GFTU BGCM Minutes 2017

from 2018-19 meaning that jobs and services are put at risk as the company

cuts its costs and sell assets. In a city with one of the worst pollution records in

Europe and which suffers from chronic congestion, the option of cutting bus

services in a city heavily dependent on public transport is now a real possibility,

something that will see increased car usage and more avoidable deaths.

4

Conference is appalled by these issues and calls on the GFTU to

support the dispute in LU and to campaign for the reinstatement of the TfL

operating grant.

MOTION 11 – PUBLIC OWNERSHIP OF BRITAIN’S RAILWAYS

BRO MANUEL CORTES (TSSA) moved the following motion:

1

This Conference opposes the continued privatisation of Britain’s

railways which have allowed the private sector to extract significant profits at

the expense of tax payers and passengers whilst threatening the jobs of

workers.

2

Information published by the ORR shows that for the year 2015-16, net

government support to the rail industry totalled £4.8 billion (excluding Network

Rail loans) and represents double the level recorded (in real terms) of that paid

in the last days of British Rail. Since privatisation, this situation has existed

and taking advantage of the subsidy, firms like Virgin Trains West Coast that

claim to be private sector innovators are guaranteed profits. In 2015-16 alone,

Virgin West Coast made £67 million in pre-tax profits after receiving a net

subsidy of £285 million, building on £518.8 million net profit extracted between

1997 and 2012.

3

At the same time, after allowing for inflation, rail fares have increased

by 25% in real terms since 1995 whilst government policy is to increasingly

push the cost of the railways onto the passenger.

4

As part of the government’s neo liberal political dogma, they are also

waging a war on staff and their unions. Nowhere more so has this been seen

than in Southern where trade unions have had to defend their right to strike in

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