London Overground profits to go to new firm

RMT condemns London Overground sell-off to Deutsche Bahn

RMT has condemned the decision by Transport for London to hand the busy London Overground service over to failing rail privateer Arriva, a subsidiary of the German state railway Deutsche Bahn.

RMT general secretary Mick Cash said that it was ludicrous to hand LOROL services over to the German state as Arriva have just had their contract for the Tyne and Wear Metro ripped up with that service being taken into direct public control from April next year.

“The German state has openly admitted that it will be using profits from foreign franchises to run rail services in Germany.

“It appears that this government is happy for other states to make profits from our rail network but not this state,” he said.

A German Transport spokesperson stated last year:“ We're skimming profit from the entire Deutsche Bahn and ensuring that it is anchored in our budget - that way we can make sure it is invested in the rail network here in Germany”.

> RMT National News

Tuesday, 7th July
Tube union RMT is today marking the 21st anniversary of the 7 July 2005 London bombings by remembering the 52 people who lost their lives, the hundreds who were injured and all those affected by the attacks.
Monday, 6th July
Offshore union RMT has marked the 38th anniversary of the Piper Alpha disaster, in which 165 offshore workers and two seafarers lost their lives.
Monday, 6th July
Nearly 70 per cent of rail passengers believe Great British Railways should deliver services such as cleaning, catering, and security in-house with directly employed staff rather than outsourcing them to private contractors, according to new independent polling commissioned by RMT.