09.03.1995

Rail bosses' expanding pay packet bonanza

HOT ON the heels of the other privatised utilities’ bosses, senior managers within the newly formed train operating companies are expecting to get their snouts in the privatisation trough. Their pay could expand by 75% to 100% according to a survey conducted by Meridian.

At the same time the government is trying to convince railworkers that there is no money for pay rises. Railworkers however are not that stupid. Both RMT and Aslef have submitted the usual claims for pay increases.

Aslef is already threatening industrial action. Lew Adams, general secretary, told Aslef district council No3 that the offer would have to be above inflation before the union would consider it.

The cost of privatisation continues to soar. At the same time the government has again cut the public sector obligation grant paid to run unprofitable, socially necessary services. This is likely to lead to service cuts along with attacks on staffing.

The passenger transport executive, who fund rail and bus services in Yorkshire North West and Scotland, have also suffered funding losses.

Along with these problems the operating companies are having to find resources to fund the uncontrollable explosion of legal documents needed to establish the separate rail companies. 15,000 legal documents from 50 law firms have so far been produced. The volume has been so great that fork-lift trucks have been used to move them.

Operating companies are already at each other’s throats, as they jostle for advantage before they become fully fledged private companies. Bills are flying around the various companies for train delays and signalling failures, etc.

Any major national industrial action at this stage will cause enormous problems for the government. Any additional costs incurred will throw the whole privatisation plan off course and has the potential to sink it.

This is why it is imperative that railworkers are encouraged and supported in their campaign to win a major increase in the pathetic rates of pay they receive.

If 75-100% is good enough for rail bosses, it is certainly good enough for railworkers.

Aslef driver, Manchester