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RMT rally to defend services, safety and
jobs on eve of Northern Rail hand over to Deustche Bahn
TRANSPORT Union RMT will be holding a
rally to:- "Defend Rail Services, Safety and Jobs" at the
Mechanics Institute, 103, Princess Street, Manchester, on Thursday, 31 March
2016, the eve of the Northern franchise handover to German State operator
Deutsche Bahn. The rally, supported by RMT's sister rail unions ASLEF and TSSA,
kicks off at 6pm.
The Speakers at the RALLY will be:- Andy McDonald MP Labour MP for Middlesbrough
and Shadow Rail Minister Lisa Nandy; Labour MP for Wigan Mick Whelan; General
Secretary of ASLE&F Mick Cash; General Secretary of RMT Steve Coe; TSSA Lynn
Collins; TUC
The rally will be followed up on Friday, 1 April 2016; the 1st day of the Arriva
(DB) Franchise; with the widespread distribution of special leaflets;
highlighting the rail privatisation franchise fiasco and the nonsense of German
state operator DB taking over Northern Rail services with the threat of Driver
Only Operation, and the sacking of the guards, to rail safety, jobs and front
line passenger services.
Rail unions will be handing the leaflets to passengers on Friday, 1 April 2016
outside:-
► Manchester Piccadilly Station - between:- 07.30 and
09.00
► Leeds City Station - (Wellington Street/Aire Street
entrance) - between:- 11.45 and 13.30
► Newcastle Centeral Station - between:- 16.30 and
18.00
A ceremonial German State flag will be raised outside the stations during the
protests symbolising the nonsense of the Government opposing British state
ownership of our railways while allowing the German state to bleed our
franchises dry.
RMT General Secretary Mick Cash said:-
"This rotten Tory government, opposed to British public ownership of our
railways, have now awarded the Northern franchise to the German state railway
company giving them the opportunity to bleed away millions in profits to
subsidise their domestic operations. Since 2007 Northern Rail has sucked
passengers dry to pay £179 million in dividends to the previous franchise owners
Serco and the Dutch State Railway."
He the added that:- "a German Transport Ministry spokesperson admitted to
such a strategy in reference to its state owned company Deutsche Bahn, which
will now be running Northern Rail services" The spokesperson is alleged to have
commented:- "We're skimming profit from the entire Deutsche Bahn and ensuring
that it is anchored in our budget; that way we can make sure it is invested in
the rail network here in Germany."
RMT General Secretary Mick Cash then said:- "If true
this is nothing short of a national scandal and according to Rail North's own
estimates passenger demand for the North's railway will soar by 50% over the
next 15 years opening the door to even greater profiteering while at the same
time threatening to axe safety critical guards from 50% of the Northern routes.
To add insult to injury, at a time when train building in this Country is
struggling to survive, the German State operator has announced their intention
to order new trains for the franchise from a manufacturer in Spain. Something
needs to be done we need a nationalised People's Railway for the North."
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