Our Ref: BR1/14/2
13th October 2021
Dear Colleagues,
RAIL INDUSTRY RECOVERY GROUP
'INDUSTRY SPECIAL VOLUNTARY SEVERANCE SCHEME'
I am writing further to my letter of 20th September 2021, to advise you of further developments in this matter. The Union has received a proposal made by the Rail Industry Recovery Group (RIRG) Train Operating Company employers for a Department for Transport Funded 'Industry Special Voluntary Severance Scheme' that will be available to all Train Operating Companies (TOCs) that have signed up to the RIRG.
The DfT have confirmed that they have now approved the Special Industry-wide Voluntary Severance Scheme and can be launched to eligible employees across participating TOCs from 1200 today. The scheme will be open for a 3-week period closing at 2359 hours on Tuesday 2nd November 2021.
As outlined in my previous correspondence, the Union requested the TOCs provide a commitment that, whilst talks are ongoing, they will not roll out or implement the industry-wide voluntary severance scheme to any staff within the RMT’s spheres of influence and recognition. This position was rejected by the RIRG Train Operating companies.
RIRG companies intend to offer the Voluntary Severance (VS) as expressions of interest before any considerations or discussions of the future shape of the industry or the sections or grades within it have taken place.
The scheme will only apply to companies that are members of the RIRG, these are: Chiltern Railways, Cross Country Trains, Greater Anglia, London North-Eastern Railway, East Midlands Railway, C2C, Great Western Railway, Northern Railway, South Western Railway, Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern Railways, TransPennine Express, Avanti West Coast, West Midlands Railway.
Therefore, the VS Scheme will not apply to TOCs managed by devolved administrations or TOCs that are not part of the RIRG, these are ScotRail, Caledonian Sleeper, MerseyRail, TFL (LOROL, MTR Crossrail, Arriva Rail London), Transport for Wales. The RIRG has also confirmed that following the imminent transfer to the Operator of Last Resort, South Eastern Trains/Railways will be excluded from the VS scheme.
We have also been made aware that the scheme will exclude Train crew, such as Train Drivers (Including Depot and Shunting Drivers), Guards and Conductors (Including Train Managers) and Train Maintenance (Including Technical Riding inspectors (TRIs)) grades.
The Union has not agreed or signed up to the VS scheme that is being offered and we are strongly opposed to this scheme being introduced. Furthermore, these proposals have been put onto the union through discussions that have taken place outside of the RIRG, this is a serious breach of trust and an appalling way to hold talks.
Additionally, the scheme is detrimental to our collective agreements, such as PTR&R, and does not match the value of existing agreements. The news of the VS scheme is disappointing, and the Union is vehemently opposed to the imposition without agreement or discussion on the future structure of the industry. It is evident that the scheme being offered is a cut-price deal funded by the DfT in order to strip thousands of jobs from the railway. This will inevitably lead to an unsafe working environment and will adversely impact the safety and accessibility for passengers across the network.
Your Union’s National Executive Committee will consider this matter further and will consider the RMT’s response to this situation.
I will write to you again once I have further information.
Yours sincerely
Michael Lynch
General Secretary
