TSSA condemns 'hypocritical' Network Rail video

TSSA today condemned as "hypocritical" a video released by Network Rail that praises "Scotland's railway" for keeping going through the pandemic whilst management make plans to lay off thousands of workers.

TSSA is currently involved in an industrial dispute with Network Rail over their proposed implementation of job cuts which have so far seen management grade staff – which the union represents – within the company targeted for severance.

TSSA General Secretary, Manuel Cortes, said: 

"It’s hypocritical of Network Rail to release this video praising 'our railway' for 'helping life-savers get to work' whilst planning to cut thousands of the railway-workers who made this possible.

"Network Rail must think the Scottish public are daft if they think they can get away with praising 'our railway' without mentioning our members who actually make the railway run.

"This is nothing more than a bit of corporate spin, Network Rail bragging about money they’re spending on infrastructure, in order to distract from the industrial dispute they’re in. But it’s perverse to brag about spending £4 billion on investment on our railway, when the ordinary rail workers who bravely risked their lives to keep the trains running in the middle of a global pandemic are wondering if they’re going to lose their jobs."

The video can be viewed on Twitter.

The full text of the video states: 

"It’s been quite a journey Scotland, but through it all our railway kept going. Helping life-savers get to work, keeping stocks up and chins up, and putting in a shift all across the country. But the work goes on with rail freight playing its part as we keep on investing and improving, spending a further £4billion to create a cleaner, greener, faster railway, decarbonised by 2035. Making the railway safer and ready to help people, communities and businesses rebuild and reconnect. Creating a railway that will help this nation lead the green recovery and help deliver a greener future for us all. It’s your railway, Scotland’s Railway, and a better railway in the making."