Network Rail Maintenance Reorganisation Bulletin 2 9 9 - RMT

Network Rail Maintenance Reorganisation (Phase 2 b/c)
Bulletin No 2
JOB LOSS FIGURES EXPLAINED
Network Rail recently announced 1,800 job cuts as a result of Phase 2 b/c but if subcontractors
are included the figure grows to 2,549. Of course what these figure do not reflect
is the amount of vacancies that have been left unfilled by the company over the last year or so
which will also disappear as part of this reorganisation.
Recent documentation given to the RMT explains the job losses in greater detail. Currently
12,995 Network Rail employees and 1,233 sub-contractors work on maintenance. These
figures include Section Managers, Supervisors and maintenance staff across P Way, S&T,
Off Track, OHL and Plant & Distribution. If Network Rail succeed with its plans then in
future the maintenance organisation plans to employ a total of 11,179 frontline employees
and 500 sub-contractors. That represents a cut of 1,816 Network Rail frontline employees and
733 sub-contractors.
In addition the company plans to divide the workforce into core maintenance staff and works
delivery staff. Core maintenance staff will carry out faulting, inspection and maintenance.
Works delivery staff will carry out capex work, which is renewals, life extension and
refurbishment work.
The company plans to employ 9,320 staff and 300 sub-contractors on core maintenance and
1,859 staff and 200 sub-contractors on capex work. That represents an 18% reduction in
workers carrying out maintenance work and 17% reduction in workers carrying out capex
work. However, the company also wants the ability for core maintenance staff to do capex
work and vice versa if workload dictates.
P Way (Track)
Network Rail employs 7,525 employees working on the P Way, which includes maintenance,
inspection, capex, welding, grinding, lubrication and ultrasonic testing. In future that total
will reduce to 5,996, a reduction of 1,529.
That figure of 7,525 breaks down to 6,562 employees carrying out core maintenance and 963
undertaking capex work. In future 4,910 employees will carry out core maintenance and
1,086 will undertake capex work. Sub-contracting will be reduced from 623 to 200 workers.
S&T
On the S&T, the company figures show that 3,280 employees are carrying out S&T faulting,
maintenance, inspection and capex activities. In future that will be reduced to 3,105 - a
reduction of 175. This includes Tech Support but not Telecoms, which will be the subject of
reorganisation at some stage in the future.
Network Rail believes that 3,105 S&T staff will be sufficient following Phase 2 b/c. That
breaks down to 2,545 on core maintenance and 560 undertaking capex work, with subcontractor
labour reduced to 100 workers.

E&P
Electrification and Plant covers OHL line, Third Rail (including ETM), Plant and
Distribution activities. According to Network Rail, 1,321 employees undertake E&P work,
1,108 on core maintenance work and 213 on capex activities. In the future, 1,021 employees
will undertake core maintenance and 213 capex, which is a reduction of 87. The company’s
proposal indicates that there will be no sub-contract labour on E&P maintenance or even
capex activities.
Off Track
Off track activities will be clarified in the current proposals but at present 869 employees
undertake off track work. The company has indicated that 844 employees will be needed in
the future - a reduction of 25. In addition the company plans to continue the use of subcontractors
on core maintenance, utilising 200 contractors, which is a reduction of only 15
from the previous 215. Interestingly the company has not identified any employees or subcontractors
for capex work on off track activity.
Finally, the union has asked for a more detailed breakdown of the job losses and the new
staffing levels. We would like to see details by grade, departments and locations. That
information has still to be confirmed and while the company may leak some information
nothing has been finalised.
Bob Crow
General Secretary
9 th September 2009