JOIN US ON SATURDAY 20 OCTOBER� 'A Future That Works' demonstration

� Summer of Action with Better Rail

� Fare rises, Virgin franchise and Olympics

September 2012

4–7 News & campaignsu Virgin franchise

u Fare rises

u Olympics App

u Tolpuddle Festival

8 Obituary: Tom Jenkins CBEu Our former general secretary remembered

10–17 A Future That Worksdemo specialu Why we need a future that works

u Poster for your workplace

u Getting organised for the march

u The simple case for investment not cuts

u Practical demo details

18–19 Better Railu TSSA’s Summer of Action

20–21 Christian Wolmaru Reasons to be cheerful

22-23 Help & advice

24 Letters

2 September 2012

in this issue

Transport Salaried Staffs’Association

General Secretary: Manuel Cortes

Joining TSSA T: 020 7529 8032F: 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 108/issue 1224 The Better Rail message was hugely popular at the Tolpuddle Martyrs Festival18-19

TSSA Journal 3

editorial

This issue of the Journalis something of a‘demo special’. TheTUC’s ‘A Future thatWorks’ demonstrationon Saturday 20 Octoberlooks set to be huge –putting even more pressure on thegovernment to change course from theirdisastrous ‘austerity at all costs’ model.Even if you’ve never considered joining aprotest march before, please think aboutcoming along – ideally bringing your familymembers and friends too. With our ‘horrorcuts’ theme, we want it to be a really funand empowering day for all involved – seepages 10-17 for all the details. I really hopeto see you there!

Elsewhere, Virgin are set to be out of theUK rail ‘market’ for the first time since 1997after the loss of the West Coast route. Noother franchise decision has ever seen somuch public debate, not just due to RichardBranson’s high profile, but due to thegrowing sense that the whole franchisesystem is rotten. Over 100,000 have signeda petition (albeit, one heavily pushed by theVirgin media-machine) calling for thedecision to be reconsidered. Meanwhile,many commentators have expressedconcern that the high premiums of theFirstGroup bid may bankrupt the franchise.The most cynical amongst us might evenwelcome the firm going belly-up andbreaking the 15 year contract early, notinghow the East Coast route is still in publicownership almost three years afterNational Express handed it back to the DfT.

In this issue we also remember thecontribution of the late Tom Jenkins CBE –TSSA’s general secretary from 1977 to 1982.Tom guided the union through someturbulent years and is remembered by LordRosser on page 8.

As always, your letters, either inresponse to articles or raising any otherpoint of interest are very welcome, as aresuggestions for articles. This really is yourpublication so please do get in touch.

Ben Soffa, editor

A highly successful joint-union protest at Waterlooas the annual fares increase was announced

5

4 September 2012

news

THE GOVERNMENT HAVEfinally revealed what many inthe rail industry alreadyseemed to know: Virgin havelost the lucrative West Coastfranchise to First Group.

First bid over a billionpounds more than Virgin intheir quest to run intercityservices between London andGlasgow. They successfullyhomed in on the Tory-ledgovernment’s desire to reducegovernment subsidy at anycost – particularly if that costis borne by staff andpassengers.

However, Sir RichardBranson’s comments about‘letting down’ taxpayers comea little too rich for most tastes.The ballooning knight’spersonal fortune is basedoffshore, meaning he payslittle UK tax on his massiveprofits. Doubts have beenraised about the sustainabilityof First’s promised payments

for the franchise, but if theirridership predictions are met, asmaller proportion of theprofit will be retained by themthan under the Virgin bid.

Branson is right about onething though – that thecurrent bidding system is‘flawed... too costly anduncertain’. The privatisation ofrail has resulted in worseconditions for most staff,worse services and higherfares for passengers, and a farworse deal for taxpayers.

Many of us would echo thesentiments of DavidSidebottom of PassengerFocus: ‘For the passengersmaking their way from Londonto Manchester or Glasgow, theimportant thing is not thename on the side of the train,but the experience of thejourney, the availability of staffwhen you need them and ofcourse, the value for money.’

One TSSA member who will

not be sad to see the back ofthe Branson-Souter regime isMartin Hodges. Virgindismissed him in Januarywithout any disciplinarycharges or hearing, reinstatedhim (on suspension) after TSSAintervention, then sacked himagain in July – once morewithout charge or hearing.

To add insult to injury,Virgin Trains managementrevealed confidential personaldetails about Martin in orderto damage his reputation withhis colleagues. The whole affairleaves a very bad taste in themouth and is now in the handsof our solicitors, Morrish.

‘While Virgin have treatedme with contempt, I do feelbad for my colleagues whohave worked hard to make asuccess of running the WestCoast service’, said Martin.‘Working for the railway isn’tabout First Group, Virgin orStagecoach. It’s about the

ordinary people, the staffwhose commitment anddedication make thedifference for the passengers.’

TSSA general secretary,Manuel Cortes, sums it upnicely: ‘The privateers come,take their profits and go. Therailway staff that TSSA is proudto represent are in it for thelong haul. We will be watchingFirst Group’s plans carefully asthey set them out, but willexpect and require them toput the needs of staff andpassengers first and foremostat all times.’7

TSSA SAFETY REPS are preparing for European Health andSafety Week, which runs from 22 October, reports MichaelLitchfield of Brighton Branch and a rep on the Southern JointSafety Committee.

This year’s theme ‘Working Together for Risk Prevention’reflects the fact that workplaces with genuine joint working onhealth and safety are better at identifying, managing, andfinding solutions to workplace hazards. Workplaces with active

and involved trade union safety reps are twice as safe as thosewithout. Firms which have a leadership that positively supportshealth and safety also perform better.

Members can use this week to raise their work concernswith their safety reps.

TSSA has in place a network of safety representatives whoplay a key part in providing better health & safety formembers, in and outside the workplace

If your workplace doesn't have a dedicated health & safetyrepresentative why don't you volunteer? Specialist experttraining is provided. Contact your rep, branch secretary orregional office for details. 7

Virgin on the ridiculous

European Safety Week 2012

Key Safety Facts 2010/11l 175 workers killed at work l 200 000 reportable injuries causing over a three day absencel 26.4 million working days were lost due to work-relatedillness and workplace injury.

TSSA Journal 5

news

THE AUGUST ANNOUNCEMENT ofthe New Year rise in rail fares – setat 6.2 per cent – has drawncondemnation from across thepolitical spectrum. TSSA, workingwith fellow unions, the Campaign forBetter Transport and Climate Rushheld a successful protest at Waterloostation, whilst normally-loyal ToryMPs queued up to condemn the ‘taxon commuters’.

The rise of 3 per cent above inflationwill see some fares go up by as much as11 per cent, bringing the railwayscloser to becoming the ‘rich man’s toy’that TSSA has consistently warned of.

The protest, co-ordinated with the

TUC’s Action for Rail campaign saw themessage ‘Cut Rail Fares not Rail Staff’carried across the media, with theTimes and Telegraph both carryingcommentary calling for a return topublic ownership.

General secretary Manuel Cortessaid: ‘It is complete nonsense to sayfares have to rise above inflation everyyear to pay for new rail projects. Airtravellers don’t pay higher taxes to getnew runways built, and motoristscertainly don’t pay more for new roads.This is all about squeezing a captiveaudience, the commuter, until the pipssqueak. It is little more than daylightrobbery.’7

THE TOLPUDDLE FESTIVAL in Dorset alwayspromises a fun weekend for all. It is anopportunity for trade unionists to cometogether to learn and commemorate ourhistory, but also to relax and recharge theirbatteries. This year witnessed TSSA’s biggestdelegation and most prominent appearance foryears at the event, which marks the persecutionand final triumph of six farm workers whoattempted to form an early union.

From the start Tolpuddle has a real festivalatmosphere and a very friendly feel. Regardlessof the wet outside, the live music in the MartyrsMarquee on Friday night saw a warm, dry, partyatmosphere full of dancing people.

Saturday was a great opportunity to pushTSSA campaigns with other trade unions,with several thousand people already on thesite. During the day there were activities forall ages and to suit everyone. The highlysuccessful kids area was there in full forceagain, entertaining and educatingthroughout the weekend. Throughout theday there was the opportunity to listen toand join in debates around issues currentlyaffecting working people such as regional payand the right to demonstrate. The day wasended with ever-popular TSSA BBQ, where

this year we were joined by colleagues fromASLEF.

Sunday sees coach after coach arriving tobring the number of people to around 11000.The parade through the village is the mainevent, with the streets of the small villagefilled with trade unionists and well-wishers.TSSA members and staff were joined byPresident Harriet Yeo and general secretaryManuel Cortes.

We would encourage members to comealong next year even if just for the Sunday toexperience this festival for themselves. Freetransport is arranged from most major cities inthe South and also from London.7

WE ARE ASKING TSSAmembers for their opinionson our activities andstructures so that we canfind out where yourpriorities lie. We want toinvolve all members and tofocus our organising,negotiating andcampaigning activities onareas that you consider tobe important.

If you complete thesurvey you can opt to entera draw with prizes of £100,£60 & £40 Ticketmasterconcert and theatrevouchers to be won. 7

Please visitwww.surveymonkey.com/s/Equalitiesviews

Fare rises shock even right-wing Tories

Share yourviews on TSSAand win concertvouchers

Tolpuddle 2012

i

IT WAS GOLD for TSSA at London 2012!We’re the first trade union in the UK(and possibly the world) to produce amobile phone app. The TSSA OlympicSurvival Guide was launched with ValShawcross AM, Labour’s LondonTransport spokesperson, in the weekbefore the Games began.

The TSSA smart phone app has thesupport of fellow transport groups, theCampaign for Better Transport andClimate Rush, which have promoted itwidely to their supporters. LUSH, thehandmade cosmetics firm that helps fundClimate Rush, have also given theirbacking. The app has received praise fromthe global trade union movement,including Union Solidarity International(USI) and the Union Organisers blog whichdescribed it as “one of the most excitingdevelopments in our movement’s use oftechnology”. The blog went on to describewhat it saw as TSSA’s “real innovation andwillingness to use all the availabletechnologies to connect with members,potential members, campaigners and thetravelling public”.

The TSSA Olympic Survival Guidecontains transport updates, an Olympicschedule, useful contacts and travelguides. It’s also a fantastic campaigningtool, with information about TSSA andcommunity campaigns. It helps raisepublic awareness about the vitalcontribution of public transport workersand encourages TSSA members and thetravelling public to pledge their supportfor a properly funded and fully integratedpublic transport system. Because of theapp, we’ve already had hundreds of peoplesign up to our Olympic Pledge.

The app has now been redeveloped forthe Paralympics, with TSSA working inconjunction with the disability campaigngroups, Transport for All and A2B toprovide additional information about

accessible transport and facilities fordisabled travellers.

So, what happens after London 2012...?Well, this is just the beginning. We’replanning to develop the app as acampaigning tool to assist and supportTSSA members and reps, and to buildwidespread support for properly fundedand affordable public transport services.

Reports show that the majority ofBritons now own a smartphone withabout half of these based on the Android

platform on which the app was firstlaunched. Blackberry and Windowsfollowed soon after, with an iPhoneversion coming later this year when were-launch with new functions.

We’re looking for TSSA members tohelp guide us as the app develops. Todownload it – or see a sample running inyour web browser, see www.tssa.org.uk/appand use the ‘feedback’ option to let usknow what you think about the app, andwhat you’d like it to include in the future. 7

Conference2013

6 September 2012

news

Joan

ne O

'Brien

Val Shawcross – Labour’s London Transport spokesperson – launches the app withgeneral secretary Manuel Cortes.

TSSA getsa Gold

TSSA Annual Conference sets the policies anddirection of our union – built on the basis of thehard work carried out by TSSA branchesthroughout the year. If you’re not already involvedin your branch, now’s a great time to start. Branchmeetings take place regularly and are your chanceto make a difference.

Have your sayTo be a delegate to Annual Conference 2013 youmust be nominated by your branch. The conferencewill be held in the Marriott Hotel Glasgow from 12 to 15 May, starting with an evening social eventon 12 May. Delegate application forms will be sentto branches on 2 November 2012.

Delegates will stay in the 4* Marriott (arranged andpaid for by head office) and will have three meals,tea, coffee and water throughout the day.Reasonable travel costs and loss of pay will also becovered by the Association.

Don’t miss your chance to be part of TSSA decision making!

TSSA Journal 7

news

FRANCES O’GRADY HAS been elected as the TUC’s new general secretary – the first woman to holdthe post. She will take over the reins from Brendan Barber when he retires at the end of the year,but will become general secretary designate at the upcoming meeting of Congress.

‘Never has a strong, responsible trade union movement been so needed,’ she said. ‘With austeritypolicies biting hard and with no evidence that they are working, people at work need the TUC tospeak up for them now more than ever.

‘We must be the advocates of the growth and jobs alternative, and with the policy prescriptionsof the last 30 years increasingly discredited, we have the best opportunity in a generation to helpbuild a fair, productive and green economy that works for ordinary people.’

A full interview with Frances O’Grady will appear in the next issue of the Journal. 7

Pensions rephonouredTSSA’S STEVE RICHARDSwas named ‘Trustee ofthe Year’ at the EngagedInvestor MagazineTrustee Awards 2012.Steve has recently beenre-appointed to serve onthe board of the RailwaysPension TrusteeCompany Ltd for afurther six years,safeguarding theinterests of members inthe RPS.

Steve’s efforts werealso praised by theadministrators of thepension scheme, whosaid, ‘This award is a verywell-deservedrecognition of the hardwork and dedicationSteve has always broughtto the role’. 7

A JOINT TSSA / Unite panel had a productive meeting with the Northern Ireland Departmentof Regional Development Transport Select Committee at Stormont in June. The committeewanted to investigate the impact that Translink’s corporate plan would have on members.

General secretary Manuel Cortes stated his biggest fear was job losses, above inflation farerises and a reduction in the services. The committee appeared sympathetic and were keen toprevent any job losses that might be caused by the new corporate plan.

The committee agreed to further meetings with the unions and to consider TSSA’s requestthat they consider commissioning research into the social, economic, environmental andcommercial impact of the proposed cuts to Translink’s subsidy. 7

WHEN THE RACIST English Defence League (EDL) decidedto march through Chelmsford, a rapidly-established group,‘United Chelmsford’, was initiated by the local TUC tooppose them. Hundreds of supporters turned out to tellthe EDL they were not welcome.

TSSA members joined the march including formerpresident, Andy Bain, Joel Kosminsky, Colin Farquhar, DavidBarnes, Malcolm Wallace and Bob Davies, with Malcolmbeing asked to chair an anti-EDL meeting which broughttogether local councillors, churches, members of theMuslim community and Unite Against Fascism. 7

MEMBERS IN AMEY are once again in disputeafter the firm offered a derisory 1.75 per centpay deal. Employees are told they outperformthe competition in every way, year on year –something sadly not true of Amey’s pay offers.

TSSA Rep Colin Savage told the Journal, ‘Wehave already begun to change this. A memberrecently said to me that we’d come a long way. Iagreed, but we plan to go further – a lot further.

‘We have doubled our membership, widenedcollective bargaining and engaged manyyounger workers. Indeed in one area alone, wenow have 50 per cent of our membership aged

23 and under. Our team has bucked all thetrends. Others told us we would fail at and inthis too we intend to carry on bucking trends.’

Colin adds, ‘At each attempt to smash ourmembers and their union, the TSSA has grownin strength. Like steel forged in a fire, the harderyou hammer us the stronger we get. We dohave a long way to go but we have the metal toget there.’ 7

Are you a member in Amey? If you’ve notyet, please complete the Fair Pay survey atwww.surveymonkey.com/s/Ameyfairpay

Amey: ‘Taking people and making steel’

Sara

h -T

urto

n

i

New general secretary for TUC

EDL opposed in Essex

TSSA give evidence at Stormont

8 September 2012

Obituary

TOM JENKINS, WHO has diedaged 91, was general secretaryof the TSSA for nearly five anda half years from May 1977until his retirement at the endof August 1982.

Tom became generalsecretary in unusualcircumstances. The previousgeneral secretary, DavidMackenzie, stood down at thebeginning of 1977 due to illhealth. Instead of appointingthe senior assistant generalsecretary – Tom Jenkins – theExecutive Committee madethe then president, TomBradley MP the acting generalsecretary. This was to be aninterim appointment pendinga full election, but in the fullknowledge that Tom BradleyMP was likely to be a candidate.

Tom Jenkins and TomBradley both contested whatwas, at times, a divisiveelection for general secretary.It split both the activemembership and, to a degree,the paid staff. Tom Jenkins wonby just under 7000 votes. Hetook office with an Executive

Committee that was less thanfully behind him and a newPresident, Walter Johnson MP,who would have preferred TomBradley to have won.

However, whilst some ofthe tensions inevitablyremained, it was to the creditof all concerned that the newteam, led by Tom Jenkins,recognised their overridingresponsibilities to themembership, and workedtogether during what becamean increasingly difficult timefor both trade unions and thepublicly owned transportindustry.

Tom Jenkins was born in1920 and joined the GreatWestern Railway Company in1937 in the Docks Departmentat Swansea. He served in thearmy in the Second World War,and then resumed hisemployment at Swansea Docksbefore joining the full-timestaff of the then RailwayClerks’ Association in Londonin 1949.

Tom served in a number ofdifferent posts, and became

the senior assistant generalsecretary in 1973 before hiselection as general secretary in1977. In those days theelection was by branch blockvote and not, as now, byindividual ballot of themembership.

Making his mark on thenational scene in the transportindustry, the Labour Party andTUC circles, Tom Jenkins wasawarded the CBE in 1981.Following his retirement, heserved for a number of yearson the ACAS Arbitration Board,the Central ArbitrationCommittee, the PoliceComplaints Board and theEmployment Appeal Tribunal.

His time as generalsecretary saw a change ofgovernment with the electionof the Conservatives underMargaret Thatcher in 1979. Araft of laws designed toweaken the trade unionsfollowed, together with thefirst moves towardstransferring the publiclyowned transport industry intothe private sector.

Although the full impact ofthese moves was not felt untilthe years after his retirement,Tom Jenkins was the firstgeneral secretary who had toaddress these developments,which were to have such aprofound effect on theAssociation and itsmembership.

Tom Jenkins was known asan assiduous and doggednegotiator with an eye fordetail and a memory to match.He was frequently able – aidedalso by his shorthand skills –to quote back at people,usually managementrepresentatives and often totheir embarrassment, word forword what they had said muchearlier in a meeting or at aprevious meeting.

Trade unionism ran in hisfamily and his brother CliveJenkins was general secretaryof the then Association ofScientific, Technical andManagerial Staff – now part ofUnite.

Tom leaves his wife Joyceand two daughters.7

Tom Jenkins CBE

Former general secretary Tom Jenkins is remembered byone of his successors in the role, Lord Rosser.

TSSA Journal 9

organising

Manuel Cortes shows how the flawedthinking behind the Government’s cuts havewiped out any growth in the economy andwhy we must stand up to oppose them.

Our economy continues to be in a perilousstate. Just recently the Bank of Englanddowngraded its growth forecast for 2012 to zero.Our economy is now smaller than when DavidCameron came to power. In May 2010 oureconomy was growing and we seemed be on thepath to economic recovery, albeit a fragile one.The patient was on life support and great careand attention were needed to ensure that adouble-dip recession was avoided. Yet thegovernment decided that cutting the debt wasalmost its sole priority. We were told that cuts,although painful, were absolutely necessary andwould lead to sustained economic growth. Wellfor sure, the cuts are really hurting but over twoyears on, they are clearly not working.

You know, politicians can be a right deviouslot. During the 2010 general election campaign,Cameron and Osborne told us paying off theUK’s debt was just like you or me overspendingon our credit card and having to cut back ourspending to make repayments. But anyone whotakes more than the briefest of looks at how oureconomy works will know that this is totallywrong. UK PLC functions on a complex web oftransactions, so if the Government makesthousands of public sector workers redundant,then its tax take falls and benefit requirementsgrow. This inevitably leads to either greaterborrowing or deeper cuts and tax rises.

Of course, the private sector is not immuneto public sector cuts. If people are out of workthey have less disposable income. From thelocal corner shop to the big high streets names,sales will drop, profits will be slashed and jobswill probably go. Government cuts ininfrastructure, like billions withdrawn fromschool rebuilding directly cause private sectorjob losses in already-depressed areas likeconstruction. In a nutshell, this is what ishappening to our economy, with growth nowoff the radar for yet another year. There is a veryreal danger that this becomes a viciousdownward spiral in which ordinary people –

‘There are millions

of voices up and

down our country

crying for change.

Let’s play our part

in delivering a

future that works!’

ManuelCortes

comment

Fight these crazy cuts: Join us on the marchalready bearing the brunt of the pain – take anincreasingly disproportionate economic hit.

We have been here before. In the 1930s, theresponse to a deep economic crisis was to cut tothe bone and beyond. This led to massunemployment and a dramatic rise in poverty. Infact, the world economy did not even start torecover until the effects of US President FranklinDelano Roosevelt’s decision to defy conventionalwisdom and spend his way out of the crisisstarted to filter through.

You may be wondering but what about debt?How will it be repaid? When it comes toeradicating deficits and debt, growth is the onlyshow in town. As our economy gets larger taxreceipts increase, the benefit bill reduces aspeople get back to work and budget surplusesoccur. Perhaps more importantly, as oureconomy grows our total debt shrinks as aproportion of our national wealth – GDP. Iknow that this sounds kind of magical but it istrue. Our GDP is around £1.5 trillion. For each 1per cent of growth, an additional £15 billion isadded to our national wealth year on year. So ifwe return to our trend growth of 2.5 per cent anextra £37.5 billion (and growing) would beadded to GDP year after year. As the startingpoint grows each year, the 2.5 per cent averageour economy achieved for many years amountsto an ever-greater sum. Cuts are not an economicnecessity – they are the ideological choice of thisgovernment!

In March last year hundreds of thousands ofordinary people marched through Londondemanding alternatives to the government’scrude and damaging cuts. Since then, the needfor a change of direction has, if anything,become even more acute. You will see within thisJournal extensive coverage of why we all need tojoin the TUC March on the 20 October 2012 todemand a future that works. I would stronglyurge you to come along and join the TSSAcontingent on the day. You know, there aremillions of voices up and down our countrycrying for change. Let us play our part indelivering a future that works! 7

10 September 2012

On Saturday 20 October

hundreds of thousands of

people will come together to

make clear their opposition

to the UK Government’s

failed austerity policies,

which are blighting the lives

of millions. Over the

following pages we look at

why we desperately need an

alternative and how you,

your family and your work

colleagues can be part of the

demand for a future that

works.

Britain faces long-term economicproblems – both the need to recoverfrom a global economic shock and tobuild a fairer society with jobs, homesand opportunities for all. But ourcurrent political leaders have failed toface up to these problems and are, atpresent, sending us and the economy inthe wrong direction.

Real damage to people’s lives is beingdone day after day. We cannot simplywait until an election in two and a halfyears time by which point the problemmay be much bigger. As part of a growingcoalition – including many of theeconomists who backed Cameron before

the election – we need to force changefrom this Government and send a clearmessage that we will expect a realalternative from Labour.

Fight the Horror Cuts of Cameron,Osborne and McNultyWhether it’s the slash and burn policieswhich have targeted the whole range ofpublic services we rely on, or the specificcuts to the railways proposed byMcNulty, we need to send a clearmessage that this will not be tolerated.

The McNulty Report seeks to reduce£1 billion of government investment inthe railways through cutting jobs and

services. Rolling stock leasing companiesalone saw profits of £1 billion last year.Ending the fragmented structuresupported by the government would savea further £1 billion. It seems that thegovernment supports all ways of cuttingcosts in the railway – except reducingprofit and returning our railways topublic ownership.

Investing in rail – for jobs and growthAs Manuel Cortes writes (page 9), thereturn of growth to the economy is theonly show in town for paying off debtsand providing for people’s needs. Therailways are one of the most obvious

We need

Join TSSA in fighting the ‘Horror Cuts’to our jobs and services

areas for large-scale investment, oftenmentioned by commentators alongsidethe idea of a massive house-buildingprogramme. As explained on page 16, thelow cost of government borrowingmakes this the ideal time to reverse theeffects of decades of underinvestment.

There are the smallest of hints thatsome in government may be starting tograsp the fact that investment is vital tore-grow the economy, if not on the scalerequired. Sadly, they want the credit forthe ‘the biggest investment in rail sincethe Victorian era’, but behind the spin,the majority of the £9bn figure claimedby transport ministers is actually madeup of previously-announced programmes,some of them reaching back to the lastLabour government. Re-announcementsand long term plans won’t get peopleback into jobs – real and urgent spendingon the many planned but un-fundednetwork improvements would.

Pledge to join the marchHuge protests aren’t really built by thecentral organisers, but by the thousandsupon thousands of people sitting athome and deciding whether to come ornot. Even if you’ve never done anythinglike this before (and most of those in theTSSA block last time hadn’t) now is thetime to make a stand – to protect yourown job and public services and to saywe need an economy that works for themillions, not the millionaires.

Fill out the form onwww.tssa.org.uk/october20march or writeto us to let us know you’re coming.Branches pledging to bring over 10activists can have a free TSSA bannercentrally printed for use on the day.

A family fun day… of horrorOur theme for the day will beopposing the ‘Horror Cuts’ (see theposter on the next page). The march isjust before Halloween, so why notbring a mask or fancy dress? We willhave face-painting for kids, a horror-

themed fancy dress competition, music,free lunch packs and a range of socialevents afterwards.

Share why you’ll be marching: enter the prize drawTell us why you’ll be joining thedemonstration in under 30 words andwe’ll enter you into a prize draw to winone of two fabulous TSSA TolpuddleFestival t-shirts. We’ll be publishingmany of the responses on the website,so this is a great chance to highlightservices threatened by cuts that aredear to you.

Send us your reasons onwww.tssa.org.uk/october20march orwrite to the ordinary address.

Spread the messageUse the poster on the following pagesfor your work or community noticeboard,but also think about how you can share

the news about the march. Why notwrite to your local paper explaining whyyou’re supporting the event, or if you’regoing as a group why not take a photoand try and get a story out of it.

You can also find easy ways to sharenews of the day online viawww.afuturethatworks.org.uk, includingtwibbons for your Twitter and Facebookaccounts. Follow @futurethatworks forupdates and use the hashtag #oct20.

Just getting going for 2013 – the ‘year of horror’Whilst the march looks set to be thebiggest in years, this will just be thestart of our actions – against the cutsand for Better Rail in 2013. We’ll beushering in action against McNulty’sslash and burn prescription with a ‘yearof horror’ – starting with a launch eventon Halloween – 31 October. See detailsof how you can get involved on p15. 7

Shocking Fact #1Because each new cut slices awayfrom an already cut base, for every£6 of service cuts that have alreadyhappened, there are £94 more tocome.

Shocking Fact #2The economy is now forecast togrow around nine times moreslowly than expected when thegovernment took office, with2,600,000 people still out of work.

Shocking Fact #3The poorer half of the population –reaching right up to the ‘mostaverage’ person – only own 9p ofevery £1 of national wealth.

‘It might not be atypical family dayout, but we all had agreat time on themarch last year. Ifeveryone comingwith TSSA broughtjust one or twofamily members,we’d soon numberwell into thethousands.’

TSSA Journal 11

14 September 2012

People across the whole TSSA family –leaders, activists, members, their familyand friends are all getting fired up forthe October 20 demonstration, whetherattending in London, Glasgow or Belfast.

We have a goal to bring out 1000members, family members, friends andcommunity partners to march under theTSSA banner. To do this, we needeveryone to get active and get organised!

Our theme for the day is ‘Fight theHorror Cuts’. To make it a family fun dayfor all, we encourage all those who’d liketo, to wear horror costumes. We will haveface painting for the kids, snack packsand a whole lot more on the day.

Here are a few ingredients fororganising success:

We want all members who can to jointhe demonstration. If you can’t attendyourself, look at all those members of‘Team TSSA’ around you who might beable to join the call for A Future ThatWorks:

l LeadersThey may be a rep, they may be amember who gets active on particularissues, but they are definitely someonewho can motivate others and inspirethem to come on the march. A TSSA

workplace leader is well respected bytheir colleagues and is someone who canbring others to meetings, marches andget them active in TSSA campaigns. Doesthis describe you? Or a colleague youknow? If so, we need to hear from younow. Tell us who is a leader in yourworkplace at www.tssa.org.uk/october20march.

l Active membersWithout active members our union willhave no strength. An active member oractivist is someone who is involved in ourcampaigns and workplace unionactivities. They distribute materials, go tomeetings, attend leaflet actions andmarches, help organise their workplaceand spread the word about the horrorcuts facing us all. We need these kinds ofactivists in our preparation for theOctober 20 march. Are you active? Wouldyou like to be more involved and helporganise the biggest TSSA march yet?Find out more on www.tssa.org.uk/better-rail or contact Nadine Rae onraen@tssa.org.uk.

l MembersOur members are the union. We cannotgrow smaller and stronger at the same

time – we need to grow ourmembership and encourage members toget involved in the union. The march onOctober 20 is the perfect event to builda deep feeling of pride in TSSA and whatwe can achieve. Our leaders and activistswill be calling upon members to showtheir support and solidarity on October20 by coming to the march. Are you amember who is thinking about coming?Do you want to show how you feelabout the horror cuts in rail, travel andpublic services? Find out more andpledge to come onwww.tssa.org.uk/october 20march.

l BranchesOur TSSA branches play a vital role inorganising mass events like theOctober 20 demonstration. If everyTSSA branch brought 10 people wewould easily exceed our goal of 1000members and families, friends andcommunity partners. To reward thosebranches who do their part and register10 or more people pledges to come tothe march, we will print a branchbanner for you to march behind on theday and keep for future actions. Youcan register your pledges atwww.tssa.org.uk/october20march.

Get organisedfor A FUTURETHAT WORKS– in yourworkplace,branch andcommunity

Halloween campaign launch for 2013TSSA are staying ahead of the game by launching our campaign for 2013 onHalloween, 31 October. Just 11 days after the October 20 march, our campaignlaunch is a signal to politicians and rail employers that TSSA are stepping up ourfight for a better railway in 2013. We will hold a launch action and eveningevent in London and hope to involve as many members and communitypartners as possible. Details are being finalised now so checkwww.tssa.org.uk/better-rail for more information.

This Halloween we will share with members our vision for 2013 and beyond.If your branch, company council or workplace wants to find out more about ourcampaign for 2013 or to hold your own Halloween launch, contact Nadine Raeon raen@tssa.org.uk.

Charlie Daniels’ top tipsCharlie Daniels is a rep within NetworkRail on full time release. Charlie’s branchbrought along the largest number ofpeople of any branch to the previous TUCdemonstration last year. Here are his toptips on getting people to the march:www.tssa.org.uk/october20march.l Get the information out about thedate, location, and reasons why we aremarching as soon as possible, so peopleknow about it.l Identify a group of people who canhelp you approach others about comingto the march. They will be your October20 Campaign Group. Meet regularly todiscuss progress and other key issues:who has approached whom, what werethe responses, how can we overcomeobjections and arrange travel?l Make a list of who has attended abranch meeting, been along to aworkplace meeting or even signed apledge card. List anyone who has doneanything in the past six to 12 months toshow their support for the union. Theseare your active members.l Ask your active members first! They

are more likely to say yes straight away.l Then approach people who have notyet been personally involved in unionactivities. Ask people if they havereceived all the information: Did they getthe email? Have they seen the poster?Do they need more information aboutwhy we need to march?l People will often ask ‘Who else iscoming?’ By then you will already havecommitments from some activemembers, which will encourage peopleto come who have never done anythingunion before;l Make it a fun day for all!

Charlie adds, ‘We had a branch bannermade so all our branch members couldmarch together. Our committee workedout all the travel arrangements – whichunderground stations we needed, wherewe were going to meet. We evenarranged for a snack pack when peoplewere heading home on the train! It was along day for all of us, and people reallyappreciated that little extra thought.’

‘As branch chair, I took responsibilityfor leading the committee, checking withpeople who had said they would dosomething. As we were meeting reallyregularly we could go over the problemsand issues well in advance, resolving anyissues that were keeping our membersfrom attending.’

‘It is simple organising, but still noteasy! We needed to help each other andkeep on top of the issues as they cameup. We’re now seeing the impacts of thecuts that we predicted last year. That’swhy we need to march on October 20 fora future that works.’ 7

Charlie Daniels, chair, Network RailAnglia North Branch

TSSA Journal 15

Regional events to prepare for the march:September 15 &16 – check outwww.tssa.org.uk/october20marchfor details of the event near you.

The demonstration pre-event willdiscuss the purpose of the march,address concerns, provide logisticalinformation and discuss organisingstrategies going into the march.Last year there was a pre-event inLondon, which provided a directboost to the numbers of peoplejoining the march. Materials andagenda are being prepared and willbe available soon onwww.tssa.org.uk/october20march.

Stef

ano

Cag

noni

/ re

port

digi

tal.c

o.uk

Charlie Daniels

16 September 2012

The simple case for investmentnot cuts

Now for the numbers bit ...

The Government’s austerity plans need tobe opposed not just due to their humancosts, but because of their total failure toachieve what they set out to do. Not onlyare they failing to return the country toprosperity, they are the prime cause ofthe ‘double dip’ recession, triggering theeconomy to shrink again. Like somemedieval doctor, the more ‘treatment’that George Osborne administers, thebigger the problem gets.

Put simply, the deficit is the gapbetween money the government getsfrom tax and the money it spends in anyyear. The national debt is the combinedbalance of historic borrowing.

As large numbers of people are out ofwork, billions in tax payments are lost bythe Government, which also has to payout more in benefits. Companies that areshrinking or going bust reduce taxpayments further. The key to turning all ofthis around is growth.

The Tories argued that the volume ofpublic spending was ‘crowding out’ theprivate sector, which would automaticallygrow as public-sector cuts were made. Onthe contrary, companies with healthybalances are on an ‘investment strike’,preferring to keep hold of their moneybecause they see great risks and fewopportunities at present.

Osborne and Cameron pledged toremove the structural deficit during thisParliament. The further recession they

have caused means they now admit it willlast at least two years beyond this.

The initial crisis was global, but as thegraph shows the outcomes have beenvery different for different countries.Cameron and Osborne have blamed theEurozone for sending Britain back intorecession – but the average positionacross the Eurozone economies is one ofgrowth, with those economies mostsimilar economies to Britain growing thefastest. Britain is near the bottom of theleague, not due to cold weather, wetweather, royal celebrations or watchingtoo much TV during the Olympics, but, ingreatest part, because of thewrongheaded policies being pursued bythe Tory-led Government.

Debt in itself is no major problem, butexpensive or unaffordable debt is. At themoment the cost of servicing the nationaldebt is lower than almost the whole post-

war period. The cost of new borrowing forthe Government (the bond yields talkedabout on the news) is now so low that thisis the cheapest time in years for theGovernment to be borrowing to financeinfrastructure and growth-generatingschemes.

The interest rates being offered togovernment are now so low that almostany sensible project will cover the cost ofthe increased borrowing through growingtax revenues. Housing, rail and othertransport infrastructure, de-carbonisingour energy supply – there is no shortageof large-scale projects which are massivelyneeded and produce near certain returns.The Government should be making themost of this opportunity to rebuild corecomponents of our economy, whilstproviding jobs for millions both directlyand through the knock on effects of thisspending.7

The cost of servicing thenational debt is lower than atalmost any time since WW2.

How economies have fared since the startof the crisis. The UK economy is now 4.5 per cent smaller than in 2008.

What is happeningThe format for the day will be a marchthrough central London (includingWestminster) followed by a rally in HydePark. If you cannot complete the full threemile march, please join at Trafalgar Squareor come straight to Hyde Park.

The routeThe march will begin forming up onEmbankment. The area will be very busyso it will be best to head towardsBlackfriars and move up to join the TSSAsection from the rear of the march.Details are still subject to change, but as itis currently planned, the march will passParliament, Downing Street, TrafalgarSquare and Piccadilly Circus, beforeentering Hyde Park at Hyde Park Cornerfor a rally.

Westminster, Embankment and Templetube stations will be very busy and areprobably best avoided. It will be quicker towalk from further away.

TimingsThe march will assemble along VictoriaEmbankment on the north bank of theThames from 11am, moving off aroundnoon. The bigger the march, the longer itwill take to move off, let alone completethe route. At last year’s March for theAlternative people did not finish leavingthe Embankment until around 4pm. Wehope the TSSA block will have left wellbefore this, but you should expect not toreach Hyde Park until some time between2 and 4 – perhaps later.

Remember to allow a large amount ofextra time to reach your transport home– streets and stations will be very busy.

TransportTSSA branches, trades councils, anti-cutsgroups and other unions may have acheap or free coach going from your area.Ask you branch and checkwww.falseeconomy.org.uk/oct20 fordetails.

A safe, family-friendly eventThe event will be carefully stewarded withthe aim to make it as safe, accessible, andfamily friendly as possible. The march willbe led by musicians and we expect anumber of bands to join the march.

Whilst it is hoped that all will respectthis mood, some may seek to use the dayto stage non-peaceful protests. Last year,the tiny minority who were involved insuch acts did so away from the mainmarch. Whilst a repeat cannot be ruledout, the main stewarded march and rallyshould remain a safe space for all.

What to bringTSSA will provide a limited number oflunch boxes, but you may wish to bringeasy to eat food, water and perhaps athermos of tea or soup. Comfortableshoes. Warm clothes in multiple layers –you may need more on whilst static butless when marching. Rain protection. Afully-charged mobile phone. A camera ifyou want to record the day. A Halloweenmask or fancy dress (if you dare to join inthe TSSA’s ‘horror’ theme). Noise-makersof all sorts!

Updates on the dayThe TUC will be providing updates viastewards and through @futurethatworkson Twitter and we’ll be tweeting from@TSSAunion. A mobile number to contactTSSA during the demonstration will bepublicised nearer the time.

Glasgow and Belfast demonstrationsThere will also be protests in Glasgowand Belfast. The Scottish TUC haveorganised a march and rally in Glasgowas part of the ‘There is a better way’campaign. The meeting point is stillbeing agreed with the council, but themarch will gather at 11am and move toa rally at Glasgow Green. Seethereisabetterway.org for moreinformation.

The Northern Ireland Committee ofthe Irish Congress of Trades Unions arecurrently making arrangements forpeople to gather at Writers Square inBelfast and march to Customs HouseSquare. Members across Ireland arewelcome at what will be a family-friendly event that will unite tradeunions and community groups. 7

TSSA Journal 17

Being part of A FUTURE THAT WORKS

Tim

m S

onne

nsch

ein

/ rep

ortd

igital

.co.

uk Everyone wantsto join the march!

The route

Better Rai l

Over the first six months of the yearTSSA members have, on average, held anaction every week as part of the BetterRail campaign – setting a new standardthat TSSA members can be proud of.

Here are just some of the actions TSSAmembers have led over the past 12 weeks.Around a dozen TOCs were involved, withadditional activity organised via Spectrum.Our self-organised group (SOG) of LGBTmembers released their Better RailSpectrum Survey shortly after theirweekend school. Several branches tookthe lead with leafleting sessions andjoining in with phone banks to supportthe Virgin campaign.

Olympic Pledge ActionsTSSA members distributed 50,000 pledgecards noting the vital role played bymembers in delivering the Olympics andParalympics. The aim is to get thetravelling public from around the world onour side – not just during the games –but in the future. By signing up to thePledge members of the publicdemonstrate their support for a properlyfunded, fully integrated public transportsystem, and for our campaign for BetterRail. Members feel a deep commitment toprovide a quality public service and thesepledges were a way to communicate thisdirectly to passengers.

TSSA at Tolpuddle Martyrs FestivalThis summer Better Rail went to theTolpuddle Martyrs Festival. We askedpeople at the festival what they thoughtwould make a better railway. No surprises– there was a strong view that therailways should be publicly owned.

Virgin dispute Our TOC reps pledgedtheir support in thefight for union rightsand job security atVirgin Trains. A groupof reps from across anumber of TOCs gottogether to join aphone bank, callingmembers in Virgin todiscuss the issues.

Despite the recent announcement thatVirgin Trains have lost the franchise toFirst Group, our reps remain committed toorganising and are planning a series ofactivities to build our union on the WestCoast route.

Better Rail Principles for Essex Thameside In the April Journal we showcased our repsfrom c2c who were organising their TOCas part of the Better Rail launch. Theirwork has gone from strength to strengthas they continue to talk to c2c workers

We asked people at theTolpuddle Martyrs Festival what

would make a better railway.

TSSA leafleting at Bristol TempleMeads with Transport For GreaterBristol, Labour environmentalcampaigners SERA and allies.

Week 1 National TOC Reps Training

Seminar launches Summer of Action

Week 2 Virgin dispute support meeting

in Birmingham, phone banking for Virgin

disputeWeek 3 Virgin Stations leaflet

actions,

Spectrum weekend school

Week 4 TSSA at Tolpuddle Martyrs

FestivalWeek 5 Olympic Pledge act

ions at

Stratford, Fenchurch St, Palestra House

and St Pancras; Southeastern Metro

Branch leaflets Lingfield

Week 6 Olympic Pledge actions at

Coventry StadiumWeek 7 Olympic Pledge actions

continue: leafleting Cardiff to Holyhead

Week 8 Olympic Pledge actions

continue at Cardiff Queen St

Week 9 Fares actions, Action for Rail

Week 10 c2c survey for Better Rail

Principles Week 11 TSSA start meeting bid

ders

for Essex Thameside (c2c) franchise

Week 12 Action with disabilities group,

DPAC, Launch of Better Rail Workplace

Survey, Launch of Film Group’s first

film

TSSA’s Summer of Action

Better Rail has heated up over summer! Our TOC Reps decided to take

up a challenge and make this season TSSA’s Summer of Action –

12 weeks of actions in our fight for a better railway.

18 September 2012

Martin Hodgesspeaking atNational TOC RepsSeminar

about their most pressing issues such asthe removal of safety glass from ticketoffice windows, staff cuts and ticketingproblems. Their feedback will help form‘Better Rail Principles’ that we will includein our submissions and take to the biddersfor the new franchise and ask for theirresponses. Our principles will also beshared with the community, to shape ourdemands even further and build supportfor Better Rail on Essex Thameside.

Mary Sitholereporting backat NationalTOC RepsSeminarMary Sithole,Workplace Repon c2c says,‘People are keen to share their thoughtsabout what changes they would like tosee. Our members want their pay andconditions to line up with the other TOCsas c2c workers are some of the lowestpaid amongst TOCs. Everyone appreciateshaving a job, but want to feel they arevalued.’

Fares ActionOur Better Rail activists spread the wordon fares again following theannouncement of the RPI in August,setting the horror fare increases for 2013at 6.2 per cent. TSSA joined other railunions in a national day of action on faresfor the TUC led Action for Rail campaign.

Susan Pattwell, Workplace RepSoutheastern said, ‘Passengers atWaterloo told us it was outrageous thatthey have to pay more for the sameservice. We see more fare dodging afterprices increase as people genuinely can’tafford it. We all need to get involved inthe fares campaign – if we all gettogether, our actions can add up to a lot.’

TSSA Journal 19

Better Rai l

Better Rail Workplace SurveyDuring the Summer of Action wereleased the Better Rail WorkplaceSurvey, an action designed to takeBetter Rail directly to TSSA’s membersand potential members. Our survey isdesigned to gather information onworkplace issues and people’s thoughts on what will make a better railway. Thisinformation will shape our Better Rail Industry Standards that will be the core aimof TSSA’s Better Jobs bargaining agenda for 2013 and beyond. Seewww.tssa.org.uk/better-rail for more information on Better Jobs.

Our survey is simple:Q – What are the top three issues you face in your workplace?Q – What do you think will make a better railway?

How you can get active:l Make a list of who you want to approach about completing the survey;l Request survey forms online at www.tssa.org.uk/better-rail.

We will send you a survey pack including forms and envelopes to post back thesurveys.l Ask your colleagues to fill out a survey. Help them by completing it with them,then and there.l Collect the completed surveys and send them in together (don’t forget toindicate on the surveys your details so we know who sent them in).l Go to your next branch or company council meeting as we will send them theinformation gathered from the surveys in your workplace.

We will collect and analyse the surveys at the national level but also send outthe specific results from your workplace to your company council and/or relevantbranches. This way we will know if there are common issues across employers andalso provide your company council and branch the information they need toorganise your workplaces and resolve issues.

Other ways you can get active:l pledge to come to the October 20 march at www.tssa.org.uk/october20marchl arrange a postcard action on fares or better stations, seewww.tssa.org.uk/better-raill show our film at your next branch or workplace meeting youtube.com/tssaunionl tweet your thoughts on #betterrail

For other information on how you can get involved in Better Rail, contactNadine Rae at aen@tssa.org.uk or visit www.tssa.org.uk/better-rail.

Spectrum take action for Better RailSelf-Organised Group Spectrum designed theirown Better Rail postcard-survey action for thesummer. Releasing the survey at Pride eventsthroughout July and August, Spectrum hope toidentify new members who want to get active ontransport issues, particularly safety on trains andstations. To take the survey visitwww.surveymonkey.com/s/LGBTBetterRail.

Get active in the fightfor Better Rail

i

20 September 2012

Christian Wolmar

There is much cause to celebrate in therail industry. The Olympics were anamazing triumph for public transportand the rail industry in particular. Theywere advertised as ‘the public transportgames’ and that is exactly what theyturned out to be. Fears about transportchaos, got up by the media, proved tobe groundless (as I had predicted).

There is a wider message to be drawnfrom this. Public transport is the key tomoving large numbers of people aroundcities. I am sure readers of TSSA Journalknew that already, but the message seemsto be getting through to policy makers.The fact that large chunks of the Londonroad network could be – unnecessarily as

it turned out – taken out of action toallow the so-called ‘Olympic Family’ totravel in reserved lanes, and yet not causetraffic chaos makes a very clear point:reorganising our cities around buses,trams and rail would be a far better optionthan the continued emphasis on buildingand widening roads for cars mostlyoccupied by a single person but taking uplarge amounts of road space.

Politicians do seem to have begun tounderstand this. The announcement ofthe investment plans – officially known asthe High Level Output Specification (aterm understood by very few!) – in Julywith the emphasis on electrification was afantastic endorsement of the rail industry.

Sure, on closer examination, the detailswere not quite as good as spun by theDepartment’s press people, as it was notthe ‘biggest rail investment plans sinceVictorian times’ and nor did it represent amassive increase in what had gone before.Moreover, there is a convoluted processto be gone through before the schemescan get the absolute go ahead, with theOffice of Rail Regulation having to assessthem in the light of the money allocatedby the government (the SOFA –Statement of Funds Available) to testwhether the schemes are affordable.

There are other concerns: we arealways at the mercy of this crazycoalition’s emphasis on austerity and the

Reasons to becheerful

Christian Wolmar sees

the growing recognition

of rail’s successes – at the

Olympics and in the

so-called ‘biggest

investment since

Victorian times’ – as

reason to celebrate.

However, McNulty and

new franchises based on

unending growth are

potential clouds on the

horizon.

TSSA Journal 21

Christian Wolmar

way that these plans dovetail in with theMcNulty proposals is not explainedanywhere. A big proportion of theMcNulty savings are supposed to comefrom the franchisees but with so manybig contracts coming up for renewal –Thameslink, Great Western, East Coast etc– the amounts that the bidders willcommit themselves to pay (‘premiums’are the order of the day, since the £3bnplus annual subsidy to Network Railmeans that the franchises aretheoretically ‘profitable’) are not known. Itcould well be that franchise bidders willnot offer these big premiums, and thenthe government will be in a quandary –either cutting back investment plans likein the old days of boom or bust, or findingextra cash to pay for it.

Therefore a lot of this investmentrelies on a wing and a prayer, and inparticular continued growth. It is, indeed,one of the mysteries of the industry thatpassenger numbers have continued torise despite the recession. Part of this isdown to the buoyancy of the Londoneconomy compared with the rest of thecountry and rising fuel prices have alsocontributed to the modal shift. Trainshave got more comfortable – though notwhen people are straphanging – andreliable, as well, but nevertheless, it isdifficult to explain why passengernumbers have grown so sharply. So,conversely, the growth may well tail offfor no clear reason and that would putthe whole economics of the industry atrisk. The fact that the government plansfor investment and its franchisingprogramme are dependent on theassumption of continued risingpassenger numbers is a major worry. Thefact that the success of the FirstGroupbid for West Coast, which ousted Virgin,relies on maintaining an annual rise inpassenger numbers of around 8 per centthroughout the 14 year franchise israther like betting that ManchesterUnited will win the Premiership mostyears during that period.

To me, this expectation of growth doesnot seem realistic. The doubling of

passenger numbers on the West Coasthas been a result of the investment bothin trains and the refurbishment of thetrack and infrastructure (at a cost of £9bn)and surely that effect will eventually soonstart to run out of steam. Nevertheless,FirstGroup has risked its whole future inthe industry on this bid since it would notdare walk away if the numbers don’tmaterialise. If it did, it would lose its otherfranchises under the cross-default rules.

Since the growth has been partlydependent on the relative cost ofmotoring and rail tickets, the big worry isthat Justine Greening will not, this time,be able to stop the RPI plus 3 per centfares rises, while on the other handGeorge Osborne will keep on postponingtax rises for motorists. Moreover, oilprices may not rise much further giventhe worldwide recession and the factthat the big potential increase in supplyfrom the highly environmentallydamaging shale oil becomes economicalonce prices of around $100 per barrel aremaintained. That may well become thenew norm – nothing enough to determotorists but enough to ensure a

continuous supply of oil.Despite all these warnings, I do not

wish to be seen as being negative. Inmany respects, the railways are in a betterstate than they have ever been in theirhistory. Sure, the semi-privatisedstructure which is fundamentallydysfunctional and leads to much extracost remains and there are no plans tochange it, though the experiment withintegration through an alliance on SouthWest Trains is a welcome developmentthat may lead to reduced costs.

However, the key point is that therailways are now widely recognised as akey part of the nation’s infrastructure.They are seen as a growth industry,attracting more and more passengers and,with investment, becoming more reliableand thus achieving higher passengersatisfaction scores. Who would haveforeseen this success and the widespreadrecognition of the railways importance inthe dark days of the early period of railprivatisation, when the industry was seenas a financial basket case that was simplybeing allowed to wither away? Now withelectrification, HS2, new trains (albeitridiculously expensive) to replace HSTs,and, at least on the face of it, plenty ofmoney for Network Rail, there is cause tobe more optimistic than almost at anytime in the railways’ history. 7

Over the course of the 13 year franchise, the difference between Virgin’s and First Group’spredicted revenue growth develops into a gap of dozens of millions of pounds a year.

Rail is seen as a growth industry, attracting more and more

passengers and, with investment, becoming more reliable,

increasing passenger satisfaction.

That large chunks of the London road network could be taken out

of action without traffic chaos clearly supports the reorganising of

our cities around public transport.

22 September 2012

TSSA personal injury service

Member’s husband gets legal support “I was delighted that myTSSA membership meantmy husband got fullcompensation for hisaccident.”Lara had been a memberof TSSA for over eightyears when her husbandfell from height off faultyequipment at work. “My husband, Keith, wasinspecting the factoryproduction line as part ofhis routine checks. There’sa section where he needsto be lifted above theproduction line, so he usesa mini hydraulic cherrypicker.”Unbeknownst to Keith,earlier in the monthsomeone had authorisedthe cherry picker to beused for exterior workeven though the machinewas meant for indoor useonly. The entire machinehad been exposed to thewet, affecting its controls. “On the way up, henoticed the controlsseemed a little slow torespond. But on his waydown, it became apparentthat something was badlywrong. At first the controlswere slow and sticky. Andthen they completelyjammed. Wouldn’t move.” Keith could not get the

cherry picker to go downand the platform was notin a position where hecould safely get to thefloor. A colleague broughta ladder for Keith to climbdown. “Unfortunately the ladderwas not properly stabilisedand the colleague didn’tcheck the floor properly.When Keith was halfwaydown, the ladder slipped.” Keith fell heavily to thefloor and broke his tibia.“Keith had been a unionmember before, but whenhe was promoted into the

management team, heplanned to change unionsbut just never got aroundto it. I was so pleasedwhen I learned that TSSAsupported accident claimsfor family members,because both Keith and Ithought it was ridiculousthat the factory could puthim in danger like that.” Lara called TSSA’s injuryhotline on 0800 0930353. “Fiona at Morrish wasexcellent. She got in touchwith the factory’s insurersand told them the firm

had poorly maintainedequipment and had failedto provide a safe workenvironment. At first theytried to deny liability, butthe problem with thecontrols had been notedthe week before theaccident by one of theplant engineers. Theengineer had also notedhow the cherry-pickerhadn’t been used inaccordance with themanufacturer’sspecification.” Keith had needed a weekoff work for his leg and

returned to light duties forthe first 3 months. Onadmitting liability, theinsurer’s made an offer for£5000, which Fionaadvised Keith and Lara toturn down. “Their second offer was for£7000 but they wantedus to say it was partlyKeith’s fault because heshould have stopped thecherry picker as soon as heknew something waswrong. Fiona pressedreally hard saying therewas no way Keith wasresponsible because therewas no way he could haveknown the cherry pickerwas used outside.Eventually Fiona got themto offer £10,000 whichwe accepted.” “I was well chuffed to beable to help my husbandwhen he was injured.Thanks TSSA!”

l Based on a real lifecase. Certain details havebeen altered to protectthe identity of the victim.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.

CC B

Y NC p

olan

deze

TSSA Journal 23

helpdesk

Sick leave & days offQ. I was off sick for a week andsubmitted a self certificate. Nowmy HR department is saying Ishould have a doctor’s note as Iwas off for eight days, eventhough one of them was my restday.

A. The seven day period includesweekends and rest days so if thetotal number of days exceeds sevenyou must get a fit note – even if youwould normally be off on some ofthose days. It is advisable to notifyyour employer of the day you are fitto resume, even if that day is a dayoff and you would not work it, sothat you are not asked for a doctor’snote unnecessarily.

Fined for no-faultlatenessQ. I am representing a memberwho was late for work onsuccessive days, first because offlooding on the line, then becauseher train broke down. Bothoccasions were only 10 minutesbut the boss has said he willdeduct an hour’s pay because ithappened twice in one week. Thissounds like an unlawful deductionof wages to me, but she’s onlyworked there six months and I’mnot sure if she could go to atribunal.

A. This could be an unlawfuldeduction, but the first thing youneed to do is get her to check hercontract. If it allows this sort ofdeduction then there’s nothing shecan do. Talk of going to a tribunalis a little premature. If her contractdoes not allow him to punish herlike this then you should belooking at representing her throughthe internal grievance procedure,which should resolve the issuewithout the expense of going to atribunal. Remember also that a

tribunal will often not accept a casewhere the internal grievanceprocedure has not been exhausted,and even if they do, they can reducean award by up to 25 per cent.

With regard to the length of timeshe has been employed, the oneyear qualifying period (two yearsfor employment commencing after6 April this year – thank youVince!) does not apply in the caseof an unlawful deduction of wages.

Permanent job – buton worse termsQ. I was on a succession of fixedterm contracts, which thecompany has now got to makepermanent under the EU Directive.I have read through my proposedpermanent contract and I noticedthere are some changes. My newterms and conditions are not asgood as my old ones. Is thecompany allowed to do that?

A. According to a recent judgmentfrom the Court of Justice of theEuropean Union (as we must now

call it), if you are movingautomatically from a fixed term to apermanent contract there can bechanges. The contracts need not beidentical but must be not lessfavourable overall. You will need tocompare them to see ifimprovements to your new T&Csequal out the erosion of your oldones. If not then you will havegrounds for a grievance.

Too old to pay into apension?Q. I am aged 63. I have justjoined a new company. As I do notintend to retire at 65 I applied tojoin the pension scheme. Theytold me that their cut-off age forjoining was 60, and as I am olderI am not allowed to join. Surelythis is blatant age discrimination.

A. It may well be, butunfortunately it is also permissibleunder current legislation.Companies are allowed to setminimum and maximum ages foradmission to their pension scheme.

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

Rest days count towards sick leave periods

CC B

y Jo

e La

nman

24 September 2012

letters

Still fighting the goodfight!I wish to thank TSSA forthe 25 year long serviceaward which I shall beproud to wear alongsidemy Veterans Badge.

I joined LNER in 1940as a probationary clerkand received a very goodgrounding in all facets ofGoods and Passengerwork and rose throughthe ranks to ManagementStaff.

At all times during myrailway career I wasalways committed totrade unionism – indeedhad I not been socommitted to theprinciples of the TSSA(and before that, theRCA), I might have risento more senior positions.At least I can say I left theservice in 1982 with mynose clean.

Reading the Journal,my mind boggles at thecomplexities that theUnion is faced with. I donot understand all theworkings of today’srailways, but still cursethe names of Thatcher,Marples and Beeching.Now this Governmentwant to increase thecapacity of the railways.Don’t they realise it wastheir party thatdestroyed them in thefirst place?

I am now an oldcodger nearing my 88thbirthday and living alone,having lost my wife andson four years ago. Mymobility is a wee bitrestricted but the old greymatter has not lots its fire.I still preach the politicalgospel!

My heartfelt goodwishes to all activemembers,E R GriggsHonorary life member,Anglia Number 3 Branch

REPTA: Much more than‘priv’ travelMany long-standing TSSAmembers will rememberREPTA – the RailwayEmployees PrivilegeTicket Association. Well,we’re still here andwelcome new members.We are a not-for-profitassociation with 120years of railway andtransport history underour belt. We provide awide range of socialactivities and offer manyattractive consumerbenefits – all for just£4.50 a year. We have anactive website and ourfree yearbook has over 80pages packed full ofspecial deals andinformation.

Many of our membersare active or retiredmembers of TSSA and our

patron, Paul Salveson, is aTSSA member who willbe known to manythrough his Journalarticles. We feel TSSA andREPTA share the samevalues and commitmentto our industry.

We’ve always beenabout much more thanextending ‘priv’ travel. Weare about promoting thesocial side of the railwayand wider transportfamily. Next year weintend to try to grow oursocial activities to includea group visit toBuckingham Palace and aNorwegian Cruise in June.We will also be offering

improved LimitedPersonal Accident coverwith Aviva in addition toour many high streetdiscounts (includingAsda, Boots, M&S), hugecinema ticket discountsand special holidaypackages with Warners toname but a few.

To join seewww.repta.co.uk or senda cheque payable REPTAto: Colin Rolle, 4Brackmills Close,Mansfield, NG19 0PB orcall 01623 646789. Youcan also see more on ourFacebook page.Peter DaviesREPTA general secretary

letters

This is your chance to share your views with thousands of other TSSA members. The deadline for the next issue is 15 October. 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.

Join us on the TUC demonstration for a future that worksSaturday 20 October

www.tssa.org.uk/demo 020 7387 2101

You can now follow TSSA Learning onFacebook at www.facebook.com/groups/tssalearning and on Twitter at @TSSA_learning.

Not on Facebook or Twitter but want to findout more?

Don’t worry – easy to follow Facebook andTwitter guides will be available shortly on theLearning section of the TSSA website atwww.tssa.org.uk/learning.

Also, look out for the TSSALearning newsletter, whichintroduces our Facebookand Twitter pages.