Rail Union Urges Ministers To Protect Staff In Great British Railways Shift

The TSSA rail union has urged the government to give firm assurances over railway workers’ jobs, pay and conditions as Govia Thameslink Railway services move into public ownership.

GTR, which covers Southern, Thameslink, Great Northern and Gatwick Express, transferred into public hands on Sunday 31 May.

The move means GTR now sits alongside a number of other operators already managed by DfT Operator Limited. These include West Midlands Trains, Greater Anglia, c2c, South Western, Northern, TransPennine Express, Southeastern and LNER.

TSSA said it welcomed the return of GTR services to public ownership, but warned that the wider transition towards Great British Railways must include clear protections for rail staff.

The union said those safeguards should apply across the industry, including both train operators and Network Rail, as the government continues its rail reform programme.

TSSA also raised concerns about rail infrastructure spending and said it would continue pressing ministers for a railway that is fully in public hands, including freight and rolling stock.

Commenting, TSSA General Secretary, Maryam Eslamdoust said:

“We are pleased to see the GTR services back in public hands after the long harmful years of privatisation. However, as the programme of moving towards Great British Railways (GBR) continues it’s vital the government makes firm commitments to protect the jobs, pay, rights and conditions of all railway workers. That means right across the board – in Network Rail as well as the train companies. Our union is clear – there must be a just transition to GBR because rail workers are the people with the skills and experience to make the new era of public ownership a success. Let us not forget that our rail network is a precious asset – the driver of the British economy and the backbone of the nation. That is why proper investment is so important and why we have raised concerns about worrying cuts to rail spending on infrastructure across this parliament. We also remain convinced that the best way forward is for all parts of our railways to be in the public hands – ending the vast profits made by freight and rolling stock companies. We will continue to make that case to Ministers."

Image: TSSA