THE NEWS that 8000 schemes, transport secretary.
Moore's asset stripping has alrede sto er billion from public funds alla Lasicuicu 500,000 jobs into the private sector. Since the Tories came to power, 12,000 BR workshop jobs have gone.
According NUR Sencial Jimmy Knapp, the threat "follows the Vallell in preparation Tor • privatisation and selloff' which was outlined in the BR Cul Dulalt plan. BREL workshops at DonGlasgow, Wolverhampton, Derby Crewe will be affected.
The regional mainworkshops will also be drastically cut. Sixdue for closure with others reduced to only refuelling.
The excuse, which must be challenged by the rail unions, is that new electric trains require less maintenance. This is cover for the future privatisation of passenger service.
Nicholas Ridley was sent by the government to study private train services rullllls suale-owned track in Switzerland To make this a possibility in La rationalisation process involving driveronly operation, radio signalling, closure of matisation of cateois has maintenance depots to take place.
The privatisation of individual sectors of BR is part of a single plan to break up the railways as a nationalised industry. intend to split BREL into three sections, two of which will become part of BR maintenance of locomotives and waggons, and supplies The third section, the building of new vehicles, will stay with BREL. Being jobs in British Rail It coincides with the announcement that John Moore, the man behind over a dozen Tory is to become the the most profitable it will be quickly sold off.
Glasgow BREL will be (personal capacity)
closed and turned into a auterace depot WILA only 200 jobs surviving. In Doncaster. 1700 jobs that is, , 50 per cent of the workforce - de tienen ed over three years. , despite a profit of £2.5 million last year.
Doncaster's ployment rate is already 21 per cent, one of the highest in the country. . It is this fact which has prompted the borough council and trades council to plan march on parliament. As Alan Heath, , secretary of NUR No 3 branch, said in an interview with the local paper: "This is not just our evertone in Donaster for fight, but battle The supplies shop at Doncaster BREL has alreadv started an over time ban. Other shops may follow suit in the build-up to the NUR ballot of workshops on industrial action. The mood amongst railworkers is different than at the time of the last union ballot, when BR guards voted narrowly against action to stop driver-only operation of trains.
government is at its weakest point.
This is illustrated by ycL, the recent local government elections where deregulation of local transport services was an 1cc11e -ment that unemployment in some towns is now one in five.
The NUR needs to ensure that all railworkers understand what al stake, and what the alternatives RAIL
ACTiON SOCiAList
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Engineering (BREL) are to be slashed is further proof that British Rail are pursuing their course of shedding tens of thousands of jobs to prepare for