Maryam Eslamdoust, general secretary of the Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association (TSSA) has written to the Prime Minister urging him to halt planned industry cuts. (Alamy)
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A union leader has written to Prime Minister Andy Burnham ahead of the Budget urging him to ensure no jobs are cut as part of plans to nationalise the railways.
In a letter seen by PoliticsHome, the General Secretary of the Transport Salaried Staff Association (TSSA), Maryam Eslamdoust, expressed alarm that the creation of Great British Rail (GBR) would mean staff at existing bodies in the railway network are cut.
The PM should “direct the Department of Transport (DfT) to immediately halt proposed redundancies and workforce reductions at Network Rail and publicly controlled TOCs (Train Operating Companies)” in a “pre-Budget cost of living lifeline” for hundreds of railway workers, it said.
The union believes nearly 1,000 Network Rail jobs could be at risk from a workforce reduction.
Alongside job protections, the union is asking for binding guarantees to protect railway workers’ pensions, staff travel facilities, and pay and conditions during the transition to GBR.
The TSSA also wants ministers to review Network Rail funding, warning that recent derailments in the south of England and nationwide disruption caused by extreme temperatures show that the country’s railway infrastructure requires investment.
The letter comes after the union met with the PM alongside the Trade Union and Labour Party Liaison Organisation (TULO) ahead of Chancellor John Healey’s first Budget later this month.
In a statement shared with PoliticsHome following the meeting, Eslamdoust said her union fully supports government plans to bring the railways into public ownership, but said it “must mean greater security for workers, not a programme of job cuts”.
“The government has an opportunity in this Autumn Budget to deliver a genuine cost of living lifeline for transport workers, and one of the simplest ways to do that is to protect their jobs,” she said.
“Our members are absolutely critical to the safe and effective running of Britain’s railways. These are skilled, experienced workers whose knowledge and expertise cannot simply be replaced.
“At a time when families are struggling with the cost of living, it makes no sense to push railway workers towards redundancy. Protecting their livelihoods is a practical step the government can take right now.”
A Department for Transport spokesperson told PoliticsHome: “GBR will be owned by the public, for the public, and will put passengers at the heart of everything it does.
“We are currently working on the structure of GBR and how it will be resourced.
“We continue to engage with unions and staff to ensure the right outcomes are reached – to deliver a reformed, integrated railway that delivers the best outcomes for passengers and those who work in it.”
GBR, first announced by Burnham’s predecessor in No 10, Keir Starmer, is described by the government as the “directing mind” of a nationalised railway network, designed to “end years of fragmentation” and have “a relentless focus on driving up standards for passengers, including simpler fares and ticketing”.
Chiltern Railways became the latest railway company to move into public ownership in September. Great Western Rail is set to become nationalised in 2026, with Avanti following in March next year, as part of government plans to phase out privatisation of the railways.