Thank you for contacting me about support for rail workers.
The Government stepped in and committed £16bn – equivalent to £600 for every household in the UK – to keep trains running through the pandemic, ensuring no Train Operating Company or Network Rail employee was furloughed so that key workers could keep moving, it is extremely disappointing that the unions have opted to carry out industrial action precisely at the point at which the railways are beginning to recover.
I know the Government recognises the gravity of the current cost-of-living situation the nation faces and would like to unfreeze pay. But while taxpayers continue to foot the bill, ministerial colleagues cannot support union demands for huge government-funded pay increases, especially when many railway staff are already paid far more than teachers, nurses, and emergency workers.
Network Rail and the Train Operating Companies have now both made offers of a pay rise to rail workers and demonstrates it is completely incorrect for the unions to claim that pay is being frozen. The offers are a step towards the modern, reliable and resilient railway the Government wants to deliver. However, pay rises can only be afforded if the industry modernises and reforms its outdated working practices.
In terms of safety, the British railway network is one of the safest in Europe and I know the Government is adamant it remains so. Many of the reforms that the industry are pursuing will enhance safety. For example, too many track inspections are still performed by having workers walk down railway lines and there have been a number of tragic accidents over the years. By modernising, Network Rail can place cameras and sensors on the underside of trains, which are capable of detecting cracks and defects in the tracks, providing a more accurate, and crucially, a safer assessment. The unions are currently blocking such innovations, which I believe to be highly irresponsible.