with...

He also fouled up our trains and millions of passengers.

wenty years ago the TTTwenty years ago the T

Fares have more than doubled, up 102.5% since 1995*

axpayer Ta

It wasn’t just Edwina who John Major fooled around with...

He also fouled up our trains and millions of passengers.

ories voted to sell off our railways to private firms: rs ago the T o

Fares have more than doubled, up 102.5% since 1995*

axpayer subsidy has gone up four

It wasn’t just Edwina who John Major fooled around with...

He also fouled up our trains and millions of passengers.

ories voted to sell off our railways to private firms:

Fares have more than doubled, up 102.5% since 1995*

fold, up from £930million to £3.8billion**axpayer subsidy has gone up four

It wasn’t just Edwina who John Major fooled around with...

He also fouled up our trains and millions of passengers.

ories voted to sell off our railways to private firms:

Fares have more than doubled, up 102.5% since 1995*

fold, up from £930million to £3.8billion**

ories voted to sell off our railways to private firms:

fold, up from £930million to £3.8billion**

fold, up from £930million to £3.8billion**

e now have the most inefficient rail network in Europe and the most expensive fares**W

e also have the only privately-run railway in Europe. GermanyW

largely publicly-run railways.

s hav Let’’s have a public railway that puts

e now have the most inefficient rail network in Europe and the most expensive fares**

e also have the only privately-run railway in Europe. Germany

largely publicly-run railways.

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e now have the most inefficient rail network in Europe and the most expensive fares**

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largely publicly-run railways.

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e now have the most inefficient rail network in Europe and the most expensive fares**

, Spain and France all have , Italy y, Spain and France all have many y, Italy

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s hav Let s passengers ahead of private pr

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“There is no question of assets being sold off cheaply”

28 November 1995 Wrong.

“Government funding after privatisation is expected to be broadly similar”19 December 1995

“Fares will be lower, following privatisation”20 March 1997 Wrong.

Wrong.THIS JANUARY MARKED the20th anniversary of theintroduction of legislationallowing for the break up andsell-off of British Rail. Themeasures, which finally madeit through Parliament inNovember 1993 can now beclearly seen as one of themost scandalous and wastefulacts of vandalism againstpublic services carried out bythe last Conservativegovernment.

Each of the above claims bythe Prime Minister of the day,John Major, proved to be false.Assets were chronicallyundervalued in the rush to sellthem off as fast as possible.The Porterbrook rolling stockoperator was privatised for£527m yet just six monthslater was sold on for £825m –a tidy £300m profit for half ayear’s ‘risk’ of guaranteedprofits. Whilst the sell-off wasa disaster all round, theprocess gave huge windfalls toshareholders and didn’t evenmaximise the short-term gainfor taxpayers – Railtrack wasprivatised for £1.9bn but just

three years later had a marketvalue of £7.8bn.

Far from remaining ‘broadlysimilar’ as Major claimed,taxpayer subsidy has gone upfourfold, up from £930 millionto £3.8 billion per year, whilstfares have more than doubled,up over 102 per cent since1995.

TSSA planned to run asomewhat cheeky press adverton the anniversary, noting ‘Itwasn’t just Edwina who JohnMajor screwed – he also screwedour railways and millions ofpassengers’. After this wasbanned by the advertisingregulator, the ensuingcoverage raised the disaster ofprivatisation without theAssociation actually needingto run the advert!

The Association will beusing the anniversaries of thelater stages of the legislationto further raise just how badlythe experiment of privatisationhas failed. You can help spreadthe message of the campaignby highlighting the factsabove in a letter to your localpaper.7

TSSA Journal 5

news

FareFail message is louder than everIN JANUARY, RAIL fares roseby an average of 4.2 percent – in many cases a lotmore. It is the tenthconsecutive year that fareshave risen above inflation, andwith wages stagnant, manytravellers can no longer cope.

Commuters right acrossthe UK have lost out, but forthose in the South East, wheredaily rail travel is the mostcommon, the story is thebleakest. In 2003, an annualseason ticket from Sevenoaks,in Kent, to London cost£1,660. Today, it costs £3,112– a rise of 87 per cent. Evenwhen you take into accountinflation, this is a huge – andunacceptable – increase.

The impact is nowbecoming really noticeable.Rising fares have put a severesqueeze on family budgets,already faltering in the tougheconomic climate created byGeorge Osborne’s austeritydogma. Add it to the mix ofwage stagnation, child benefit

cuts and soaring utility billsand it is understandable whypublic anger towards thegovernment’s rail fares policyis building. Many who usetrains have no other optionbut to do so – in this context,they regard the year-on-yearfare hikes as a tax on going towork.

This has meant thespiralling cost of rail travel hasbecome a political hot potato.In February, Ed Milibandannounced his intention to‘stop the train company pricerip-offs on the most popularroutes’. For its part, theGovernment has sought todownplay the impact of fares.

Transport Minister NormanBaker said in January that thecurrent system was ‘not ideal’but that fares are ‘not asexpensive as presented’.

The need for even-greaterpublic pressure on politiciansto commit to a strategy forlower fares has been behindthe re-launch of the ‘FareFail’campaign, which TSSA hasparticipated in from the start.Railway employees never seethe benefit of ever-risingfares, and by involvingourselves in a broad coalitionwith rail users, we can playour part in a powerful alliance,including people interested inlooking beyond fares, and

willing to argue for theretention of staff and services.

That’s what lay behind the‘FareFail’ days of action on 2 January and more recentlyon 14 February, when ourValentine’s day event – ‘LoveTrains, Hate High Fares!’ – sawactions at over 40 stationsnationwide. It’s all part of oureffort to keep the pressure up,build relationships with railpassengers and remindpoliticians that together, wecannot be ignored.

Thanks to the involvementof TSSA members, themovement against runawaytrain fares is gaining groundand winning new allies – in2013, let’s make it a key issuein the debate around publictransport, the environmentand the economy. 7

To find out more visitwww.togetherfortransport.org orcontact TSSA CommunityOrganiser George Woodswoodsg@tssa.org.uk.

Ed Miliband:Labour will ‘stopthe train companyprice rip-offs onthe most popularroutes’.

CC BY NC Joanna Kiyoné

i

6 March 2013

news

IN THE AFTERMATH of adispute over pay and theweakening of collectivebargaining in 2011, workersat Amey had already beenseeing people doing thesame work and the samehours receiving very differentpay rises as a result of anearlier TUPE transfer.

People realised they hadno real say in their futures,they needed a collectivevoice and collectivebargaining with theemployer. Those alreadycovered by a earlier collectiveagreement realised theirgroup was diminishing, withthe growth in numbers ofthose outside thearrangement weakening itfurther. Instead of fightingeach other, the groups joinedunder one banner – TSSA.

TSSA reps began acampaign for fairness, a voiceand collective bargaining.Many on both sides doubtedwe could achieve the levels ofrecruitment to legally requirerecognition. Yet theyoverlooked one thing: We hadforged one, strong, committedteam who valued fair play andfair pay for all and were willing

to fight for it.Working together, reps

began a successful threemonth recruitment campaign.The target, of 40 per cent +1was daunting, but we had faithin ourselves, our group and ourmessage. In three months over110 members were recruited,which was no small feat. Weexceeded the target and havecontinued to build on it since.Are we ‘done’? Nope, this is amarathon not a sprint, butwith each step forward there

are more runners in our teamand less spectators watchingfrom the sidelines.

Our team travelledhundreds of miles to attendmeetings with staff to talkabout joining TSSA to buildthat voice – to show theywere not alone, there was abetter way. Jim Mckinney,Tarnia Wilson, PatriciaMassop, Dave Merrett, DaveMarshall and Paul Messenger,ably assisted by TSSA staffAlan Valentine, Luke Chester

and Ray Barber. Many moreprovided useful contacts,spoke to their colleagues andencouraged them to join. Ourthanks go to all of them.

For the staff within AmeyInter Urban (Operations) Rail,TSSA was successful andadded several hundred staffpreviously on personalcontracts into collectivebargaining. Thanks tomembers’ efforts there arenow more than 500 extra staffin Amey covered by collectivebargaining than in 2010.

To the few still deniedcollective bargaining, we willwork hard on your behalf tocorrect this. If you are in thisgroup let us know. 7

Do you believe in fair playand fair pay? Do you want avoice in your future, a voicethat is listened to and given therespect it deserves? Contact our organising teamon organising@tssa.org.ukor speak to one of the reps onameyreps@tssa.org.uk.Are you a new member thathas unanswered questions? Get in touch onameyreps@tssa.org.uk.

Winning at Amey –agreement signed at last

Reps Jim Mckinney, Colin Savage, Tarnia Wilson behind senior regional organiser Alan Valentine, signing the agreement withSean Roberts, business director for Amey Consulting Rail.

TSSA rep Colin Savage tells the story of a great win at Amey Consulting, where through a concerted organising campaign,hundreds of extra employees now have the benefits of collective bargaining.

Railway Employees Privilege Ticket AssociationAvailable to all in the transport industries, TSSA members, family and retiredstaff. REPTA offers many free, discounted and special rates, listed in our 80 page Yearbook, sent with your membership card.New for 2013: membership discounts at National Railway Museum, free LimitedPersonal Accident cover for travel on public transport. Discount cinema ticketscontinue for 2013. You can book rail travel with Raileasy via our website.

£4.50 per year. Additional cards for family members

£3. Send cheques/POs to REPTA, 4 Brackmills Close,

Mansfield NG19 0PB. Tel: 01623 646789.

Include name, address, email and date

of birth for each + code ‘TSSA’ or

join at www.repta.co.uk.

i

ON SATURDAY 9 FEBRUARY anestimated 110,000 peoplejoined the ‘Lift the Burden –Jobs not Debt’ marches calledby the Irish Congress of TradeUnions. Demonstrations tookplace across the country tocall for urgent action to tacklethe growing unemploymentcrisis and the €64 billion debtburden which is crippling thecountry. Over 60,000 took partin the Dublin protest, while atleast 15,000 turned out inCork, 13,000 in Waterford,10,000 in Limerick, 7,000 inSligo and 5,000 in Galway.

TSSA, other unions,community organisations anda wide range of civic societygroups who have been hit hardby the current and formergovernment’s austeritypolicies joined the protests.As the trade unions warned,these polices have devastatedthe economy and society. TheIrish domestic economy has

shrunk by over 25 per cent inthe last three years.

Irish Congress of TradeUnions general secretary DavidBegg told protestors in Dublinthat the recent deal with theECB had not solved theproblem: ‘1.8 million people[in work] cannot possibly payoff a bank debt burden of €64billion – especially a debt theyplayed no part in running up.There is nothing fair about thisdeal. We saved the Europeanbanking system in 2008, anact of extraordinary solidaritywith Europe – now we wantsome solidarity in return’.

TSSA’s senior Irishorganiser Patrick McCuskeradds, ‘Irish people have takenon an incredible 40 per centof the total cost of the bankcrisis across the EU. Each Irishcitizen has already paid €9000compared with an EU averageof €190 per person. Thedisparity between the pain

inflicted on the Irish people,with less than 1 per cent ofthe total population of theEU, (and just 1.2 per cent ofits GDP) and the contributionfrom many other, richer,states is unacceptable.’

‘Bank debt and austerityhave prevented any hope ofeconomic recovery. We cannotjust stand by and let ourchildren and grandchildrenface a future of unemployment,emigration and poor publicservices all to pay the debtsincurred by gambling bankswho’ve paid nothing for their

greed, dishonesty andincompetence.’

Marchers sent a strongmessage to the troika, otherEU governments and workingpeople across Europe thatonly a comprehensive writedown of Ireland’s debt burdencan save the economy fromdecades of recession.

The €64 billion debt willhang round the necks ofgenerations of Irish peoplefor decades to come unlessthe burden is lifted. This is astruggle we cannot afford togive up on.7

TSSA Journal 7

I reland

110,000 march againstausterity in Ireland

Manuel Cortesjoined theTSSA membersmarching inCork

Over 60,000 people joined the protest in Dublin

Bob

Teah

an

news

8 March 2013

A NEW WEBSITE reveals the millions of pounds paid to Tory MPs and their local parties bycorporate interests. SearchTheMoney.com lists the publicly-declared outside earnings anddonations of each Conservative and reveals just how many are doing private work on the sideor are assisted with ‘research’ by large companies. The site – supported by TSSA – reveals anumber of rail companies, including First Great Western, Grand Central and DB Schenker / EWSall donating up to £55,000 to MPs or the Conservative Party directly. 7

Why not search the site for your nearest Tory MP and share what you find in a letter to thelocal press? www.searchthemoney.com.

THE RIGHT TO organise in a union andtake strike action are internationallyrecognised human rights, but legislationbrought in between 1979 and 1995means workers in Britain have fewerrights than 100 years ago. Lawful ballotswith huge majorities are oftenfrustrated in the courts, whilst

notification periods before action canbe taken reduce our ability to respondflexibly.

A new campaign to call for thepositive protection of our right toorganise and defend our interests atwork is soon to be launched, withsupport from TSSA and dozens of other

unions. The campaign calls for laws thatwill allow unions to better protect theirmembers, prevent undemocratic legalmaneuvers by employers and restoreand extend collective bargaining.

After decades going backwards, andthe gap between rich and poorwidening, it’s time to make a change.We need to build the strongest demandpossible for modern unions laws thatallow unions to operate democraticallyand freely. 7

You can join the launch rally onSaturday 23 March from 1.30pm to4.30pm at Friends Meeting House, EustonRoad, London or find out more atwww.tradeunionfreedom.co.uk.

Tory corporate funding exposed

New campaign for justice at work

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ONE OF TSSA’S longest-standingmembers, Doug Reynolds, was made anMBE for services to the community.Doug joined TSSA’s forerunner, theRailway Clerks’ Association after leavingthe RAF in 1946. He held positions atbranch and company level and was chairof the London South East DivisionalCouncil. Doug served as a councillor for30 years and was the first Labour Mayorof Kingston, in 1974. After retirementDoug threw himself into voluntary workand even at the age of 92 is still chair ofthe Kingston Pensioners’ Forum andpresident of the local RAFA and theProbus Club. Doug told the Journal, ‘It’sjust very nice to be recognised for thework you’ve done in the community’.

Member and transport campaignerJon Honeysett was also awarded anMBE ‘for services to rail in Kidsgrove’,receiving a personal letter from theDepartment for Transport’s PermanentSecretary congratulating him on hisaward. Jon has spent yearscampaigning for local services as wellas raising rail electrification, disabilityaccess and ensuring the railway is asgreen as possible. Jon said, ‘It was withgreat surprise, and delight, that Idiscovered I had been awarded theMBE. Although a retired TSSA memberfor many years, I was warmly greetedby our Association members when mywife Sarah and I joined the TUC marchin October’. 7

TSSA Journal 9

news

Jon Honeysett MBE

THE ARTICLE ON Equal Pay in the Januaryedition of the Journal correctly noted that anequal pay claim must be brought within sixmonths from termination of employment. Itis important for members and reps toappreciate that there are other triggerswhich may mean that the six month timelimit starts to run. Members who are TUPEtransferred need to make a claim within sixmonths of the date of the transfer (becausethe transfer for equal pay purposes means‘termination’ of the old employment).Likewise, where there are any significantcontractual changes (such as promotion), anequal pay claim must be lodged within sixmonths of the date of such changes.

Members who think they may have aclaim should contact their local rep withoutdelay, or email fairpay@tssa.org.uk. 7

Members receive New Years Honours

Correction: Due to a production error, aprevious version of the TSSA membershipform was included in the last issue of theJournal. Please accept our apologies for anyconfusion caused.

A polit ical voice

10 March 2013

WE ARE NOW just over twoyears out from what could beone of the most pivotalelections in decades. Withausterity policies driving downliving standards and theindustries TSSA memberswork in facing hugechallenges, we need to buildour collective power to leadchange and influencedecision-makers in ourcommunities and to shape thedebate at a national level.

Before becoming TSSA’sfirst ever political officer, I’vebeen running campaigns inthe community organisingteam, from ‘Sack Boris’ tobuilding coalitions on fares

and against staffing cuts.Outside of work, I’m a Labourcouncillor in Barking andDagenham, so used to thechallenges of engaging andrepresenting people locally.

TSSA recognises that as asmaller union, our numbersalone don’t guarantee we’ll beheard. We need to punchabove our weight to get thebest deal for members and towin on the issues that matterto our union. Whether that beon public ownership of rail,our Better Rail strategy, or inthe development of membersseeking to become politicalrepresentatives themselves,we need to get organised. We

need to build our power – andour ability to support thosepoliticians fighting our corner,and of course opposing thosethat don’t. We need a strongervoice – and my work aspolitical officer will be to helpbuild this.

We also want to work withTSSA members interested inbecoming politicalrepresentatives, offeringtraining on how to become alocal councillor, or even an MP,MSP or AM. We will beorganising campaigning insupport of TSSA-endorsedcandidates at elections andrunning more training oncommunity organising.

To build our politicalpower as a union – you – as amember, are essential. Couldyou help with these campaigns,think about standing forelection, or speak to people inyour workplace or community?We’ll be there to support youevery step of the way.

Pioneering communityorganiser Saul Alinsky oncesaid, ‘Action comes fromkeeping the heat on. Nopolitician can sit on a hot issueif you make it hot enough.’ Let’sturn up the heat! 7

Interested in beinginvolved? Contact Sam Tarry on tarrys@tssa.org.uk.

Keeping the heat on! Building our political voice

Sam Tarry, TSSA’s newly-appointed political officer introducesour work to increase members’ political power in the run up tothe next election.

TSSA has a longstanding and positive relationship withthe Labour Party – but we know that we need to build ourpower within it as well as better support those membersalready involved so we can win on our issues. We needmore TSSA members equipped with the knowledge andconfidence to get involved, and to think about standingfor office, at a local, devolved, UK or European level.  If youare a member of the Labour Party (or indeed anotherparty) we would be very keen to hear from you. Whetheryou are active, hold a position, or are just interested inmeeting other TSSA members who are also involved in theLabour Party, then please get in touch. We are looking tolaunch a new TSSA Labour Network later this year and wewant as many members involved as possible.

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TSSA Journal 11

general secretaryManuelCortes

comment

In the last week of January, almost 20 years tothe day since the hapless John Major and hisTransport Secretary John MacGregor publishedthe 1993 Railways Act, the railway unions metwith the Association of Train OperatingCompanies (ATOC) for the very first time. ATOCwanted to discuss our recent pronouncementson fare increases and public subsidy.

As you may be aware, the legislation whichsold off our railways had a tortuous journeythrough Parliament before finally passing on 5 November 1993. Rail privatisation was then –and continues to be – very controversial.Unfortunately, those events of 20 years ago werejust the opening salvo in what has clearly been anunmitigated disaster for passengers and taxpayersalike.

John MacGregor, told the House of Commonsin February 1993, ‘I see no reason why faresshould increase faster under the new system. Inmany cases, they will be more flexible and will bereduced’. Yet, recently published data by theHouse of Commons Transport Select Committeeshows that average rail fares have more thandoubled – an increase of over 102 per cent since1995. In addition, taxpayers have been helpingfoot the bill for the spiralling costs thatfragmentation introduced into our industry aspublic subsidy has increased fourfold. In the yearto April 2012, a staggering £3.88bn of supportwas required. Rail fares expert Barry Doe hasrecently unveiled figures which show that somewalk-on fares have increased by more than threetimes the rate of inflation since 1995 – an eye-watering 208 per cent!

Given all of this, you would have thought thatthe collective voice for train operators would havetried to strike a conciliatory tone when we met -nothing could be further from the truth. ATOCseems to be like the alcoholic who can’t admitthey have a problem. In what was largely a pre-prepared statement read to us by its Chair, theyclaimed that everything we said on fares or publicsubsidy was either untrue or misleading. How canthis possibly be the case? Our information comesfrom either the Department for Transport, theHouse of Commons or from their very own

‘ATOC want us

to shut up

because our

message is

clearly catching

the public

mood.’

‘It took 18

years for ATOC

to meet us –

why would we

stop the

campaign that

made it

possible?’

ATOC: 18 years to meet us,yet nothing new to say

National Rail Enquiries website. Frankly, iffranchise agreements were not shrouded insecrecy, we may have had greater access to betterdata. However, transparency is not ATOC’s forte.Their members repeatedly refuse to release detailsof franchise agreements under so called‘commercial confidentiality’ – complete nonsensewhen taxpayers’ money is at stake!

There was at least one positive outcome of thisrather fruitless exchange. The reason why ATOCwants us to shut up is because our message isclearly catching the public mood. As I said to itsChair, it has taken 18 years and many requests foryou to agree to meet with the unions – why onearth would we stop the campaign that has madeit possible? Of course, we won’t! Instead, we willturn the volume up even louder. We launchedTogether for Transport on the basis of seeking toempower public transport users, with Better Railand Action for Rail providing a clear voice fromrail workers in this debate. It is clear that thisstrategy is already starting to pay handsomedividends. It is the growing public discontentwhich made ATOC, all of a sudden, wish to speakto the rail unions.

Let’s face it, we have a broken franchise systemand passengers have had more than enough ofrip-off fares. The Government’s recent decision tooffer short-term contract extensions to trainoperators appears all too convenient. It meansmany franchise decisions may well be pushedback beyond the general election. In other words,Ministers have put the future structure of ourrailways in the ‘too difficult’ box.

As you well know, public ownership is theonly sane way out of this expensive madness.Growing passenger anger provides our biggestpotential ally in making this a reality. Our aim isto help build a rail users’ movement with enoughpower to have an impact on the outcome of thenext general election. We want to galvanisepassengers’ anger into a powerful force, that ifneed be, can compel what will hopefully be anincoming Labour administrationinto running our railways in theinterests of passengers and not forthe benefit of shareholders!7

12 March 2013

Better Rai l

January actionsAction at London St Pancras on January 2 marked the day fareincreases were introduced. The action gained widespreadcoverage across TV and the press, with general secretary ManuelCortes giving interviews underlining both fare increases andthreats to staff.

The events marking the 150th anniversary of the LondonUnderground saw a picket in defence of the funding of LondonTransport Museum, facing a 25 per cent budget cut. Watch thevideo, including clueless Mayor Boris Johnson declaring theMuseum to be in ‘fine fettle’ whilst he oversees cuts thatthreaten many of its activities: www.tssa.org.uk/LondonTransportMuseum.

Fares leafleting continued at stations throughout the UK, withthe ‘Ghost Train’ visiting York. TSSA’s Film Group took thecampaign into the community, with Reps interviewingpassengers about what they thought of the fare increases.

February actionsValentines Day saw ‘Love trains, hate high fares!’ actions at over40 stations, including below 'The Meeting Place' lovers’ statue atSt Pancras and hand-painted placards at Oxford. ‘Farefail Fridays’also began – weekly Friday actions with the Ghost Train in placeswhere passengers have been hit by the ‘top 10’ fare increases.

March action – save the date!27 March is the 50th anniversary of theBeeching Report. Check our website for soon to

be confirmed details of the action day jointly called by TSSA andother rail unions.

Talented TSSA gets creativeAs part of the Better Rail campaign, the ‘Year of Horror 2013’ got off to a strong start, with TSSA members andallies taking action against fare increases and threats to services. In 2010 TSSA helped bring together the #farefailcoalition, whose actions since then have highlighted the inflation busting fares imposed by the government eachyear. Right from the start of the year, TSSA members have been joining with community activists and allies incarrying out leafleting sessions at stations across the UK.

And

rew

Wia

rd

And

rew

Wia

rd

TSSA Journal 13

Better Rai l

Street theatreThis summer we plan on bringing our ‘horror’ theme to life byintroducing an element of street theatre as part of our actions,using the horror characters we introduced in the NovemberJournal.

There is a long history of using street theatre – performed inany busy place, often with just a few props – to make a politicalpoint. Brief sketches can get people thinking and debating in away that addressing them with a megaphone never would.

Are you interested in taking part in street theatre workshops?No previous experience is required. Sign up for street theatreworkshops on www.tssa.org.uk/better-rail.

We will have costumes for some of our Year of Horrorcharacters, but we need your help to develop their ‘story’ anddiscover ways to communicate this to the public. That’s why wewill hold workshops run by actors who will help you discover yourhidden talents and have some fun!

Crazed Ticket Vending MachineOur CTVM will visit stations and amuse passengerswith its crazy tickets and comic breakdowns!Passengers tell us consistently they want morestaff, not more machines. Help our CTVM show itstrue colours this summer!

Freddie CutsWe first met Freddie Cuts at the 20 Octoberdemonstration. Now we need to make sure ourpoliticians got the message that the proposedcuts to ticket offices and station staff arehorrific! Help us tell Freddie Cuts’ story andwhy we need to fight the horror cuts!

Toxic Waste MonsterOver £1 billion could be saved each year if the railways werereturned to public ownership. How can we impress upon people

they need to fight the toxic waste that’sbeing defended by the Tory-led government?

Help us find a way to banish the Toxic Wastemonster into the wastelands of privatisation!

Sound interesting? Sign up for Street TheatreWorkshops today! www.tssa.org.uk/better-rail.

Film GroupOur TSSA Film Group took the Ghost Train up to York tohighlight horror fares and see how passengers in Yorkshire arefeeling the pinch. You can see some interviews atwww.tssa.org.uk/better-rail-films.

Pete Worral, a TSSA rep at Network Rail, asked Katie for heropinion. She said, ‘I think it’s disgusting, because it’s starting toget to the point where people can’t afford to get to work andback, they’re just far too high!’

Another passenger told Manjit Gill ‘I don’t really see how theycan justify putting train fares up when the service I receive isn’tbetter than it was when the trains were a lot cheaper. Actually, itwould be a lot cheaper for me to drive, which is the thing I don’treally want to do, because I am green and I do try to do the bestfor my environment, but now I feel I’m kind of being bullied intothe prospect of having to buy a car, because it would be so muchcheaper for me.’

During 2012 our Film Group volunteers have put together a seriesof videos to highlight the negative impact of the government’sprogramme of change in the railways. These include a short film,interviews with passengers on fare increases and cuts to stationstaff and asking TSSA members and the public what they thinkwill make a better railway. In 2013 they will be interviewing moreTSSA members about their role on the railway, the skills theyhave and what they are doing to fight for a better railway.

You can see the Film Group’s work at www.tssa.org.uk/better-rail-films.

Get active in the fight for a better railwayOver the next few months we will have a programme of actions on fares, Ghost Train visits to stations and visits to local MPs. Weneed you to sign-up to help us be heard by decision makers. Now is the time to get involved and make a difference.

What you can do right now:l Pledge to help get our postcards on fares out to passengers: www.tssa.org.uk/pledgel Come along with other TSSA members and Reps to visit your local MP, or sign up for our Political Lobbying coursewww.tssa.org.uk/better-raill Sign up for workshops on Street Theatre www.tssa.org.uk/better-raill Tell us what you think will make a better railway on www.tssa.org.uk/better-rail-ideas

For more information contact Nadine Rae on raen@tssa.org.uk.i

prejudice against travel lers

Marion Mahoney

I AM AN Irish Traveller livingon a council run Travellers’Site in London’s TowerHamlets. We pay rent andCouncil Tax – this has beenmy family’s home for years.

In 2004 we heard, bychance, that Crossrail wascoming through where welive. We asked our counciland MP about it but got noresponse. It was only whenwe went along to a meetingon Crossrail, aimed at thelocal Asian community, thatwe saw a map that showed ashaft they were going to bedrilling right where our siteis. When I asked if they knewabout us, no one did and allthey could say, both then andafterwards, was that wewould have to leave or beevicted. For people in topjobs to talk to us the waythey did was shocking – justwriting us off, there andthen.

We were afraid for ourchildren’s future, but withsupport from the LondonGypsy and Traveller Unit andour London Assemblymember, we kept at it.Eventually I went toParliament where I’d beenasked to give evidence toCrossrail Bill Select Committee.We came up with an idea tomove to the site of a nearbyderelict factory, and now –some years on – we are aboutto move there. These days wehave good communicationwith Crossrail – but it took alot of work to get there.

I have told this storybecause it shows how theway that many people thinkabout gypsies and travellerscomes from the top. All theauthorities showed eitheralmost complete ignoranceor held stereotypedassumptions about us. Noone was going to support us

when they were planning tomove us out of our legallyrented homes, and what’smore, no one knew anythingabout our culture or who wereally were. It is this whichkeeps us hidden and out ofthe mainstream.

I believe that much moreneeds to be done, especiallyin schools. Most gypsy andtraveller children start schoolwith a disadvantage from thestart: the parents of manyother children only knowabout us from the tabloidpress and pick up prejudiceagainst us. Over the years Ihave heard of parents andeven teachers saying, ‘Don’tmix with them’, ‘They aredirty’ or ‘They will steal fromyou’. Often a traveller childmay be the only one in theclass and try to hide whothey are, but when it comesout, the bullying can startand without the school

stepping in, that child is onthe path to having pooreducation outcomes, justbecause of who they are.

Often the tabloids andignorant radio and TVentertainers, use the word‘pikey’, despite us trying tofight it. It is a derogatory wordand is very offensive togypsies and travellers as itmeans the lowest of the lowand people who don’t count.It’s the same as the offensivewords used in recent timestowards black and Asianpeople – and it has the sameresult. Gypsies and Irishtravellers are recognisedethnic groups and covered bythe Race Relations Act soplease, if you see or hearanything offensive about us,stand up and do something.We want nothing more thanfor our children to beeducated and integratedwhilst, like many other groups,keeping our own culture. Untilbarriers are broken down,nothing will change.

I want to thank the TSSAfor passing the resolution atyour conference condemningthe harassment and racismwe face from the tabloidsand elsewhere. We are usedto fighting for our own rightsand it means a lot whenpeople come out on our side. 7

To find out more, see theLondon Gypsy and TravellerUnit on www.lgtu.org.uk.

‘Until barriers are broken down,nothing will change’

Last year TSSA’s Conference passed policy condemning the harassment and discrimination faced byone of the most marginalised communities in Britain and Ireland. Here, London-resident Irish travellerMarion Mahoney, writes of her experiences along with Gill Brown of the Traveller Law Reform Project.

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TSSA Journal 15

Europe

‘IT’S AGAINST EUROPEAN LAW’is one of the argumentsoften raised againstreunifying the railways underpublic control. The others arethat the involvement of theprivate sector bringsinnovation, greaterinvestment and greaterefficiency, and that it wouldcost too much to buy backthe assets.

But as the Rebuilding Railreport by independent thinktank Transport for Quality ofLife very clearly shows,European rules do not dictatethat railways must be fullyprivatised. Nor is there arequirement for railwayinfrastructure to be in privateownership or a ban on trainservices being operated by agovernment-ownedenterprise.

The EU has been involvedin railway policy since 1985and since then several wavesof EU law have indeedpromoted and extendedcompetition. But when John

Major’s Conservativegovernment decided toseparate track and trainsduring privatisation 20 yearsago, it went far beyond anyEU rules.

As Rebuilding Rail shows,the UK – not the EU – hasdecided that the railwaysmust be privately owned, thatthe running of passengerservices and railwayinfrastructure must becompletely divorced, and thattrains must be leased fromprivate companies.

What EU rules do require isthat freight and internationalpassenger services must beopen to competition; railwaysmust hold assets, budgets andaccounts separate to those ofthe State; the manager ofrailway infrastructure mustdraw up separate accounts tothe provider or providers ofpassenger services; and thatcertain ‘essential functions’ ofinfrastructure managementmust be independent of trainoperators.

In several other Europeancountries, either all or a largeproportion of passenger andfreight services are underpublic ownership:l In France, both the trainoperator SNCF and theinfrastructure operator RFFare state-owned.l In Germany the state-ownedoperator Deutsche Bahn runs90 per cent of passengerservices.l In Italy, the state-ownedrailway company FS Holdingowns both the national railinfrastructure manager RFIand train-operating companyTrenitalia.l The Spanish railway isalmost entirely in publicownership. l Even in Sweden, the firstcountry in Europe to takesteps towards privatisation,the state-owned rail operatorSJ operates more than 80 percent of all passenger services.

European law relating torailways continues to develop.In September, one of the

chief legal advisors to theEuropean Court of Justicesaid that the German model,in which the transportoperator is integrated withthe infrastructure manager,conforms to EU rules.

In October, transportministers and MEPs agreed a‘recast’ – or consolidation andamendment – of EU rules,restating that national railnetworks must be open toprivate competition for railfreight and cross-borderpassenger services.

In January the EuropeanCommission publishedproposals for a Fourth RailwayPackage that would open updomestic passenger servicesto competition. These mustbe approved by the EuropeanParliament and Member Statesbefore they become law.

But other Europeancountries have managed toretain the railways underpublic ownership and there isno reason why the UK couldnot do the same.7

Are EU rules really a barrier to reunitingthe railways under public control?

European Union rules getblamed for everything from themythical ban on re-using glassjars for homemade jam topreventing the renationalisationof the railways. Labour’s leaderin the European Parliament,Glenis Willmott MEP, askswhether EU rules are really abarrier to bringing Britain’sfragmented railway system backunder public control.

Glenis Willmott MEP

London is a booming city and it’s goingto get better. Successive governmentshave been accused of channellingrailway investment into the capital andthere’s no doubt that this is the case.

Just look at how the railway scene inLondon will change by the end of thedecade. The expanded Thameslink willallow up to 20 trains (24 theoretically) perhour through the capital, linking a wholehost of new destinations south and northof the river. Then on the east-west axis,there will be Crossrail, a new railway beingbuilt to the highest standards of any inthe country, with emblematic stations.

Between them, these two lines will createthe equivalent of the much lauded RERnetwork in Paris, with, at its heart,Farringdon station which will become theonly one in Britain with trains heading inall four points of the compass as well asbenefiting from a frequent Undergroundservice just one stop from King’s Cross.

Together with the continuedrefurbishment of the Tube system andthe wonderful expanded LondonOverground routes, London will have thekind of rail service that many other citiescan only dream about. But it’s notenough and this is where the lack ofvision and strategy of the current Mayor,Boris Johnson, is letting down Londoners.First, on the rail front, there are noconcrete plans – or even a blueprint –for any expansion. Crossrail 2, the oldHackney-Chelsea route, is beingpromoted by business interests, but withvery little support from Transport for

Moving London in theright direction

Crossrail 2 is being promoted by business interests, but with very little support from Transport for London

16 March 2013

Christian Wolmar

Millions of Londoners and commuters are totally dependent on the city’s transport system

coping with ever-greater demand. Christian Wolmar takes a look at the policies required to

keep London on the move.

London. The Mayor, rightly, is howeverpushing for more suburban lines to betaken out of the wasteful franchisingsystem and be given to Transport forLondon as part of a further expansion ofthe London Overground network, butthat seems to be the extent of hisrailway policy. Moreover, that lack ofvision extends into other aspects oftransport and this is letting down allthose who live or work in the capital.

Cities are changing and Boris Johnson,rooted in old fashioned ‘Mr Toad’ Torypolicies, does not understand that.Essentially, looking at it from a historicpoint of view, the age where private carsdominate the urban landscape is comingto an end. For around 50 years after theinvention of the internal combustionengine, cars were allowed free rein intocities that actually were not built toaccommodate them. So buildings weredemolished, historic streets widened, carparks created and so on. But then cityplanners realised that this wasn’t working,and instead started imposing restrictionson cars. We got traffic wardens, parkingmeters, controlled parking zones,restrictions on deliveries and bus lanes.Parts of central London such as the heartof Swinging London – Carnaby Street andLeicester Square – were pedestrianised,and no longer did new office blocks haveto provide car parking. It was realised thatallowing cars unrestricted access to thecentre of the city was not the way tobring about economic success.

Quite the opposite. It was realised thatencouraging cars into city centres merelycreated congestion and gridlock, and itwas people travelling in on trains andbuses who did the shopping and spentthe money. Public transport was seen asthe key and investment in theUnderground began to flow once againafter a 20 year post war hiatus. To someextent Ken Livingstone understood this.He introduced the congestion chargezone and greatly improved bus services,making the network reliable enough forpeople to be able to get to workconfidently using the bus.

But then he rather ran out of steam.He introduced a great scheme to improveTrafalgar Square in the face of much fussfrom taxi drivers and oppositionpoliticians, and it has greatly improved

one of London’s key tourist sites. Butafter that, nothing much changed andsadly we now have a Mayor who blustersand talks the talk, but actually has nounderstanding of how to make London amore liveable city. Boris Johnson scrappedplans to give Parliament Square the sametreatment as Trafalgar Square, leavinganother tourist hot spot to remain as aroundabout for fast moving cars. Thewonderfully evocative statue of WinstonChurchill is left marooned in theinaccessible central square. Oxford Streetremains a red barrier with up to 300buses per hour and a shameful accidentrecord. Yet study after study has shownthat pedestrianisation leads tocommercial success for local retailers. Noone shops from inside their car.

And all this boils down to one simplepolicy. The number of cars coming intocentral London must be further reduced.Everything flows from that simpleconcept. There are a whole host ofmeasures which can be used todiscourage car use and encouragealternatives: reducing fares, creating morecycle and bus lanes, getting rid ofgyratory systems that have becomespeedways, expanding the congestioncharge zone and making it moresophisticated, creating a universal 20 mphlimit, pedestrianisation (especially ofOxford Street) and much more. Myparticular favourite is to rip up thenorthbound lane of Park Lane, hewn out ofHyde Park in the 1960s, and give the spaceback to the Royal Park.

Other cities across the world haverealised the importance of this strategy.Copenhagen has led the way with a longterm strategy of reducing car use andboosting cycling to levels where it willbecome the dominant mode in the citycentre. Paris is closing off a busy Seineembankment road to accommodatecycling and walking. Even in New Yorkthere have been massive changes, with anetwork of excellent cycle lanes being

quickly established and Times Squarebeing pedestrianised, resulting in therenaissance of what had been a ratherdingy area. The same trend of squeezingout private car use and improving publictransport, as well as facilities for cyclingand walking, can be seen in cities as farafield as Bogota and Buenos Aires.

But not in London where we have aMayor who refuses to do anything thatmay affect ‘traffic flow’ or take awayspace from cars. So we have cyclingsuperhighways that are little more thanadvertisements for Barclays Bank, withno understanding that they need to becontinuous and safe, and money spenton the crazy ‘dangleway’ across the riverwhich is great as a tourist attraction butserves little transport purpose.

All this must change. As the veterantransport commentator Adam Raphaelwrote in Transport Times recently, ‘thesimple truth which the Mayor refuses toadmit is that you cannot civilise Londonwithout restraining traffic’. That mustbe the task of the next Mayor who willbenefit from the superb new trainservices that will undoubtedly bring yetmore people into the centre of thecapital who will want to get to theirdestinations by walking, cycling andtaking buses, not driving. 7

Christian Wolmar, who is seeking tobe the Labour candidate for London Mayorin the 2016 election would welcomeinvitations to come to speak at branchmeetings and can be contacted through hiswebsite, www.wolmarforlondon.co.uk.

The only addition to the tube map plannedunder Boris Johnson is carrying theequivalent of just two full tube trains perday, despite millions being spent on the‘dangleway’.

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Boris Johnson, rooted in ‘Mr Toad’ Tory policies, does not understand that domination by private cars is coming to an end

TSSA Journal 17

Christian Wolmar

18 March 2013

Paul Salveson

The name of ‘Beeching’ has entered theEnglish language. To ‘do a Beeching’implies a reckless act of destruction. Itwas Dr Richard Beeching, the firstChairman of the British Railways Board,who was the infamous ‘axe man’responsible for the closure of thousandsof miles of railways in the 1960s and1970s. His report, ‘The Re-shaping ofBritish Railways’, was published 50 yearsago, on 27 March 1963. Therecommendations of the report wereenthusiastically adopted by theConservative Government of the day,which had of course appointed himwith a clear remit to ‘sort out therailways’. Transport Minister ErnestMarples, who had made his fortunefrom road-building, warmly endorsedBeeching’s advice to close thousands ofroute miles of the national network.

The unions put up a lukewarmopposition despite their members’ futuresbeing on the line – nearly 9,000 clericaland supervisory jobs alone were underthreat, and many more in the ‘waged’grades. Yet it is hard to escape the

conclusion that a stronger fight couldhave been mounted. The National Unionof Railwaymen’s general secretary, SidGreene, was of the traditional right-wingschool which was most comfortablehaving ‘a quiet word’ with the men inpower. William Evans, the retiring generalsecretary of Aslef, described the report as‘a very able document and an entirelyhonest attempt to rationalise the railwaysystem’. Evans’ comments wererepudiated by his executive. The firststatement from the TSSA came fromfuture Labour minister Ray Gunter whotold a TV interviewer that the Beechingreport was ‘one of the bravest efforts Ihave known in industry to face theeconomic facts of life.’ Labour’s transportspokesman George Strauss welcomed thereport though expressed concern about‘the proposals to curtail railway serviceson the drastic scale suggested.’ Fightingtalk, indeed! What we were seeing was theculmination of the post-war pro-roadsconsensus which viewed railways as athing of the past. At best, their future layin a small number of main-line routes.

The report’s targets were not just little-used rural branch lines. Importantcommuter routes such as Liverpool toSouthport and Leeds to Ilkley andWetherby were on the death list. Mainlines such as Edinburgh to Carlisle viaHawick (‘The Waverley Line’) were todisappear, leaving major Borders townsisolated. Thankfully, some routes managedto survive, but many lines which couldhave played an important role in solvingtoday’s transport problems weremercilessly cut. Any BR manager who hadideas for reducing costs of local lines suchas ‘pay-train’ operation was told in nouncertain terms to shut up if he wanted acareer to look forward to.

Most rank and file members of TSSAwere horrified at the implications ofBeeching but felt helpless in the face of aGovernment determined to implementthe report. The rail unions discussedoptions which included a national railstrike but this was rejected by the TSSA.However, the unions managed to extractimproved resettlement and redundancyterms. The fight was lost before it hardly

The Beeching axe –50 years on

Britain’s railways and

communities are still

paying the price for the

catastrophic decisions

made 50 years ago this

month in the Beeching

Report. Paul Salveson

looks at what was lost,

what was saved and the

lessons for modern

campaigns against

railway cuts.

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TSSA Journal 19

Paul Salveson

began. Closures followed in rapidsuccession, making opposition difficultand fragmented. BR was under pressure todeliver results and line after line wentwith hardly a whimper of protest. ‘Lasttrains’ became local carnivals with trainscarrying many times their normalpassengers. I can remember the last trainfrom Horwich in September 1965, hauledby a steam locomotive cleaned andembellished by local enthusiasts the nightbefore, departing from this railway townto the accompaniment of dozens ofexploding detonators. It was all a bitunreal. Cold reality set in very quickly,with many towns and villages virtually cutoff. The so-called ‘replacement busservices’ lasted a few years, sometimesjust months, before they were withdrawn.We are still counting the cost.

There was some local resistance.Probably the strongest fight was wagedagainst the closure of the Waverley Line,with riotous scenes on the last day. Likemany more Beeching closures, this routeis now, at least in part, being re-opened atvery considerable cost. It should neverhave been shut in the first place.

Subsequent accounts of Beeching byrailway historians have bent overbackwards to be positive about the report.However, a new book puts a more criticalslant on the Beeching legacy. ‘Holding theLine – how Britain’s railways were saved’ iswritten by two highly experiencedrailwaymen, Lord Richard Faulkner, formeradviser to the British Railways Board and aLabour peer, and Chris Austin OBE, whospent many years at the BRB andsubsequently held senior roles at theStrategic Rail Authority and then ATOC.The book is the first detailed account ofsuccessive attempts to reduce the size ofBritain’s railway network, of whichBeeching was only the most well known.The book shows, with clear evidence, thatthere really was what almost amounted toa conspiracy in government circles todestroy what was once the best railwaysystem in the world. The authors write:

“There was no single conspiracy todestroy the railways, but individuals fromvarious parts of the political spectrumwere drawn to the supposed Holy Grail ofa much smaller network and a ‘profitable’core. They included right-wing freemarket ideologues opposed to the

concept of public transport, well-meaningbut misguided social democrats who sawrail subsidies as a regressive, beneficialonly to the middle classes, and a variety oflobbying interests who would benefitfrom the expansion of road building, carownership and road haulage – includingtrade unionists opposed to thedevelopment of rail freight services.

Threats to cut large swathes of the railnetwork continued throughout the 1980s.The Serpell Report (1983) presented‘options’ which included a network of just1,630 route miles – a loss of 84 per cent.The report, published during Thatcher’sreign, was a disgrace from beginning toend. Thankfully, the hornet’s nest ofoutrage it stirred up ensured it wasquietly shelved. However, some of itsproposals for bus substitution continuedas ‘live’ options, with routes such as

Norwich – Sheringham, Shrewsbury –Chester and Newport – Gloucester underconsideration. Today, these are allflourishing routes; they could have endedup as nothing more than cycling paths.

The last major attempted closure camein the early 1980s when British Railannounced its intention to shut theSettle-Carlisle Line. The route had beenthreatened, but reprieved, in the 1960s.The announcement led to a high-profilecampaign which saw over 23,000

objections – including one from a dog!This was a highly effective campaignwhich enjoyed very broad support whichincluded but went way beyond the unions.This was the railways’ equivalent of theminers’ strike; failure would almostcertainly have led to a new round of lineclosures. It was a model for how tocampaign effectively. In the face of hugeopposition, the Government backed down.The Settle-Carlisle went on to prosper,today carrying growing volumes of bothpassenger and freight.

By the late 1980s – after the turning-point of the Settle-Carlisle’s reprieve – railclosures were less and less acceptable.However, the 1990s still saw theoccasional outburst from ill-briefedpoliticians, reflecting a continuing under-current within Whitehall that was hostileto rail. However, the direction of policy

switched from what do with a state-owned BR towards how best to privatiseit. Ironically, the complex and highly-regulated structure that emerged in the1993 Railways Act gave greater protectionto local railways than they had everenjoyed before. This did not prevent somerear-guard attempts at further reductionsin the network. The Northern Rail Reviewwas undertaken as recently as 2005 butfound that ‘the Northern Rail franchise isan efficient and well-managed operation

As well as passenger trains, the Ribblehead viaduct on the saved Settle – Carlisle linenow sees dozens of freight movements a day, relieving the overcrowded West Coastroute.

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and that there are no obvious andacceptable ‘quick wins’ to improving valuefor money’.

By then, the ‘community rail’ initiativesaround the UK had shown real results,with increased passenger numbers leadingto a virtuous circle of improved servicesand facilities, and more passengers. It’spossible that if ‘community rail’ had notcome along when it did, in the mid to late1990s, we might not have escapedwithout some line closures in the early2000s.

Apart from being wary of trusting in‘the expert’, a key conclusion in viewingthe history of actual and attempted railclosures must be the importance oforganised, ‘professional’ campaigning. Thisis different from having ‘words in ears’ inthe corridors of power. It is about large-scale mobilisation of the kind that savedthe Settle-Carlisle Line, involvingcommunities, unions, businesses andother interests. It is about building alliesbeyond the narrow ‘railway’ interest andmaking the wider case for rail ineconomic, social and environmentalterms. More lines might have survived ifthe unions had been less focused ongetting good redundancy terms for theirmembers and more on reaching out tothe wider community to oppose some ofthe most outrageous closures.

Are we out of the woods now, 50 yearsafter Beeching? Over the last 20 years, theregional Passenger Transport Executives(PTEs) have done much to promote lineand station re-openings. Beeching hasgone into reverse, at least in some partsof the country. If we hadn’t had the PTEsour local rail networks in the big Northernand West Midlands conurbations would belike Bristol’s – virtually non-existent. Andfew would argue that devolution of railpowers to Scotland, Merseyside, Londonand Wales has been anything other than asuccess. We need more devolution,providing we get the right size, fundingand governance structures in place. As theNorthern PTEs move towards a single ‘railexecutive’ body, with their county andunitary council neighbours, there aregrounds for hope that rail in the Northwill finally get the attention it deserves,matching the investment that has goneinto the Scottish and London railnetworks.

Today, the main problems facingBritain’s local railways are not lack ofpassengers but shortage of capacity tomeet constantly rising demand. The so-called ‘basket-case’ lines of the 1970s arenow carrying trains which are bursting atthe seams with passengers. The challengeof the next 20 years will be to provide thecapacity – both extra trains and moretrack capacity – to meet the sort ofgrowth that the so-called experts of the1960s dismissed as a pipe-dream. It wasthe romantics like John Betjeman and theunheard rank and file railway workers whowere proved right, not the ‘realists’ suchas Beeching and Serpell who were sodisastrously wrong. 7

‘Holding the Line: how Britain’srailways were saved’ by Richard Faulknerand Chris Austin is published by IanAllan (RRP £19.99) but available onspecial offer to TSSA members at £13.95including postage. Use voucher codeHTL13 on www.ianallanpublishing.comor write to: Offer HTL13,Marketing Department,Ian Allan PublishingLtd, Riverdene BusinessPark, Hersham, SurreyKT12 4RG. Chequesshould be payable toIan Allan PublishingLtd.

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TSSA Journal 21

organising

Building stronger branches

Anthony Barrable with Chris Bond, Melissa Heywood,Martin Hill and Kevin Williams

WHILST THERE ARE now manymore ways to hear aboutunion activity than therewere in decades gone by,branches can still play a vitalrole in helping members raiseconcerns, discuss issues orplan action within a companyor region.

Throughout TSSA there’s agreat diversity of branches –with some more active thanothers. The Journal caught upwith one branch which hasreturned to a high level ofactivity after a number ofyears in the doldrums – EastMidlands Trains No 1 Branch.

Branch chair Kevin Williamstakes up the story of howboth the branch and TSSA’smembership in the companyhas been revived: ‘I firstbecame a rep when we werebeing TUPE transferredbecause of the creation of theEast Midlands franchise. Iguess I just started by talkingto people, whether they weremembers or not and givingthem the basic information. In

the space of a couple ofmonths we gained 15 or 20members just at Nottinghamstation. I think that’s the mainway all of us have grown ourmembership and the numberof people turning up atmeetings – it’s just talking topeople and being visible.We’ve built up the number ofmembers from perhaps 20 percent back then up to over 80per cent density atNottingham today.’

‘Back then, the branch wastotally dormant. Our TOC isspread over such a wide areaand with different shifts,people were finding it reallyhard to make eveningmeetings, so we settled onlunchtime meetings and itjust snowballed from that. Wealways advertise meetingswidely and have had peopleup from London and rightacross the region.’

Regional organiser AnthonyBarrable, who helped get thebranch functioning again,adds, ‘We did a survey on

whether members did wanttheir own company-specificbranch, which they did, andthen we looked at where themembers were and foundNottingham had the highestconcentration of interest.’

Branch secretary MelissaHeywood told the Journal,‘We’re a team that all worktogether. Several of us havebeen to TSSA’s branch officertraining which was reallyuseful – we also linked upwith other branches in theDivisional Council to learnabout how they run theirmeetings.’

Martin Hill, who is now onTSSA’s TOC Council, adds,‘We’re all in this to fight for abetter railway but we knowthere’s different ways tointerest different people. As aLearning Rep, I’ve really beenpushing forward that agendaand through that, we’vefound a different group ofmembers who want to getinvolved.’

Chris Bond underlined ‘Alot people think a branch isjust for reps but we’ve beentrying to get it across that it’sfor everyone.’ 7

Renewing your branchTSSA will shortly be launching a guide to branch renewaland development, detailing a step by step process towardstransforming your branch. This will include tools to helpyou evaluate your current work and develop an action plantowards building activity, attendance and impact. Allbranches will be sent a copy, but to receive one directly,email raen@tssa.org.uk.Does your branch want to propose a specific organisingproject or take up actions around the Year of Horror 2013?Contact raen@tssa.org.uk.

22 March 2013

TSSA personal injury service

“I was in shock – I hadn’t realised the extent of my injuries”Jane was on her way towork. After getting offher train, she slipped onliquid that had leakedonto the platform whilerubbish bins were beingwashed.“At first I reported it tothe station Health &Safety officer to get themess cleaned up so no-one else slipped on it –there weren’t even anywarning signs about. Iwas in shock, so hadn’trealised the extent of myinjuries which worsenedover a short period.”Jane had suffered seriousinjuries to her shoulder,elbow, wrist and thigh,

which later requiredsurgery and numerousmonths of physiotherapy.“When I got to the officeI reported it to our TSSARep and they told me tocall the TSSA InjuryHelpline which was thebest thing I ever did.”Jane was then put intouch with Joe at MorrishSolicitors, TSSA’s legalexperts in accidents andinjury claims.“I got advice on medicaltreatment for my injuriesfrom a specialist veryquickly and Joe, thesolicitor, was fantastic,”says Jane. “Claiming for apersonal injury isn't as

time consuming as youmight think and Morrishsolicitors deal witheverything for clients,giving advice and afriendly prompt serviceevery step of the way!”Joe contacted the cleaningcontractor involved,alleging they had failed toadopt basic health andsafety measures and hadbreached regulations.Initially, they refused toadmit liability, so Joecommenced courtproceedings. Followingnegotiations andsubmitting evidence, thecleaning companyadmitted their mistakes

and the case was settledbefore a trial. Janeaccepted a significantsettlement for her injuries.“I couldn’t believe thecleaning company refusedto admit they were atfault initially, as they hadmade basic health andsafety mistakes. I reallyappreciated the supportprovided by TSSA and Joeat Morrish solicitors. Iknow they give advice onclaims for personal injury,help members get adviceon treatment and recovercompensation on a nowin no fee basis whereappropriate. I was able toget proper rehabilitation

with my compensationand thanks to them I amnow back at work.”

l Based on a real lifecase. Certain details havebeen altered to protectidentities. Morrish Solicitors LLPprovides expert legaladvice for accidents andinjuries to TSSA membersand their families,wherever the accidentmay have occurred. Call0800 093 0353.Morrish Solicitors is aLimited LiabilityPartnership and regulatedby the SolicitorsRegulation Authority.

ACCIDENTS AT WORK ACCIDENTS OUTSIDE WORK ASSAULTS ROAD TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS SLIPS OR TRIPS OCCUPATIONAL DISEASE

TSSA Personal Injury ServicesFree to Members & their families

0800 093 0353

Accidents do not happen- they are caused!

As a member of the TSSA, should either you or your immediate family suffer injurythrough someone else’s negligence, you will be entitled to FREE legal advice andrepresentation from our specialist personal injury lawyers Morrish Solicitors LLP. No money will be deducted from any compensation recovered and no charge will bemade to you or your family for the advice and representation you receive.If you’d like to find out more, call us today and we will look after you.

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Q. I will be 63 in April. I haveworked for my employer fornearly 30 years, and I am beingmade redundant on 1 March. Theytell me that I will receive £12,900redundancy plus they will pay mefour weeks in lieu of mycontractual notice. I have beentransferred under TUPE threetimes but I thought I would getmore than that. The equivalent offive months’ salary doesn’t seem alot for all those years.

A. It looks as though they areoffering you the statutoryredundancy pay and you’re deadright it isn’t a lot, but sadly that’s allyou get. Under the statutory schemeyou are entitled to one week’s payfor every year of employment, up toa maximum of 20 years. For eachyear over the age of 40 that

increases to a week and a half, soyou get 20 x 1.5 weeks = 30 weeks’pay. So far so good, but theemployer can cap that amount. Thecap was £430, however, the(slightly) good news is that from 1Feb it is now £450, so you areentitled to the current maximumstatutory redundancy pay of£13,500. You are also entitled tostatutory notice pay of one week forevery year worked up to amaximum of 12 weeks. You canalso be paid for any untaken leave.If you have taken more than youraccrued leave they cannot take thatback unless your contract says so.

As you have been TUPEd, checkyour original contract to see if thatsays anything about redundancypay. If that offers you better thanthe statutory pay, then that’s whatyou should get.

Do the firm need toconsult us?

Q. I am the rep in a small travelagency which used to have 10branches but now only has four.There are about six staff in eachbranch. The owners are closing itdown and making us allredundant. I say they must have a30 day consultation period wheremore than 20 staff are being maderedundant but they say they don’thave to. Who is right?

A.Here comes the lawyer’sdefinitive answer: it depends. Thelaw says there must be consultationwhere there are more than 20redundancies ‘within anestablishment’. The problem thenarises over what constitutes anestablishment. The company is nodoubt trying to claim each shop is aseparate establishment to preventthe compulsory consultation. Therehas been a lot of case law over whatis meant by ‘establishment’, and thelatest Employment Appeals Tribunaldecision seems to be thatestablishment means the unit towhich each employee is assigned.Therefore if fewer than 20 peoplework at a particular branch, then forconsultation purposes theestablishment does not meet thecriteria for compulsory consultation.

This does not mean that yourwork as a rep is over. You can stillrepresent each individual member,making sure the employer isfollowing proper procedures andstatutory requirements, and makesure the members know and getwhat they are entitled to (see theprevious answer).

If you have a question about your workplace rights, call our employment law specialists on 0800 3282673in the UK or 1800 805272 in the Republic of Ireland or email helpdesk@tssa.org.ukHours: Monday to Thursday 8am–6pm Friday 8am–5pm

0800 3282673/1800 805272

Redundancy pay – is that it? UK

Republic of Ireland

24 March 2013

letters

We’re a global movementWhen you were probablysuffering from the cold,Mitch Tovey and I took atrip to Uganda andRwanda. We didn’t expectto see a great deal of tradeunion activity but whenwe arrived at the Rwandanborder after a lengthy andbumpy bus ride, we wereamazed to see anInternational TransportWorkers’ Federation (ITF)poster encouraging tradeunion recruitment andorganising to fightHIV/AIDS. The ITF, towhich the TSSA isaffiliated, has beencampaigning againstHIV/AIDS for many years,as transport workers areparticularly vulnerablebecause of the nature andconditions of their work.

Another poster, whichgave Mitch some delight,was promoting a footballmatch between Arsenaland Southampton in alocal hall. Mitch, a Spurssupporter, noted with gleethat the price to watch thematch was 4p which, inhis opinion, was sheerrobbery!

During our time inUganda a number ofpeople asked for our views

on gay rights andmarriage – we gave noquarter and put forwardour opinions with somevigour. They were not wellreceived but despite ourdifferences we foundpeople very welcoming inboth countries. We alsomanaged to see a great dealincluding the memorials tothose hundreds ofthousands that had beenmurdered in Rwanda. Wehad a discussion with thecommissioner responsiblefor Uganda’s co-operativesand met the generalsecretary of the UgandaCo-operative Alliance whogave us a detailed review ofthe movement’s currentprogress. 

Among our manyinteresting days was onespent at Jinja where wevisited a Fairtrade factorythat exports dried fruit tothe UK. Malcolm also gavea talk on catering to staffand students at a traininghotel. However, the town’sreal claim to fame is thatit is the source of the Nileand it is also whereGandhi’s ashes werescattered. 

It was a great holiday.Malcolm Wallace andMitch Tovey 

Benefits of membershipfor retireesI am a retired BRemployee but I havechosen to keep my TSSAmembership. I alsohappen to be visuallyimpaired. When I cameacross an ATOC article inthe Railway PensionsScheme’s ‘Penfriend’newsletter, I was dismayedto learn that safeguarded(ex) employees whocarried an endorsementon their Staff Travel cardreading ‘and attendant asholder is (partially) blind/ disabled’ would nolonger be entitled to travelalone using their stafftravel facilities.

The reasons why this iswrong are too many to gointo here, but itoverturned the practice ofthe previous 20 years at astroke. I put together mycase for objecting andapproached ATOCdirectly. I was informedthat ATOC had looked atthe decision and saw noreason to change theirposition.

I then presented mycase to my local branchafter which TSSA HQagreed to refer my case toMorrish solicitors.

After correspondencebetween Morrish andATOC, ATOC have nowconfirmed that theyaccepted my case and thatsubject to DFT agreementthe rules would beclarified and practicereverted.

The main interests ofTSSA must remain with itsactive employees, butTSSA has recentlyrecognised formally theimportance of serving itsretired members bysanctioning the creation ofan official Retiredmembers group.

The handling of mycomplaint and result hasjustified – if justificationwere needed – mydecision to keep up mymembership of TSSA aftermy retirement. In thesedays of systematic cuts, thevoice of the individual iseasy to disregard buthaving the backing oforganised support maysometimes achieveotherwise unachievablegoals. I would urge anyreaders who are comingup to retirement to retaintheir membership or anyformer members to rejoin.A C HartDarlington No 1 branch

letters

This is your chance to share your views with thousands of other TSSA members. The deadline for the next issue is 8 April. Letters may be edited for length or clarity. Email journal@tssa.org.uk or write to TSSA Journal, Walkden House,10 Melton Street, London, NW1 2EJ.

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