Congress is concerned with the announcement by DB Cargo UK on 17 August of their intention to sell the entirety of their business, particularly as the sale is being progressed in an accelerated manner, making it attractive to being broken up.
Congress notes that DB Cargo UK owns valuable rail adjacent land and rail connected sites across the network as well as locomotives and wagons which could be attractive for any asset strippers.
The sale not only puts at risk many jobs of the 2,200 directly employed at DB Cargo UK, but it carries risks across the supply chain if capacity was to be lost through asset stripping. Congress believes this should be a serious concern for the UK government, as DB Cargo UK provides vital rail freight services which support multiple sectors that are integral to the industrial strategy and re-industrialisation such as steel, energy and construction.
Congress still believes that publicly owned rail freight should be expanded and that Great British Railways offers an opportunity to absorb rail freight services.
Congress therefore calls on the General Council to:
i. support ASLEF and other rail unions in protecting jobs of their members that could be at risk
ii. step up their lobbying of the UK Government to expand publicly owned rail freight
iii. lobby the DfT to insource the Network Rail train operations currently contracted to DB Cargo
iv. lobby the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority to explore expanding Direct Rail Services as part of DB Cargo UK’s sale.
Mover: ASLEF
Seconder: National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers