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Motion 10
Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association
Public ownership of Britain’s railways
1
This Conference opposes the continued privatisation of Britain’s railways which have
allowed the private sector to extract significant profits at the expense of tax payers and
passengers whilst threatening the jobs of workers.
2
Information published by the ORR shows that for the year 2015-16, net government support
to the rail industry totalled £4.8 billion (excluding Network Rail loans) and represents double
the level recorded (in real terms) of that paid in the last days of British Rail. Since
privatisation, this situation has existed and taking advantage of the subsidy, firms like Virgin
Trains West Coast that claim to be private sector innovators are guaranteed profits. In 2015-
16 alone, Virgin West Coast made £67 million in pre-tax profits after receiving a net subsidy
of £285 million, building on £518.8 million net profit extracted between 1997 and 2012.
3
At the same time, after allowing for inflation, rail fares have increased by 25% in real terms
since 1995 whilst government policy is to increasingly push the cost of the railways onto the
passenger.
4
As part of the government’s neo liberal political dogma, they are also waging a war on staff
and their unions. Nowhere more so has this been seen than in Southern where trade unions
have had to defend their right to strike in the Supreme Court, whilst DfT dictat and
incompetence has now led to a legal challenge from commuters.
5
Conference calls on the GFTU to support the People’s Railway campaign and work for
publicly owned and publicly accountable railway.
Motion 11
Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association
London Underground dispute and cuts to Transport for London’s operating grant
1
Conference, notes that in April 2016, Mayor Boris Johnson implemented the Fit for the
Future (FFtF) scheme in London Underground (LU) that saw ticket offices closed and 800
jobs lost. The Conservative Mayor’s legacy has, however, been to make LU a dangerous
place to work and travel. Reports from reps led to TSSA surveying station staff members
with the finding that 80% of LU customer facing workers feel less safe at work because of a
massive spike in cases of physical and verbal abuse towards them.
2
As a result, TSSA, along with RMT, have been pursuing industrial action within LU. In a series
of meetings at ACAS, and with the new Labour Mayor, Sadiq Khan, the unions have secured
commitments to reinstate 325 new jobs, over and above replacing existing vacancies.
3
The Conservative legacy remains in London. Transport for London, parent of LU, has seen its
operating grant from government cut completely from 2018-19 meaning that jobs and
services are put at risk as the company cuts its costs and sell assets. In a city with one of the
worst pollution records in Europe and which suffers from chronic congestion, the option of