November 2013

INSIDEn Labour Conference backs public ownershipn Northern England to get rail powers?n Better London Transport campaign launched

Attacks on staff:Change the law now

2 November 2013

in this issue

Transport Salaried Staffs’Association

General Secretary: Manuel Cortes

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

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

Cover photograph Duncan Phillips /reportdigital.co.uk

Views published in the Journal arenot necessarily those of TSSA.

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Vol 109/issue 1231

4–9 News and campaignsu TSSA’s future

u East Coast campaign

u Better London Transport

u ‘Empower’ conference

u Stop violence against workers

u Community learning

10 General secretary: Beyond cynicism – our campaigning wins

11 President: Standing up for our ticket offices

12–13 Labour Party conference delivers big win

14 TUC Congress – for jobs, growth and fair pay

15 Fighting for fair conditions at sea

16–17 Christian Wolmar: Fares fair?

18–19 Paul Salveson: Look North!

TSSA Journal 3

editorial

Welcome to theNovember edition ofthe TSSA Journal.We’ve an editionpacked with the latestnews, campaigns,comment and advice.

One of the worstaspects of manypublic-facing jobs in ourindustries, from travel agencies to railplatforms, is the threat of abuse or violencefrom the public.

Spanning everything from low-level abuseright through to robbery at gunpoint, asexperienced by our President (p11), we neednot only supportive employers but a legalframework to deter and punish offenders.That’s why it’s so worthwhile taking the actionon page 8 to support the creation of a specificoffence to combat attacks on workers.

In more positive news, Labour Partyconference overwhelmingly backed ourmotion calling for the next Labourgovernment to bring franchises back intopublic ownership as they expire (p12-13).There’s still the major struggle to convincewould-be ministers to catch up with thestrong feelings of Labour members and thepublic at large, but it’s a powerful markerwhich TSSA have set down.

A couple of weeks before, at the TUC (p14-15), Labour’s then shadow transport secretaryMaria Eagle said, “I’ve got to persuade one ortwo people in the Labour Party – I’vepersuaded a lot – but one or two more, that[public ownership] is the way to go.” Sadly,Maria was subsequently given newresponsibilities in Labour’s reshuffle, but itshows what our work at all levels, from localcampaigning to top-level meetings, canachieve. Her replacement, Mary Creagh, wasalready involved in our campaign to Keep EastCoast Public from before her appointment andwe’ll be working closely with her in the weeksahead.

There’s many ways to get involved in thecoming months, starting on 5 November –20 years on from the granting of Royal Assentto the Railways Act 1993, which started theprivatisation of British Rail. There will be localactions across Britain – so do checkwww.tssa.org.uk for all the details.

Ben Soffa, editor

As part of our ‘Save our TicketOffices’ campaign, members ofTSSA and our sister rail unionsprotest outside Oxford Circusunderground station.

6

David Cation’s ‘Caught in a Web of Iron’was the winner of the Network Rail-sponsored Lines in the Landscape Awardat this year’s Take a View LandscapePhotographer of the Year competition.

20 Arrivals and departures

21 Financial statement to members

22–23 Advice: Morrish solicitors and Helpdesk

24 Letters

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David Cation

4 November 2013

news

TSSA - Unite talks come to an endIT WAS ANNOUNCED in September that the talks exploring thepossibility of a merger with Unite would “not be proceeding anyfurther at this stage”. Discussions had not managed to reach anagreement whereby TSSA’s significant resources could betargeted on boosting organisation and growth within thetransport section of the proposed merged structure – acondition set by conference.

TSSA general secretary Manuel Cortes said that whilst theoutcome was regrettable, he had subsequently met with Unite’s

general secretary and agreed to explore ways by whichcooperation and a sharing of resources short of a merger coulddeliver a better deal for members of both unions

Whilst a merger was and remains the preferred medium-termgoal, the Association continues to have a significant asset-baseand income to support its work. However, as TSSA’s historicalinvestment assets have been gradually declining over the years,changes would be required to bring expenditure levels closer tothe Association’s income. TSSA’s Executive Committee has nowlaunched a root and branch review to boost income from allsources – investments, membership income and property rental– as well as look at priorities amongst what will be a reducedlevel of spending.

Working parties have been formed to help target spending inthe way that best serves the interests of members, withefficiencies and new ways of working sought to boost activitywhilst reducing TSSA’s deficit.

Manuel Cortes told the Journal, “We’re committed to takingevery step that strengthens the bargaining power of ourmembers and rejecting options which aren’t a good deal for allthose paying their subs.”

“Given the reducing head-count in our industries, a mergerwill still possibly provide the best medium-term solution, butwe’ll now be working to deliver a more focused, if leaner, union inthe short term. There will be changes ahead, but both myself andour Executive are totally committed to delivering a structurewhich delivers the best possible deal for members.”7

Labour’s new shadow transport secretary MaryCreagh

All change at WestminsterBOTH GOVERNMENT ANDopposition transport teamssaw big changes in October,with many new faces settingpolicy on the railways. TheCoalition’s rail minister SimonBurns resigned, with most ofhis job going to StephenHammond. However otherelements of rail policy havenow been carved up betweentwo further ministers: HS2Phase 1 goes to RobertGoodwill whilst former TfLboard member BaronessSusan Kramer will be leadingon HS2 Phase 2. The Lib DemBaroness also has control of‘rail funding and futures’.

On the Labour benches itwas an even bigger change,with shadow secretary ofstate for transport MariaEagle swapping briefs withformer environmentspokesperson Mary Creagh.Maria leaves big shoes to fill,having developed anencyclopedic knowledge ofthe area and an array ofdistinctively ‘Labour’ policies.

As MP for Wakefield, MaryCreagh has already beeninvolved in our Keep EastCoast Public campaign, mostof the arguments of whichare valid for all franchises.Whilst Labour has yet to

establish a position on railownership, it is hoped thatmuch of the very positivework completed under MariaEagle will be retained. Sourcessuggest that differing viewsamongst senior Labourfigures prevented a policyfrom being agreed, meaningpressure is still very muchrequired in favour of agradual return to publiccontrol as franchises expire.

TSSA’s former generalsecretary, Richard, now LordRosser, remains one ofLabour’s shadow transportministers in the House of Lords.7

TSSA Journal 5

news

THANKS TO THE great efforts of membersand supporters, TSSA, together with ourfellow rail unions in Action for Rail, theanti-privatisation campaign We Own It,38 Degrees and others, delivered a 25,000strong petition to the Department forTransport in late October.

Manuel Cortes joined Labour’s shadowrail minister Lilian Greenwood, and GreenMP Caroline Lucas and others to presentthe petition to the government on behalfof its signatories. The hand-in and thefollow-up media coverage help build ourcampaign to make public opposition tothe government’s East Coast planimpossible to ignore.

Peterborough public meeting says ‘keep East Coast where it belongs!’Mary Creagh, Labour’s newly-appointedshadow transport secretary, madePeterborough one of her first ports ofcall in her new role. Just eight days afterbeing given the role by Ed Miliband, sheaddressed a public meeting organised byTSSA and supported by the local LabourParty and others. Mary spoke of herongoing commitment to the campaignto keep East Coast public, and pointedout the considerable benefits to thetaxpayer that East Coast has deliveredsince it was brought ‘in-house’ in 2009.“For us, it’s a no-brainer. East Coast is

working well as part of Directly OperatedRail, and is delivering for the taxpayerand the passenger. There is no case forprivatising it.”

Speaking alongside Mary were LisaForbes, Labour’s candidate forPeterborough as well as TSSA’s assistantgeneral secretary John Page. The eveningbrought together TSSA members,commuters, trade unionists andrepresentatives of the local pensioners’group to discuss how to make an

effective contribution to the campaign.Ideas were also fed-in as to how publictransport in Peterborough could beimproved more generally. Coming out ofthe evening, a number of local actionshave been agreed. 7

More public meetings, planningsessions, media stunts and training eventsare taking place along the East Coast line incoming months. To find out how you can beinvolved, visit www.tssa.org.uk/eastcoast.

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The campaign to Keep East Coast Public continued apacethroughout October, with TSSA at the heart of ramping upthe pressure on the government not to re-franchise thesuccessful route.

Keep East Coast public: taking themessage to Parliament

Three reasons why East Coast should stay in public hands

Profits to the taxpayer

Since 2009, East Coast has returned more than £850 million to the taxpayer, morethan any other franchise. This money can be directly reinvested into improving theservice. If controlled by a private company, these profits would have gone intoshareholders’ pockets.

The privatised service would be worse

Contrary to government smears, East Coast more than holds its own against otherfranchises on punctuality and reliability. Leaked bid documents have highlightedthe threat that under a new private operator, East Coast would introduce a ‘thirdclass’ ticket to make more money out of already hard-up passengers.

The public opposes any sell-off

Recent research indicates that just one in five Britons wants to see East Coastgiven away to a private company. Among Conservative voters, 48 per cent opposeprivatisation of the route and only 28 per cent support it.

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TUC

news

6 November 2013

TSSA launches Better London TransportON THE DAY that the annual fare rises forboth mainline and tube tickets wereannounced, TSSA launched the BetterLondon Transport (BLT) campaign inconjunction with our community allies.

The launch event posed the question,‘What would make London transportbetter?’ Keynote speaker, Sadiq Khan MP,shadow minister for London and shadowjustice secretary, spoke about his supportfor an affordable, publicly-owned transportsystem in London, and pledged to supportour campaign. Zara Todd from accessibilitycampaigners Transport for All called for astep change in provision for older anddisabled passengers – a call echoed bymany contributors from the floor whospoke of the difficulties faced by disabledtransport users across the capital.

BLT is a joint campaign that bringstogether TSSA members, transport usersand activists to challenge all those whoare damaging our transport system, andto develop a common vision for a qualitypublic service for all. By working togetherwe can bring greater influence to bearupon the decision makers than if any oneof our organisation were working alone.

This government’s policies will makethe transport network worse; worse forpassengers, worse for business and worsefor our members and all transportworkers. Already we have seen the London

Mayor Boris Johnson’s plans to slash tubeand train jobs and close all 268 tubestations across London. Left uncheckedthis will only get worse. See the box forthe actions you can take.

More than 20 communityorganisations have already becomeinvolved in the Better London Transportcampaign and we’re building links withmany more. TSSA members and activistscan join the campaign, and can play a vitalrole by getting your colleagues and

friends to support BLT. If you belong to acommunity or political group, you canhelp spread the word and encourage themto get involved. To sign up to thecampaign or tell us your vision for a BetterLondon Transport go to:www.tssa.org.uk/blt.7

Save Our Ticket OfficesBoris Johnson has planned the closure of all ticket offices acrossthe network and a massive reduction in customer-facing staff.

Leaked plans also suggest decimating the safety-focusedsupervisor grades, leaving only the biggest 35 stations with a full-time supervisor.

Use TSSA’s easy online tool to send a quick email to your MP and London Assemblymembers in support of our campaign to Save Our Ticket Offices. Take action atwww.tssa.org.uk/ticketoffices.

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.New for 2013: Membership discounts at National Railway Museum, freePersonal Accident cover for travel on public transport. Discount cinematickets and online rail ticket bookings continue.

£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.

As part of Action for Rail’s joint union campaigning against the Mayor’s ticket office plans,TSSA led a demo outside Oxford Circus station which portrayed the Mayor as Pinocchio.Manuel Cortes told the press, “He was elected in 2008 promising to keep every ticket

office open and we all know how that is going to end – he wants to shut the lot.”

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ON SATURDAY 12 October TSSAmembers from across four southernregions came together to talk about whatwe can do to change the world (well… atleast to make a start).

The day looked at how TSSA is movingfrom a ‘service provider’ model of tradeunionism to a ‘social movement’ modeland how each of us as members canmake a difference, even if only in a smallway at first.

The first session looked at how tradeunions and communities can worktogether. Professor Jane Holgate, alecturer in industrial relations who hasstudied community/trade unioncoalitions in three continents gaveseveral key messages:l The most effective coalitions are madeup of people who do not agree oneverything. If you only worked with thosewho already agree with you on everything,you would have a very small pool ofpotential partners. Therefore it isimportant to be clear about what you’retrying to achieve through the coalition,which shouldn’t be everything you’d everwish for. l Most informal communityorganisations find the trade unionculture quite odd, for example howarguing over ‘matters arising from theminutes’ can almost become a ritual.

Community partners are more interestedin ‘what we are going to do’ thanarguments about amending motions. Weneed to recognise these differences toensure we are inclusive.

Southeastern Metro branch memberJosey Grimshaw said, “The empowermentday really helped me pick up and polishsome of my knowledge. For me, both thepolitical session on the inefficiency ofausterity and also the negotiationworkshop, where we got to hone our skills asindustrial relations reps were really useful.”

A number of break-out sessions helpedmembers develop their knowledge andskills in particular areas, including:l Making the case against the austerityagenda – how the lack of investment inthe productive economy is holding backthe recovery. l Our campaigns against refranchising,especially on c2c and East Coast.l Focusing on marginal parliamentaryseats to help elect TSSA-friendly MPs.l Negotiating. What it is and how to do itsuccessfully. The wide-ranging sessioneven included a role play from ‘The Riseand Fall of Reginald Perrin’ as well asguidance on key negotiating tactics.l ‘Creating a sense of the union withinthe workplace’ and ‘What role can youplay?’ were two sessions where local TSSAreps shared their experiences with

colleagues about how to take the unionforward. l A session on delivering on equalitiesincluded participation from a number ofexperts who are working with TSSA toexplore the whole equalities agendawithin the rail industry as a whole.

The second plenary saw Professor JohnKelly discuss ‘mobilisation theory’ – inother words, working out why sometimesmost people just accept things that makethem angry and other times they organiseto challenge them. Key answers included‘finding who to blame’, which allowspressure to be built to hold someoneresponsible and then to negotiate withthem. Giving people hope that change isachievable was another key driver forbuilding participation in any campaign.

Josey adds, “In the final session weworked in groups organised by area andagreed some constructive ‘next steps’. Asa result we have committed tostrengthening our branch and drawing ittogether to be even more effective atmeeting all of our needs – both for usindividual members and as a whole. It wasa really productive end to a great day.” 7

TSSA Journal 7

‘Empower’ event boosts activism

news

8 November 2013

news

Stop violence against workersLABOUR HAS GIVEN itsbacking to a campaign toreduce violent incidents,threats and abuse targeted atpublic-facing workers. A newcriminal offence is beingproposed which would carry amaximum sentence of 12months imprisonment or a£10,000 fine and which couldbe tried alongside a charge ofassault or threateningbehaviour.

Emergency workers such aspolice, paramedics and firefighters, already receive extraprotection under the law andevidence suggests this hashelped reduce the number ofattacks against them.

However in October thegovernment blocked a Labouramendment to the Anti-SocialBehaviour, Crime and PolicingBill which would haveintroduced the new offence ofassaulting a worker serving the public.

Only one Conservative orLiberal Democrat MP voted forthe move, whilst 288 votedagainst. Hard-rightConservative MP David T CDavies was the one exception.

He told MPs that his service asa special constable with theBritish Transport police hadshown him the law wasneeded, saying, “I meet manyrail staff who are the victimsof daily verbal and physicalabuse”. Sadly, none of hiscolleagues agreed.

MPs will get a chance toreconsider after Labour MPGraeme Morrice introduced astandalone Protection ofWorkers Bill, which was laidbefore Parliament last month.The Bill is scheduled to get itssecond reading on 1 Februarynext year with supportersasked to lobby their MPsahead of the vote.

MPs can signal theirsupport by signing Early DayMotion (EDM) 574 which callson the Government to backthe Protection of Workers Bill.The EDM, which is like aparliamentary petition, hasalready been signed by 89 MPs.

At the moment, undersentencing guidelines,assaulting a worker can betaken as an aggravating factorwhich can push towards aharsher sentence, but there

are concerns this is not beingapplied across the board.Despite the growth of CCTVmany incidents on the railwaysgo unpunished.

After a long-term fall inincidents, concerning figurespublicised by the shopworkers’union USDAW, who have takena leading role on this issue,have shown a recent surge inviolence and verbal assaultsagainst workers in the sector.

TSSA’s general secretaryManuel Cortes backed the

campaign saying, “No oneshould face threats or violencewhen going about their work,yet we know this is a dailyoccurrence for many railwaystaff. Employers have their roleto play, but this should bebacked by a consistentapproach by prosecutors, withstrong penalties to act as adeterrent to others.”7

Take action – email yourMP via www.unionstogether.org.uk/protect.

All members under 35 are invited tojoin the AGM of FutureTSSA which willbe held over the weekend of 29 November to 1 December in TSSA’sYork offices.

To find out more or to register,contact Gary Kilroy ongarykilroy@gmail.com.

All TSSA membersare welcome to jointhe Disability WorkingGroup’s AGM on Saturday 16 November, from 1-3.30pm, at TSSA,2nd floor, Newminster House, 27-29Baldwin Street, Bristol, BS1 1LT.

The venue is fully accessible. Toregister, contact Margaret Anslow ontssadwg@yahoo.co.uk.

The AGM ofSpectrum, TSSA’sgroup for lesbian, gay,bisexual and transgendered members is taking place on Saturday 16 November, from 10am at TSSA, 2ndfloor, Newminster House, 27-29Baldwin Street, Bristol, BS1 1LT.

To register, contact Taffy Evans ontaffyevans@hotmail.co.uk.

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TSSA Journal 9

news

A CROSS UNION campaign has been fighting against the EU’s ‘fourth railwaypackage’ – a set of proposed laws designed to open the way for privatisationand competition on all routes across the EU. Vociferous international pressurehas already seen the plans watered down, but despite being adopted by theEuropean Commission, they have yet to pass through the European Parliament.

Three simultaneous protests took place at the European Commissionoffices in London, Edinburgh and Cardiff as part of a European-wide day ofaction called by the European Transport Workers’ Federation. To email yourMEPs, visit http://bit.ly/railpackage.7

TSSA COMMUNITY LEARNING Championsin Hackney will this month launch their‘Making Maths Matter’ campaign.Working with Families First, a localsupport group for parents, TSSA will behelping match local people in need ofsupport with Maths Champions who willhelp with their numeracy.

A Maths Champion is someone thatvolunteers their time to share theirunderstanding of maths with people thatneed practical support. Our MathsChampions will be taking their road-showto local community organisations,shopping centres and train stations.

The need for such a campaign came froma local learning survey which revealed thatmany local people wanted support withmaths. Whether for career development orsimply to help their children with theirhomework, it became clear many feltintimidated by the idea of maths. “Our aim,”said Andrea Enisuoh, TSSA’s communitylearning organiser, “is to demystify mathsand show how it is relevant to day-to-daylife. Whether we realise it or not we all usemaths on a day to day basis. Yet manypeople feel that it is just something thatthey cannot do. We want to bust that myth.”

A resource pack has been produced, freeto Union Learning reps, members oractivists who want to launch a similarcampaign in their area. To get a copy emailenisuoha@tssa.org.uk.

TSSA Community Learning Champions inHackney have launched a websitehighlighting local initiatives for members,their families and the wider community:tssacommunitylearning.com.7

Megaphone diplomacy at Tory ConferenceWHILST BORIS JOHNSON has beenunwilling to meet union leaders evenonce during his five years in office,many union members were only tookeen to travel to Conservative Partyconference in Manchester to raise theirconcerns.

TSSA organised a transport lobbyjust days after joining with over 50,000campaigners to demonstrate againstthe creeping privatisation of the NHS.Whilst not rivalling the scale of the

health protest, our campaign drewsupport from RMT, ASLEF, Unite, CWUand UCU as well as Disabled PeopleAgainst Cuts and other communitygroups.

The picket made the case forkeeping the East Coast route in publichands – a privatisation which only 28per cent of Conservative voterssupport – as well as highlighting theinefficiencies of the currentfragmented system.7

Hackney learningadds up

EU rail threat opposed

general secretary

10 November 2013

ManuelCortes

comment

Our campaign against rip-off fares hasregularly seen the consequences of railprivatisation hit the headlines. Soaringfares, which are the soft underbelly of theso-called ‘case’ for privatisation, show nosign of relenting. We wish people weren’tbeing clobbered, but this does present uswith an excellent platform whilstpoliticians’ ears sharpen as the generalelection approaches.

I am sure that many of you will share mydelight that Labour has joined our campaignto keep East Coast in public hands. With thisyear's Labour Party Conference going furtherand unanimously adopting our resolution in favour of public ownership of ourrailways, this presents a real opportunity. Thismeans that each one of us can now play avital part in making this a reality by joining our campaigning activities over the coming months.

As the political conference season drew toa close it is hard to believe that we’re not justround the corner from a general election. Keyspokespeople for the main parties appeardesperate to make us believe that our lives willget better under their watch. But like many ofyou, it is difficult not to feel somewhatcynical about many of the promises thatpoliticians will be making in the run-up towhen our votes are finally cast.

Yet politics is also capable of inspiringhope in even the most dreadful ofcircumstances. Look at the stance taken bythe very courageous young Pakistani women,Malala Yousafzai. She was shot in the headby the Taliban as a result of campaigning forgirls and women to have access to education.Has her terrible experience cowed her? No –far from it! She is completely determined togo into politics so that future generations ofPakistanis have the right to attend schoolirrespective of their gender. Suchdetermination towards such a laudable goalshould help dispel some of our scepticism. Iam absolutely convinced that Malala fullyunderstands the unrivalled power of politicsto make our world a better place.

You know, our NHS, workers’ rights and

Labour Party

Conference

unanimously

adopted our

resolution in favour

of public ownership

of our railways

The results of our

campaign have been

amazing: instead of

750 closures, just

four booking offices

have closed

Beyond cynicism: our campaigning winspensions are excellent examples of whatpolitics can deliver. Of course, these thingsdidn’t just happen by chance. Years ofcampaigning by thousands, if not millions,of ordinary people made sure that theseprogressive changes became law. Our unionwill always remain focused in seeking tosecure your livelihood and on delivering abetter deal for you at work. However, we fullyrecognise that politicians make laws anddecisions that either aid or frustrate ourcollective ability to do so. That is why, if weare going to be in a strong position toadequately defend you, we need robustworkplace organisation and a powerfulpolitical voice!

Let me give you a few examples of why Iam saying this. The Government backed theMcNulty Review which recommends thewholesale closure of hundreds of bookingoffices. To implement these proposals, theGovernment requires primary legislation. Ourunion’s response was to launch a campaignwhich mobilised passengers against this,resulting in many MPs being made acutelyaware of the heavy electoral price they wouldpay if these plans went ahead locally. You see,the hard work and effort of many of you havebeen handsomely rewarded. So far, the resultsof this campaigning work have been amazing– instead of the 750 closures McNultyplanned, just four booking offices have closedsince 2010!

That is why we recently started a similarinitiative in London to stop Boris’s crazy plansto shut all ticket offices on the Underground.We have been here before: in 2008 we stoppedthe former Mayor’s attempt to close just a fewof them. In fact, Boris got elected on a platformof keeping them open – he even signed ourpetition against Ken Livingstone’s proposals.Yet his current plans go way beyond anythingKen ever contemplated. We now need to makeit clear to any politician who supportsproposals to do away with these much valuedservices that they run a very high risk of thepublic giving them the P45they’d have given totheir workers.7

TSSA Journal 11

Mick Carney

BACK IN AUGUST the TSSA broke thenews of a leaked report, subsequentlyconfirmed by Transport for London,considering plans to close every ticketoffice on the Underground network.

Boris Johnson is seeking massive cutsto Transport for London’s funding as partof the Tories’ indiscriminate cutsagenda, which has also placed hospitalsand our fire service under threat, butcoincidentally, created tax breaksfor large corporations and the wealthy.The closure of ticket offices has longbeen an aspiration of the private railcompanies too. McNulty and his attack onthe rail industry identified closing ticketoffices as an easy way to save money.

So why not close them? Surelyeveryone is booking tickets online now?Smart cards are just around the corner,so aren’t ticket offices just a bygonerelic from days of yore? Well no they arenot. They provide a customer service youwould never get from a machine or fromyour home computer. Well-trainedand well-informed ticket clerks offerinvaluable assistance to elderlycustomers, disabled travellers and tothose unfamiliar with the railway.

Surveys have consistently shown thatthe public are massively in favour of humancontact at the station. With the cutting

of platform staff this contact is increasinglyprovided by the ticket office staff. Ticketoffice staff also ensure that the customergets the cheapest ticket. Especiallyimportant given it is often the peopleleast likely to have access to a computerwho are most in need of the cheapertickets. The elderly, poorer members ofsociety and again, the disabled, are likelyto be hit hardest by creeping automation.A machine on the station is of no use toyou if you are blind, partially-sighted or if you are affected by a neuro-diversecondition.

A few days after the leaking of thereport I attended a ‘Better LondonTransport’ event. Amongst the speakerswas Christian Wolmar, an eminent railexpert and, at the time of writing,Labour’s only declared candidate for the2016 London Mayoral election. Much ofwhat Christian says I agree with, but wehad one fundamental difference on thefuture of ticket office staff. Christianbelieves the office staff should be a faceoutside of the ticket office at quietertimes. I am absolutely against it. Back in1995 I was forced into my ticket office atgun point. I was tied up and the stationrobbed. Luckily for me I was physicallyunharmed, shaken but unharmed. I have

colleagues who have not been so lucky.We should not be using ticket office staffto do the duties of platform members ofstaff. We should be demanding thereintroduction of the platform jobsinstead of allowing the grasping privateersto scrap them. I for one do not want to bewalking around with a large bunch of keysin my hand – keys which leave mevulnerable to another such attack.

But there is another altogether sadderreason we should be fighting to saveevery station job. On the day the reportwas leaked I was working an early turn. Amember of the public came in andreported there was a man lying motionlesson the track. Fearing the worst, I went outto check and indeed there was. This wasthe first suicide I have ever been on dutyfor and I truly hope it is my last. At thetime of writing I still find it upsetting anddifficult to shake the memory of what Isaw. When I knew little about him it waseasier to deal with, but finding out detailssuch as the fact that he had been let downover the years by the mental health servicesmakes it harder. My thoughts remain withhis family and the driver involved.

The railways have seen a rise insuicides in recent times. It is not to saythat having a member of staff presentwill stop them all – desperate people willtake desperate measures no matterwhat – but having a visible presence onthe platform can make all the differenceto whether someone lives or dies.

It is for people like Colin we need afully staffed railway.7

Standing up for our ticket offices

TSSA president Mick Carney shares hispersonal experience to show why staffedticket offices are vital.

CC

BY

Mic

hael

Pat

rick

It is often those least likely to have

computer access who are most in

need of cheaper tickets.

I was forced into my ticket office

at gun point. I was tied up and

the station robbed.

12 November 2013

Labour conference

Labour Party conferencebacks public ownershipIn a major victory, Labour conferencedelegates overwhelmingly endorsedTSSA’s call for rail to be brought backinto public ownership by the next Labourgovernment.

Delegates voted to send a strongmessage that “conference calls on afuture Labour government to run ourrailways in the interest of passengers byretaining and extending this successfulmodel of public ownership [referencingEast Coast] to each franchise as it expiresand by integrating track and trainoperations”.

TSSA and 40 constituency parties hadsubmitted motions on the publicownership of our railways, showing thestrength of feeling on the issue. Howeverthe conference arrangements committeeattempted to block them from debate. Itwas only after our team’s round the clockefforts, and a barnstorming speech byTSSA delegate Jill Murdoch, that theconference voted to reject the proposedagenda and instruct that our motionshould be heard.

Jill takes up the story, “The conferencearrangements committee was playinggames with us, so it became critical towin a ‘reference back’ of their report –something that is rarely done at LabourParty conference. Constituency delegatesand trade unions alike clearly supportedour bid to get public ownership of therailway reaffirmed as party policy and wemanaged to carry the vote against theCAC – apparently the first time that hasbeen done since 1982!”

The following day TSSA presidentMick Carney moved our motion, withASLEF’s Tosh McDonald seconding –both received a rapturous reception witha standing ovation spreading across thehall. Whilst the vote doesn’tautomatically set Labour’s manifestopolicy, it provides a very strong steerthat the wish of the Labour party as awhole is to see our railways back underpublic control.

Let private operators fade awayIn the keynote speech by Labour’s thenshadow transport minister Maria Eagle,she laid out a plan for passengers to seea more integrated network rather than apatchwork of franchise holders, all withdifferent ticket restrictions andbranding. “End wasteful repainting andrebranding of trains and stations withevery new contract. Restore a coherentInterCity identity to national trainservices” she said.

Announcing a raft of new policies,including ending the undercutting of

Mick Carneymoves ourcall for publicownership of rail

Andrew Wiard

ticket offices with cheaper fares online(“just to provide another excuse to closethem”), she also focussed on East Coast.Addressing the PM directly, she said“David Cameron: even at this late stage,abandon this costly, unnecessary,ideological, dogmatic, cynical, wrong-headed, vested-interest driven,disastrous privatisation”.

Declaring that Labour would allow thepublicly-owned Directly OperatedRailways to bid for further contracts, shesaid, “End the nonsense that means theonly rail company in the world barredfrom bidding is the one that is running[East Coast] – and doing so well. Even theFrench, German and Dutch state railwayscan bid. How completely bizarre that ToryMinisters have no problem with agovernment-run rail service so long as itisn’t British.”

Huge support for East Coast campaignMPs were lining up to endorse our call toKeep East Coast Public at a packed rally.Sheila Gilmore MP (Edinburgh East), PatGlass MP (North West Durham), SarahChampion MP (Rotherham) and JohnHealy MP (Wentworth and Dearne) allspoke from the panel, with more MPschipping in from the audience. They werejoined by Maria Eagle, Cat Hobbs frompublic ownership campaign ‘We Own It!’,Unite’s Diana Holland, Manuel Cortes andEast Coast rep Andi Fox.

There was a huge enthusiasm for moreaction right along the line with MPsstressing just how popular the campaignis with their constituents. Maria Eaglenoted that even though the governmentwere eager for the franchise to beawarded ahead of the general election inMay 2015, she felt there was still asignificant chance that even without a

change of heart due to public pressure,the process might not be completed intime for technical reasons.

TSSA’s Andi elected to Labour’s executiveEast Coast travel consultant Andi Fox hasbeen elected to serve as one of the tradeunion reps on Labour’s National ExecutiveCommittee. Andi first became a local repin Doncaster in 2002 and currently servesas the Yorkshire member on TSSA’sExecutive Committee.

She will now sit together with EdMiliband, Harriet Harman and others aspart of the group which sets the overalldirection of the party.

Thinking ahead to her term of office,she told the Journal, “I aim to be agrassroots voice, tabling the views ofordinary supporters. I would like to think Icould also use the opportunity to raisethe profile of women in the trade unionmovement within society at large.”

Energy price freeze wins praiseIntroducing Labour’s plan to freezeenergy prices for 20 months whilst itends the abuses of the ‘big six’ energy

companies, Ed Miliband used his keynotespeech to ask, “What happens whencompetition fails, what happens when itjust fails again and again? Governmenthas to act – with the train companiesthat put the price of the daily commutefurther and further out of reach, with thepayday lenders who force people intounpayable debt, and with the big gas andelectricity companies, that put prices upand up and up.”

By the end of this year average fuelbills are expected to be £450 higher thanwhen the Conservative-led governmentcame to power. Despite the protests ofthe highly-profitable energy companiesand strong opposition from theConservatives, the policy is hugelypopular with the public – something thatLabour spin doctors worried at theprospect of backing public ownership ofrail should take note of.

With 17 months to go until thegeneral election, Labour are increasinglysetting the agenda and developing aplatform to deliver for the majority ofBritons. To get involved, sign up atlabour.org.uk. 7

TSSA Journal 13

Labour conference

Our packed Keep East Coast Public rally Andi Fox

TUC

TUC Congress – for jobs,growth and fair payThis year’s TUC Congress, held inBournemouth, was a successful one forTSSA. Each member of our delegation ofMick Carney, Fliss Premru, SteveLeggett, Jenny Anderson and ManuelCortes all spoke on the main floor ofCongress, with TSSA also hosting asuccessful fringe meeting on ourneurodiversity work, during whichmany members and reps spoke.

TSSA delegate Steve Leggett told theJournal, “I really enjoyed my first TUCand was very proud to represent myunion. I made two speeches, one on fairpay and wages and the other on disabilityrights. Of course I was very nervous, but Iam glad to say that they went well withno major hiccups. I would encourageeveryone to consider putting themselvesforward – you will benefit from theexperience and greatly enjoy thecamaraderie of the atmosphere.”

Overwhelming support for publicownershipPublic ownership of our railways was arecurring theme at Congress, includingwhen Frances O’Grady used her firstkeynote speech as general secretary of theTUC to say, “We want our railwaysreturned to public ownership. Let’s send astrong message from this Congress – wewill fight this latest, senseless, sell-off of thefamily silver. Hands off our Royal Mail.”

Congress voted to support a motionproposed by TSSA and backed by ASLEFand RMT which committed to continuedTUC campaigning for public ownership.The motion also highlighted the threatposted by the EU’s ‘fourth railwaypackage’. This legislation, if unamended,would spread the mistakes of UK-styleprivatisation across Europe and make itirreversible here (see page 9 for more).

Labour getting the messageSpeaking at the Action for Rail fringemeeting, then shadow transport secretaryMaria Eagle put it bluntly, “I think it’sbeen quite clear rail privatisation hasbeen a disaster. There is a reason no othercountry in the world decided to do totheir railways what we did to ours”.

Discussing what could happen asfranchises expire during the nextparliament, she added, “You don’t have topay lots of compensation – you just don’trefranchise it. That will clearly be an

option. I’ve got to persuade one or twopeople in the Labour Party – I’vepersuaded a lot – but one or two more,that this is the way to go”. We’ll beworking to ensure Mary Creagh, Labour’snew shadow transport secretary is asconvinced as Maria was of the case forpublic ownership.

When Ed Miliband was asked aboutrail ownership by TSSA’s Jenny Andersonduring a Q&A session, the Labour leaderlimited his remarks to East Coast, saying,“The reality about the East Coast is thatit’s been successful in public ownership.We’re not going to be hidebound by thedogma of the past which says that privateis always good and public is always bad.”

TUC backs our right to take actionTSSA worked with the RMT on anemergency motion opposing the LondonConservatives’ attempts to frustrate orfully ban workers from taking industrialaction on the tube. Tory members of theLondon Assembly have again beenpushing for there to be minimum turnoutrequirements on industrial action ballotsfar higher than the public turnout whichelected them into their positions.

Congress voted to voice the concernthat the move would ‘reinforce theMayor’s anti-union agenda, the effect ofwhich has been characterised by a refusalto meet the trade unions to discussindustrial concerns’.

14 November 2013

Steve Leggettsupporting thesuccessful motionon fair pay

TUC / f lags of convenience

TSSA election successManuel Cortes topped the poll in hissuccessful bit to be elected to the TUC'sGeneral Council. There was stiffcompetition, with 11 candidates chasingseven places in our section for unionswith under 100,000 members. In a vote ofconfidence from fellow unions, Manuelcame top with 208,800 votes.

It was also announced that a fellowtransport worker, Mohammad Taj, hasbeen elected as the TUC’s first Muslim orAsian president. A bus driver withFirstGroup in Bradford, he first become a

T&G shop steward in 1982, eventuallyrising to sit on Unite’s executive and hasserved on the TUC’s General Councilsince 2001.

Neurodiversity work highlightedTSSA’s groundbreaking neurodiversityproject was the subject of a TUC fringemeeting, held with the support ofMorrish solicitors. The meeting, chairedby the TUC’s policy officer fordisabilities, Peter Purton, heard aboutthe ground-breaking research by Heriot-Watt University, assisted by TSSA, on the

impact of hidden disabilities in theworkplace.

Neurodiversity champions Mary Sithole,Steve Cambridge, Peter Worrall and TaffyEvans spoke about their work out on theground, supporting screening of colleagueswho have conditions like dyslexia,Asperger’s or ADHD. TSSA organiser RickyJones offered his personal experience of thedifference simple modifications made to hisability to work, whilst TSSA NeurodiversityProject workers Susannah Gill and SarahHughes described the programme whichwas being rolled out nationally. 7

Many of us take for granted the idea that all workers will be covered by at least basichealth and safety legislation and are free to walk away from an abusive employer.However 70 per cent of the world’s shipping fleet is registered via a ‘flag ofconvenience’, allowing ship owners to ignore national laws governing wages, workingconditions and workers’ rights in the country they are based and instead use the lax ornon-existent standards in the state the ship has been registered in.

TSSA members recently heard from Tommy Molloy, the International TransportWorkers’ Federation’s inspector who visits ships in Liverpool and other ports in north westEngland to check for abuses – much of what he sees is truly shocking.

Workers bringing goods to the UK are subject to abuse and physical threats, extortion,retention of their passports or wages andunbelievable poor and unsafe working conditions.

ITF’s flag of convenience campaign targets ship-owners who exploit this loophole, negotiating a setof minimum standards and working towards a globalMaritime Labour Convention which could impose theseon all shipping lines, ultimately eliminating the flags ofconvenience system altogether. 7

Find out more at www.itfglobal.org/flags-convenience

TSSA Journal 15

Fighting for fair conditions at sea

A rotting pallet providesa comparatively drysurface for thosestanding at the sink

Engine Room workerimprovising protectiveequipment not providedby the ship

Cooking equipment nextto a crew-member’s berth,creating a huge fire riski

ITF

ITF

ITF

TSSA’s delegation of Fliss Premru, Steve Leggett,Mick Carney, Jenny Anderson and Manuel Cortes,with Frank Ward.

Fliss Premru speaking againstfurther restrictions on our rightsproposed by Conservativemembers of the London Assembly.

TSSA Neurodiversity Project fringe meeting

16 November 2013

It was never going to be easy sorting outthe chaotic fares structure. Simplification,standardisation, information, clarity,smartcards – all these are buzz words forwhat the long delayed fares reviewpublished in early October was going tosolve. Not surprisingly, the review did notmanage to address all these problemscomprehensively – a near impossibletask. However, while undoubtedly thereview did not go far enough in dealingwith some fundamental issues or evensorting out the many ridiculousanomalies, there are several aspects tocheer about, as witnessed by theCampaign for Better Transport’scomment that it ‘does contain somewelcome initiatives’.

The review was announced 18 monthsago and was originally supposed to havebeen completed in the spring. Even withits late running, it ducked out of thefundamental questions, such as whetherto standardise the fares system to dealwith complexities like two peoplesitting next to each other having paiddramatically different amounts.

Nevertheless, tentatively, a few stepshave been taken in the right direction.First, the government has finallyrecognised that there needs to be some

sort of compromise arrangementbetween a full season ticket, which givesmassive discounts of up to two thirds forcommuters, and the one off ticket whichworks out very much more expensive forpart time workers. More and more peoplenow work part time – often of courseunwillingly – and even those in full timework can now, with the use of technology,stay at home for a day or two every week.The great advantage for the industry as awhole, and indeed for the governmentwhich always ends up bankrolling railway

The government’s review of rail fares was released recently. Whilst it made some good

progress, it avoided many of the fundamental questions, concludes Christian Wolmar.

Christian Wolmar

The fare review ducked out of the fundamental questions, but, tentatively, a few steps in the right direction have been taken.

Fares fair?

TSSA Journal 17

Christian Wolmar

investment, is that a more flexibleticketing system would reduce peakdemand and therefore pressure forinvestment in new rolling stock orextended platforms.

Therefore, the announcement of a trial– with operators expected to bid to hostit – for more flexible season tickets is tobe welcomed. So is the other trial, for theremoval of the daft anomaly whereby areturn journey for long distance servicesoften costs just £1 more than the single.This is a leftover from British Rail andmakes no sense in a world where peopleoften have occasion to travel one way bytrain and return by car or even plane.Charging half the return fare for a singleleg makes much more sense, but againthe approach by the government is rathertimid. Why not simply insist that theprice of a single leg should be half the off-peak return?

The government too, went halfwayon the scandal of ‘flex’ on fare rises. Thisis the flexibility given to operators toincrease some fares by up to 5 per centmore than the overall ‘inflation plus oneper cent’ rise. There is a widespreadperception that this has been abused bythe operators. As Anthony Smith ofPassenger Focus suggests, ‘allowing somuch flex meant that effectively thetrain operators were allocating publicsubsidy by imposing sharp rises on somecommuters and lower ones on others.’Moreover, he is convinced that ‘there isclearly an element of revenuegeneration in the flex arrangements.Otherwise, how come when AndrewAdonis got rid of it, he had to paycompensation to the train operators?’The government has agreed to reducethis to 2 per cent, althoughorganisations like the Campaign forBetter Transport would like to see itabolished entirely.

One aspect that Passenger Focus haslong battled on, but lost out in the face ofstrong opposition from the trainoperators, was over the issue of forcingpassengers to pay a full fare if they havethe wrong advance ticket for the trainwithout the money already spent beingtaken into account. The operators arguethat if they did not impose what amountsto a penalty fare many people would buyadvance tickets but hop on any train andtherefore cheat the system because theywould only risk paying what they shouldhave done anyway. In fact, it is passengerswho are being cheated. Some advancetickets cost as much as £120 on theLondon – Manchester route and someonetaking a train 20 minutes later could bemade to pay an extra £148 – this isclearly ridiculous. Most people are honestand not trying to cheat the system butthe view of the operators seems to bethat all their customers are dishonest. Nowonder the companies are unpopular.

The worst aspect of the fares review isthat there has been no commitment tomove away from the ‘inflation plus oneper cent’ annual fares rises for regulatedfares. But there was a bit of good newstucked away in here. As Passenger Focus’Anthony Smith pointed out, ‘we havemanaged to save the Saver, although it isno longer called that, to ensure that off-peak fares remain regulated. We havebeen fighting this for years and it is nowaccepted, which guarantees that leisureusers can continue to have access torelatively cheap journeys’.

As Smith says, however, it is very muchrelatively. Patrick McLoughlin, theTransport Secretary, was taking theproverbial when, in announcing the faresreview, he said that the government had‘reduced average rises from three per centto one per cent in real terms’. That is barefaced cheek. It was only his government,

not Labour, which suggested inflation plus3 per cent, and only relented under hugepublic pressure. There has, in fact, nowbeen 10 years of above inflation increases,something which is ultimatelyunsustainable and which means that thepassengers’ contribution to the overallrailways’ income has gone from one thirdto two thirds.

Smith, quite rightly, wanted to see adate for the end of these high increases,but the government has made nocommitment. Yet, it seems the governmentis always prepared to stop petrol tax rises,and yet imposes these swingeingincreases on rail travellers annually.

There remains, therefore, much tocampaign on. The above inflation rises willhave to end eventually and flex still givestoo much opportunity for the operatorsto fleece passengers. The other big issuelooming in the distance, which will haveenormous effect on ticket offices, is theintroduction of smartcard technology.Given that this is seen as essential for themore flexible season ticket arrangements,and that the Oyster ‘pay as you go’system has proved so successful that it isdelivering continued 5 per cent annualgrowth on National Rail use in London,smartcards will inevitably become thenorm. Initial adopters are most likely tobe commuters travelling short distances,but at some point their use will quitepossibly extend across the wholenetwork. As this debate ramps up, weshould be clear that the introduction ofsmartcards should not be used as anexcuse to dispense with staff, who willstill be needed to help many railpassengers, especially occasional users,and to make stations feel safer.7

Christian Wolmar is Britain’s leadingtransport commentator. For all his latestarticles see www.christianwolmar.co.uk.

The Transport Secretary said he had ‘reduced rises from three per cent’. That is bare faced cheek. It was only his government, not Labour, which suggested 3 per cent.

The affordabilitygap. Regulatedfare increaseshave beenacceleratingaway fromaverage wageincreases year onyear, based onTreasury figures.

i

There is an expectation that the Secretaryof State will make an announcementshortly about devolving franchisingpowers to the new Rail North consortiumof 33 local transport authorities,including the integrated transportauthorities, county councils and unitaryauthorities. Detailed negotiationsbetween the Department for Transportand Rail North have been on-going formonths, with a key issue being howmuch cash transfers with the franchisingresponsibilities. Northern politicians arecanny enough not to accept a deal whichprovides for anything less than thecurrent baseline of funding to supportexisting services. There’s a further issue asto whether the DfT will merge the largesprawling ‘Northern’ franchise with theinter-regional TransPennine Expressoperation. Both have been extended toFebruary 2016, though it isn’t wise toassume they will be combined. Followingthe Brown review of franchising there is amove away from ever-larger franchisestowards smaller units. Whatever happens,it is possible that both franchises maybecome the responsibility of Rail North.

A parallel development has beenconsultation by Rail North on a ‘LongTerm Rail Strategy’ for the North ofEngland. The draft strategy is the mostimportant document ever to have beenproduced specifically on the North ofEngland’s rail network and has some verypositive aspirations. It offers the North anopportunity to raise its game significantlyand look at the network as a whole over aperiod of 20 years. It provides a positiveframework for the growth of a network

which could contribute much more toeconomic growth and regeneration.Whilst the original Northern franchise, setup in 2004, assumed zero growth, thestrategy recognises that there will becontinued growth in passenger numbers.The resources therefore need to be there

to meet that demand, with greaterinfrastructure capacity and more trains.

Nobody would say the draft is 100 percent perfect and it will inevitably behoned by the responses to theconsultation. It needs a more compelling‘vision’ for the North which bindssustainable development much morestrongly into rail, seeing the rail networkas a catalyst for growth. It needs moreemphasis on people, recognising that railcan be a tool for social cohesion. We stillhave far too many stations which areinaccessible. And it should be less tightlyfocused on rail and be more imaginativein its approach towards complementaryforms of transport, particularly the bus,but also cycling and walking.

A long-term strategy for rail needs toavoid just becoming a shopping list, buthas to have some ‘meat’ to make it morethan just a generalised set of aspirations.It should provide an over-arching visionwhich contains tangible outcomes,including further electrification, newrolling stock and line re-openings. It’sgood that the plan includes freight, butit needs more detail on how a greater

18 November 2013

Paul Salveson

Based on CC BY SA Nilfanion

Look North!

The Rail North strategy is the most important document ever to have been produced specifically on the North of England’s rail network.

With the Government looking as though it may devolve significant railway powers to the

North of England, the tectonic plates of railway politics are shifting.

shift from road to rail freight can beachieved. There is scope for distinct sub-strategies covering electrification,network development (re-openings),rolling stock, community rail, stations,fares and ticketing and accessibility.

Are there specific issues from a tradeunion viewpoint? Passengers and workersshare a common desire to keep a visiblestaff presence on trains and at stations.Merseytravel, the PTE which managesthe Merseyrail franchise, has a policy ofstaffing stations throughout theoperational day – a principle whichneeds extending across the North, if agood case can be made. Merseyrail’sexperience of providing ‘station shops’could be applied to dozens more stations.

There are some other issues raised bythe post-2016 franchises in the North.Assuming the Secretary of State doesallow Rail North to take responsibility forlocal and regional rail services, theembryonic Rail North structure is alreadyin place to take up the challenge. Thereis a robust structure of overall politicalgovernance to ensure the 33 transportauthorities have a real say in how thingsare run, whilst ensuring there is a tightexecutive. It’s inevitable that the bigmetropolitan transport authorities willhave a strong influence, but authoritiessuch as Cumbria and Lancashire havelobbied hard to ensure their voice isheard too. In the North-East there hasbeen strong support for a distinct

‘business unit’ within the new franchisewhich would give a strong managementfocus on the particular needs of the area.A similar approach could work in othernon-metropolitan areas.

There is another aspect to theunfolding story of rail in the North. If the33 authorities, mostly Labour controlled,do get rail responsibilities devolved fromthe DfT, some thought should go intolooking at how a future rail operation isdelivered. Does franchising in its currentform really give best possible value formoney? A growing number of people inboth the rail industry and localgovernment would agree with the railunions and say it doesn’t. However, theopportunities for radical change in theshort-term are limited. Though we maywell have a Labour Government in 2015,the bidding process for the newfranchise in 2016 will start in a fewmonths. The unions and Labour need tohave a deliverable strategy whichrecognises short-term obstacles as wellas opportunities, and have a longer termvision which involves a more radical shiftfrom franchising.

Labour, the unions, the co-operative

movement and their allies should belooking at creating a viable ‘not for profit’bid for the 2016 Northern franchise. Thatneeds significant resources to be able tomount a credible challenge, but it couldbe done. The best structure would be aco-operative which ensures genuineownership by both employees andpassengers, with a business culture whichcombines social responsibility withentrepreneurial flair. If we have a LabourGovernment in 2015, a new Secretary ofState should introduce legislation whichgives regional authorities the option touse different approaches to thediscredited franchising model. If a ‘not forprofit’ franchise bid was successful therewould be much to be said for continuingthe operation beyond the likely sevenyears franchise period, with periodicreviews to ensure that value for moneyand a quality service were on-going.

Instead of looking back to a mythicalgolden age of a monolithic state-ownedBR, let’s look to the future and buildsomething which is really radical andmeets the aspirations of our founders –for a railway which really does belong tothe people.7

Paul’s book ‘Railpolitik: bringingrailways back to communities’ is publishedby Lawrence and Wishart price £14.99.Members of TSSA can get a £3 discount byquoting discount code ‘railpolitik’ whenordering at www.lwbooks.co.uk. Paulwould be glad to talk to TSSA membersabout the book at branch and divisionalcouncil meetings. He is onpaul@paulsalveson.com.

Paul Salveson

Manchester Victoria is being upgraded as part of the Northern Hub project, whichincludes a new rail route through the city.

If the mostly Labour controlledlocal authorities do get rail powers, should they move beyond franchising in its current form?

TSSA Journal 19

iNorthern’sfranchise spansfrom inner-citycommuterservices to someof England’s mostisolated stations,here crossing theArten Gill viaducten route to Dent.

CC BY NC SA Joe Dunckley

20 November 2013

arr ivals and departures

New Executive member for North WestGARY KILROY, THE chair ofthe association’s youngermembers group, FutureTSSA,has been elected to TSSA’sExecutive Committee. GaryKilroy will represent theLancs and Cumbria divisionafter a recent by-election.

At 31, Gary is theyoungest member of the EC.He works in Liverpool as asenior technical officer forNetwork Rail, where he is also a local industrial rep.

He told the TSSA Journal, “I’ve been on the railway foralmost nine years. I’ve seen much change and whilstchange is not always bad, I strongly believe it should notbe to the detriment of our members.”

Gary is also greatly involved in anti-austeritycampaigning, serving as the secretary of the MerseysidePeople’s Assembly. He says “We currently face thegreatest attacks on working people for manygenerations. Our communities, NHS and railways faceattacks like never before. Jobs are constantly underthreat, especially for our members in Network Rail andthe travel trade. We need to be standing up to defendmembers in the workplace and beyond.” 7

All change at Network RailTHE END OF August saw the close of the Network Rail Area Council elections.This group of reps are so often at the sharp end of our union’s fight for jobsand decent working conditions, and are constantly working to protectmembers’ terms and conditions.

Several long-standing reps chose to stand down due to impendingretirement and we would like to pay tribute to just a couple:

Dave Sian has been a TSSA rep for almost 20 years, joining from the oldNUR after entering maintenance supervisory grades. He was active throughthe break-up of maintenance and then its incorporation into Network Rail.Dave was branch secretary of the old Watford Branch as well as being an arearep in West Coast South. Watford will not be the same after his retirement!

John Jenkins has worked on the railways for over 40 years, joining BR in1972 to work in S&T. John was a TSSA rep for over 25 years, including beinginstrumental during the fight for collective bargaining for managementgrades and the negotiation of the subsequent Management CollectiveBargaining Agreement. John became a rep after seeing too many staff being shabbily treated, and his work over the yearshelped many, many members. His depth of knowledge will be hugely missed. You can read more about John’s story herewww.tssa.org.uk/john-jenkins.

We wish both Dave and John, and all our other departing reps, all the best for the future.We also welcome many new area reps who have been elected into roles across the company! If you are interested in getting

more involved in the TSSA in Network Rail, contact the Members’ Helpdesk. 7

Surprise award in CardiffARRIVA TRAINS WALES branch member Paul Jeffrieswas presented with a Bronze Award in recognition ofmany years meritorious service to the TSSA.

The branch had managed to organise the event as asurprise, but the plan almost backfired as, after enjoyinga day at the cricket, Paul decided to give the meeting amiss. After a few hasty phone calls and Paul’s wifeplaying the role of taxi driver, an absolutely thrilled Paulwas able to receive the award.

Branch were also honoured that two Gold Medallionholders, Tony Scott and Jack Gadsby, and SilverMedallion awardee June Scott were able to be present atthe event. 7

Outgoing rep John Jenkins

Paul Jeffries (centre) was presented with the medal bySenior Regional Organiser Alan Valentine and DivisionalCouncil secretary Cheryl O'Brien

TSSA Journal 21

f inancial statement

TRADE UNION AND LABOUR RELATIONS (CONSOLIDATION) ACT 1992 (AMENDED)The above Act requires TSSA to produce the following statement to members

STATEMENT TO MEMBERS 2012

2012 2011£ £

Total income 5,599,888 6,271,355Total expenditure 6,124,848 9,048,416Membership income 4,120,164 4,196,417Political Fund income 129,274 161,455Political Fund expenditure 137,115 117,314General secretary’s salary and pension contributions 90,013 93,028General secretary (elect) salary and pension contributions 14,991

Total income is composed of 4,112,888 Association income1,487,000 Pension income

Total expenditure is composed of 5,386,848 Association and738,000 pension costs

THE AUDITORS of the Association, Sayer Vincent Accountants and Registered Auditors of 8 Angel Gate, City Road, London EC1V 2SJ, reported to themembers on the financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2012 on 22 March 2013 and their report was as follows:

Independent Auditors Report to the members of the Transport Salaried Staffs’ AssociationWE HAVE AUDITED the financial statements of the Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association for the year ended 31 December 2012 which comprise the BranchAccount, the Divisional Councils Account, the Self Organised Groups Account, the Political Fund Account, the Benevolent Fund Account, the ProvidentBenefit Fund, the Central Fund, the Balance Sheet, the Cash Flow Statement and related notes. The financial reporting framework that has been applied intheir preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

This report is made solely to the Union’s members as a body, in accordance with Section 36 of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidated) Act 1992.Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the Union’s members those matters we are required to state in an auditor’s report and for noother purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the Union and the Union’s membersas a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.

Respective responsibilities of Executive Committee and AuditorsAS EXPLAINED more fully in Executive Committee’s report, the Executive Committee are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements and forbeing satisfied that they give a true and fair view. Our responsibility is to audit and express a view on the financial statements in accordance withapplicable law and international Standards on Auditing (UK and Ireland). Those standards require us to comply with the Auditing Practices Boar’s EthicalStandards for Auditors.

Scope of the audit of the financial statementsAN AUDIT involves obtaining evidence about the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements sufficient to give reasonable assurance that thefinancial statements are free from material misstatement, whether caused by fraud or error. This includes an assessment of whether the accountingpolicies are appropriate to the Union’s circumstances and have been consistently applied and adequately disclosed; the reasonableness of significantaccounting estimates made by the Executive Committee; and the overall presentation of the financial statements. In addition we read all the financial andnon-financial information in the Executive Committee’s report to identify material inconsistencies with the audited financial statements. If we becomeaware of any apparent material misstatements or inconsistencies we consider the implication for our report.

Opinion on financial statementsIn our opinion the financial statementsl give a true and fair view of the state of the Union’s affairs as at 31 December 2012 and of its results for the year then endl have been properly prepared in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice andl the financial statements have been properly prepared in accordance with Trade Union Law;

Matters on which we are required to report by exceptionWe have nothing to report in respect of the following matters where the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidated) Act 1992 requires us to report toyou if, in our opinionsl the Union has not kept proper accounting records in accordance with Section 28 of the Act andl whether the Union has not maintained a satisfactory system of control over its transactions in accordance with that section andl whether the accounts to which the report relate do not agree with the accounting records

Sayer VincentChartered Accountants and Registered Auditors8 Angel Gate, City Road, London EC1V 2SJ17 April 2013

STATEMENTA MEMBER who is concerned that some irregularity may be occurring, or have occurred, in the conduct of the financial affairs of the union may take stepswith a view to investigating further, obtaining clarification and, if necessary, securing regularisation of that conduct.

The member may raise any such concern with such one or more of the following as it seems appropriate to raise it with: the officials of the union, thetrustees of the property of the union, the auditor or auditors of the union, the Certification Officer (who is an independent officer appointed by theSecretary of State) and the police.

Where a member believes that the financial affairs of the union have been or are being conducted in breach of the law or in breach of rules of the union andcontemplates bringing civil proceedings against the union or responsible officials or trustees, he should consider obtaining independent legal advice.

22 November 2013

TSSA personal injury service

Winning compensation even when all deny fault“Neither the company northe contractor was willingto say they wereresponsible for me fallingoff the steps. But thanksto TSSA they both had topay my damages” saysLewis.Lewis had been walkingup the steps on a Mondaymorning at work when heslipped and landedheavily on his lower back.“The week before myaccident, a contractingfirm had been carryingout some kind of work onthe steps, but it lookedlike they had finished.There was no sign that thesteps were in any wayunfinished or possiblydangerous.”Working in a busy travelagency, Lewis’ jobrequired sitting for longperiods and the pain inhis back from his fallbecame unbearable.“I had to take time offwork, which I hate doing.

After a month, a friend,who is also our TSSA rep,suggested that I call the0800 number for advice. Iwas still in pain, so Icalled. It was the smartestthing I could have done.”Through TSSA, Lewis wasput in touch with Fiona atMorrish Solicitors. “Fiona was brilliant. Sheconfirmed my details andwrote to my employerabout my accident. Theysaid they were not at faultand blamed thecontractors who carriedout the work. Of coursewhen Fiona wrote to thecontractors, they blamedmy employers, saying theyhad completed most oftheir work other than afew bits which neededfinishing. They said it wasmy employer’s fault fornot putting out thewarning signs asinstructed. If I had tried todo the claim on my own,I’d have given up at that

point. It looked like therewould be too much goingback-and-forth. But Fionawas ace. She wrote toboth of them saying shewould commence courtproceedings, but offeredthem that they could splitmy compensation50/50.” Both theemployer and thecontractor agreed theterms. By this time Lewiswas undergoingphysiotherapy for thecontinuing pain in hisback. Fiona got furthermedical evidence whichshowed that the injury toLewis’ lower back could beexpected to fully recoverwithin 18 months of theaccident.“I agreed to a £4,000settlement, which coveredmy physio costs and thetime I’d had to take offwork. From the time Icalled the 0800 numberto the time I received mydamages cheque was 12

months, almost to the day.I was really pleased withthe result from TSSA andFiona at Morrish becauseif it had been purely up tome, I’d have given up atthe first hurdle. ThanksTSSA!”

l Based on a real lifecase. Certain details havebeen altered to protect

the identity of the victim.Morrish Solicitors offersfree personal injury legaladvice for TSSA members.You can call them on0800 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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TSSA Journal 23

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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 805272UK

Republic of Ireland

Big Brother isn’twatchingQ. As a rep, I’m representing oneof our members in a disciplinary.The manager has said she is goingto use CCTV evidence, but I don’tthink it should be allowed. How doI fight it?

A. The first step is to establishwhether the employer’s CCTV policystates that it will be used to monitorstaff. If it doesn’t then they are onlyallowed to do so in exceptionalcircumstances, such as the preventionor detection of crime. This is not thecase here, so they may be in breach ofthe Code of Practice. You shouldinsist that the CCTV evidence isinadmissible.

Have a look at the guidanceprovided by the InformationCommissioner (ico.gov.uk). It clearlylays out what the employer can andcan’t do and it would be useful toprint a copy to quote from at thehearing. If the employer persists, thenyou would need to follow the internalgrievance procedure. If you still thinkthe employer has acted in breach ofthe Code, then your member may beable to take a complaint to theInformation Commissioner.

Unsafe? Don’t accept itQ. I am a Health and Safety rep.One of my members was quite badlyinjured recently, needing surgeryand time off work. It turns out theywere having to prop open a heavydoor as the catch was broken. Theprop slipped and the member’shand was trapped as the door swungshut. The problem had beenreported months ago but notrepaired – their manager said toprop the door open until it wassorted. Do you think my memberhas a claim for personal injury?

A. They might, especially if they lostmoney such as overtime or hadadditional expenses, but you wouldneed to speak to our solicitors aboutthat. Their number is on the pageopposite and in the TSSA diary.

As a health and safety rep you’llknow that if the employer is aware ofand condones an unsafe act they arein breach of section 8(1) of the Safety,Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005and their common law duty of care.What your members may not be awareof is that if they act in an unsafemanner, in this case by agreeing to themanager’s instruction to work with the

door propped rather than securelylatched, they are opening themselvesto a reduction of any award ofdamages by reason of contributorynegligence. In a recent case (Smith vHealth Service Executive) theemployee lost 25 per cent of theircompensation because they acceptedan unsafe system of work.

Manager breached my privacyQ. I have a chronic illness, which Itold my boss about to explain myabsences. I stressed that this wasconfidential information and Ididn’t want my colleagues to knowabout it. Now one of the people inthe office has come up to‘sympathise’, and I know she canonly have found out about it frommy manager. How should Iapproach my manager about this?

A. I am sorely tempted to say ‘with abaseball bat’, but let’s be sensible. Areyou really sure that your colleaguecould not have found out any otherway? Did you ask who told her? Ifyou are certain that it could only havecome from your manager, you shouldpursue a grievance, citing yourmanger’s behaviour. To quote theInformation Commissioner’sguidelines, ‘workers can legitimatelyexpect to keep their personal healthinformation private and expect thatemployers will respect this privacy’.Under the Data Protection Act, healthissues are regarded as sensitive data,and access to records must be morestrictly controlled than for otherdetails. Contact your rep, who willassist you with the grievance andrepresent you at the hearing. The catis out of the bag now, and any actionthe company takes against themanager is up to them, but at the veryleast you should be insisting on apublic apology.

24 November 2013

letters

Smartcard winners andlosersThe last Journal presents adilemma which affectsthe Association at alllevels. We see the TSSA’sGhost Train bearing theslogan ‘No to station staffcuts’, a message which Iam sure we all support.

But Paul Salvesonconcludes his article ‘Fora People’s ScotRail’ withthe words ‘The best thatcan be hoped for fromthe new franchise is thatthe successful bidder willbe expected to deliverspecified benefitsincluding smartcardtechnology’.

It is of course true thatSmartcards can facilitatemulti-modal transportintegration and canreduce the costs ofhandling cash at stations.Oyster has been one ofthe factors behind thelarge increase in NationalRail, bus andUnderground usage in

London. But aconsequence has been adecline in sales at stationticket offices to the pointwhere we have seen someUnderground stationswith no ticket offices atall. Many smallerNational Rail stationshave part-time ticketoffices primarily forseason ticket sales. Ifseason tickets are movedto Smartcards, with thetravel entitlementpurchased or collected ata ticket machine, then theneed for a staffed ticketoffice will decline further.We can be sure that joblosses will follow. Andmuch as we support theidea of staffed stations toreassure the public andprovide assistance asrequired, we surelycannot support memberssitting in ticket officeswith nothing to do all day.JG MorganATOC branch member

Remembering my fatherThank you most kindlyfor your text rememberingmy father in the Journaland especially thephotograph that is ‘justright’ as I remember himbefore his final years.However, a few detailsneed correcting: Bob wasto my knowledge not anRAF Observer – hequalified as Bomb Aimerand Navigator. Apparently,Bob was the only one ofhis class passing thetough examinations toqualify as a Navigator. Forsome of his 30 ‘ops’ healso flew in the iconicAvro Lancaster.

I remain a member ofTSSA in his honour.When I was a boy, Bob(as a Relief ‘just abouteverything’ and later,Loads Inspector) took meall over the north eastwith him. Try that today!

Bob was a great ‘showrabbit’ man for much ofhis working life. I’mpresently writing-up myown trainspotting days forpublication and that willobviously bring my dadto life in the early days atleast. I’m now 64 myself –so obviously no time tolose!Colin ThompsonAnglia Number Onebranch

HS2 is too slowWould somebody pleasetell Manuel Cortes to stopsounding off about HS2?The membership hasn’tbeen consulted, and HS2

is certainly not the onlyway to provide extracapacity on the WestCoast main line. There isa capacity problem at thesouth end of the line butHS2 wouldn’t solve itbecause Phase 1 wouldn’tbe ready for at least 13years and Phase 2 notuntil the 2030s.

There are plenty ofschemes to upgrade otherlines, divert freight andre-open closed lines, allwith much better cost:benefit ratios, lessenvironmental damageand which would benefitfar more rail travellers.HS2 is the politiciansvanity project and weshouldn’t be jumping ontheir bandwagon.Simon PearsonNetwork Rail NorthLondon branch

The Editor replies: Aswith every other railpolicy issue, TSSA officialsreflect the position asvoted for by delegates atconference, based on themotions submitted bybranches. Given theupgrade of the West CoastMain Line took a decadefor a comparatively smallline capacity increase andthe Intercity ExpressProgramme will have runfor 12 years before thefirst new vehicles enterservice, second-ratealternatives to HS2 wouldin many cases not bedelivered well short of the13 years until HS2 opens.

letters

This is your chance to share your views with thousands of other TSSA members. The deadline for the next issue is 4 December. Letters may be edited for length or clarity. Email journal@tssa.org.uk or write to TSSA Journal, WalkdenHouse, 10 Melton Street, London, NW1 2EJ.

Paul Salveson

20 August 2013

Paul Salveson

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For a People’s ScotRail

already started for the new ScotRail

franchise. The Scottish Government,

through Transport Scotland, has invited

pre-qualification bids with a deadline of

late August. The new franchise will start

in April 2015, for a period of up to ten

years. In many ways it’s a missed

opportunity. The SNP-led Government

had expressed interest in the idea of a

‘not for profit’ ScotRail, but in recent

months appears to have gone cool on the

idea. Yet an alliance of Labour and Green

MSPs has been lobbying hard for a

different approach, using some of the

arguments developed in the Co-operative

Party’s report Rail Cymru (see TSSA Journal

January 2013).

A debate in the Scottish Parliament

during May aired many of the key

questions. Labour MSP Ken Macintosh

said: ‘At the moment, rail services in

Scotland enjoy around £800 million of

public investment. The rail franchise

accounts for the lion’s share of that,

with last year’s £447 million rising to

more than £511 million in the future ...

Tackling the issue of the ownership of

businesses and services goes to the

heart of how we rebuild a successful,

sustainable and progressive economy in

Scotland. I have talked recently about

how we should pursue a community

ownership model for wind farms, and I

believe that a co-operative rail franchise

would be a similar step.’

In the same debate, Patrick Harvie MSP

for the Green Party argued that ‘There is

a need for the travelling public to be

much more fully involved in future

decisions about franchising. Current train

operating companies may be private-

sector profit-seeking businesses, but

Scotland’s railways are public services,

and the public should be centrally

involved in setting the priorities. I want

all the options to be open for Scotland in

restoring a public service ethos to our rail

business. We on the Green side of the

chamber hope that Scotland will soon

take on the powers to change UK

legislation and open up new possibilities,

which would include Labour’s option of a

mutual or not-for-profit franchisee. Such

a bid could be made at the moment, but

realistically it will not materialise out of

thin air. That option needs Government

support, which would at present be

inhibited.’

The debate opened up the prospect

of a future ScotRail that would be run

for and by the people of Scotland, with a

mutual company involving employees,

passengers and government. The SNP

spokespeople were not hostile, but

neither did they go out of their way to

encourage a new approach. Whilst

welcoming bids from not for profit

bodies, the minister, Keith Brown, made

it clear that such bids would get no

special favours.

And there’s the problem. As we’ve

seen from the recent fiasco over the

West Coast main line bid, franchise bids

are expensive. To be in with a chance,

bidders typically invest in the region of

£10 million. If they win, they have to

stump up further cash in the region of

£25 million as a bond in case it all goes

belly-up. I would be very interested to

discover a social enterprise that is able

to take on that sort of risk, just to

mount a bid for a rail franchise. No

wonder that it’s all the familiar names

who are lining up for the ScotRail

contract: First, Stagecoach, Abellio,

National Express and MTL.

Railway insiders have suggested that

Transport Scotland, which is managing

the franchising process, has been taking

a cautious approach, giving little weight

to wider social and economic benefits.

Yet if rail is to play a dynamic role in the

Scottish economy, it is important to

look at wider benefits from the

franchise and build those into the

bidding process. As that process is

shrouded in secrecy – ‘commercial

confidentiality’ covers a multitude of

sins – we don’t know exactly what

weighting is given to non-financial

benefits.

The best that can be hoped from the

new franchise is that the successful

bidder will be expected to deliver

specified benefits including smartcard

technology, on-board wi-fi and transport

integration. It could have been very

different. The really interesting question

is what will happen to railways in

Scotland if the referendum delivers a

‘yes’ vote for independence. The realistic

answer is probably nothing much at

first, but over a period of time the

prospect of a more vertically integrated,

socially-owned Scottish rail network

becomes more of a possibility. But even

if Scotland says ‘no’ there will be the

prospect of further devolution and the

likelihood of Holyrood having greater

powers over the rail network – so it

really will be Scotland’s railway.�

Paul Salveson is a member of

TSSA

Yorkshire Ridings TOC branch

and a

visiting professor in transport

and logistics

at Huddersfield University. He

is currently

working with the Co-operative

Party on

ideas for a socially-owned Sco

tRail.

If you get on a train within Scotland

,

the chances are it will be painted

in an

attractive saltire livery and em

blazoned

with the words ‘ScotRail: Scotland’s

railway’. And there is a sense in w

hich it

really is the nation’s railway, despite

being operated by a private co

mpany,

First Group. The franchise is let not

by

London-based civil servants,

but by

Transport Scotland which is answerable

to the Scottish Government.

There’s a record of success which

railway people south of the border can

only look at with envy. The last few years

have seen considerable investment,

including the re-opening of the Stirling-

Alloa and Airdrie-Bathgate lines

(providing a new Glasgow-Edinburgh

link) and the extension of the Glasgow

suburban electric network. The biggest

project of them all, re-opening the

Waverley Line from the Edinburgh

suburbs south to Galashiels and

Tweedbank is going ahead and will open

in two years time. Edinburgh’s busy

Haymarket station has been rebuilt and

several new stations opened. Oban Line

services are being doubled in frequency,

giving much-improved services to the

West Highlands. Electrification is

planned for several further routes and

new rolling stock is being introduced

across large parts of the network.

Meanwhile, the Scottish Government

has provided funding for two officers to

promote community rail initiatives in

Scotland, building on the extensive

network of ‘station friends’ groups

already active.

In so many ways it’s a good news

story, but it could be even better if the

income generated from the franchise

was going back into the railway. This isn’t

so far-fetched as it may seem. Scotland

has a tradition of public ownership in the

transport sector. Lothian Buses is owned

by four local authorities with Edinburgh

having a 91 per cent share. It runs a fleet

of 650 buses and employs over 2000

staff. Last year it made a pre-tax profit of

£10 million, some of which went back

into the company and the rest to

support other public services. Not a

penny went to individual shareholders.

Strathclyde Passenger Transport owns

the Glasgow Subway, a unique example

of a vertically-integrated, non-franchised

publicly-owned railway. CalMac ferries,

which provide essential services to the

Highland and Islands are mostly operated

by companies ultimately owned by the

Scottish Government. Last year they

made a profit of £2.2 million and paid a

dividend of £1.7 million to their owners.

So public ownership of transport

services is ingrained in Scotland’s

economy. Buses, ferries and the subway

are all examples of successful, socially-

responsible transport businesses

providing essential services and

contributing to the wider good. So why

not rail? The Scottish Government has a

large degree of control over the

‘domestic’ rail network, however it is

bound by the Railways Act 1993 which

covers the whole of the UK and so lacks

the power to use a publicly-owned rail

operator. The SNP Government’s

transport minister Keith Brown

broached this with the then Secretary of

State for Transport Justine Greening and

was given a very firm ‘No’.

The current franchise, managed by

Transport Scotland on behalf of the

Government, is run by First Group, a

Scottish-based company but one with

interests spanning the globe. Bidding has

Underlining the complications

of rail devolution, Scotland’s bu

siest station is managed by Ne

twork Rail, rather than a body

regulated

by the Scottish Government.

Services on the West Highland

Line, seen here near to Bridge

of Orchy, fulfil a huge social

need for those without cars.

Scotland has a tradition of

public ownership in the

transport sector: Lothian

Buses, the Glasgow Subway,

CalMac ferries.

The Scottish Government has

much control over the

‘domestic’ rail network but is

bound by Railways Act 1993,

so lacks the power to use a

publicly-owned operator.

Franchise bids typically cost

£10 million. I’d be interested

to discover a social

enterprise able to take on

that sort of risk to bid for a

rail franchise.

TSSA Journal 21

Dozens of new Desiro-family t

rains have

joined the network, with all tra

ins due to

carry the saltire livery.

�

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