EDM: Redundancies of skilled rail workers at Balfour Beatty

Redundancies of skilled rail workers at Balfour Beatty

Tabled by Connor Naismith (Labour) 24 signatures

The motion

That this House applauds the work done by rail workers in renewing rail track, overhead lines and other infrastructure, which ensure the safety of rail travel in Britain; notes that Network Rail sub-contracts most renewals work to construction companies rather than delivering the work in-house as with maintenance; further notes with concern estimates by the RMT union that construction companies extracted £236 million in profits from renewals work last year, and an estimated £4.7 billion since privatisation; also notes with deep concern the news that Balfour Beatty have announced their intention to cut 67 jobs in renewals and close their depot in Crewe, threatening compulsory redundancies, despite paying out £61 million in dividends last year and spending £125 million on buying back its own shares; condemns the decision to scrap these skilled jobs, which takes place at a time when the National Skills Academy for Rail estimates that there will already be a shortage of around 1,000 skilled rail engineers by 2027; believes that Network Rail must reconsider its decision to sub-contract renewals; calls on Balfour Beatty to withdraw the threat of compulsory redundancies and reverse the decision to close the Crewe depot; further calls on Network Rail to take action to protect rail infrastructure jobs by working with the RMT to begin insourcing renewals workers; and also calls on the Government to ensure that Network Rail has steady long-term funding to support a safe, productive railway.

Signatories (24)