Received from: RMT
Congress condemns the government’s chaotic mismanagement of public transport in Britain, which is damaging our economy and our ability to meet our carbon emission reduction targets.
There could be no better example of the government’s destructive policies than their approach to the railways and London Underground disputes where the rail minister has admitted the cost of settling the rail disputes would have been less than the billions lost from the cost of the disputes to the economy and from the bankrolling of private train companies.
Congress is appalled that this mismanagement has been driven by the government’s transport austerity and reforms that will make our railways less accessible and available to millions, including fewer services, the de-staffing of trains and stations, loss of engineering skills, and the closure or nearly all rail ticket offices in England.
Congress commends our magnificent rail and tube workers who have repeatedly smashed anti-union ballot thresholds and taken action over the last year and beyond to defend public transport.
Congress believes that as well as providing continuing solidarity one of the biggest tributes we can pay to their struggle is to effectively campaign to achieve:
i. an integrated, publicly owned and accountable rail, bus and ferry network
ii. a massive growth in public transport use, delivered by a huge increase in funding, such as outlined in the TUC/transport unions-commissioned report Public Transport Fit for the Climate Emergency.
iii. ending the damaging outsourcing of vital public transport functions, such as rail cleaning, maintenance and engineering.
National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers
AMENDMENT
› Insert new fourth paragraph:
“Low wages, fatigue, attacks on workers’ terms and conditions and lack of support for buses by the government has led to a national shortage of bus drivers.”
› In first bullet point insert “accessible,” between ‘integrated,’ and ‘publicly owned’.
› Add new bullet point after iii.:
“iv. a just transition with full worker participation to a sustainable transport system based on secure jobs, good ages and decent working conditions.”
Unite
AMENDMENT
› Add two new bullet points after iii.:
“iv. a massive investment in a skilled transport workforce for a just transition and decarbonisation as part of a national climate service
v. electrifying all of the rail network and putting freight onto rail.”
Transport, Salaried Staffs’ Association