Rail Regulator's Warnings Over Zero Hours Contracts

EDM number 445 in 2013-14, proposed by Teresa Pearce on 18/07/2013.
Categorised under the topics of Employment, Industrial health and safety and Railways.

That this House is concerned at the rapid increase in the number of rail workers engaged on zero hours contracts, with many workers being employed by a number of different employers; notes that much of Network Rail's (NR) infrastructure work is contracted to a profusion of contractors, sub-contractors and agencies; is alarmed that the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR), the official railway safety body, has informed the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) that zero hours contracts used by many of these employers are not conducive to the development of a safe railway and that there are considerable risks arising from safety-critical staff working for more than one employer; is further concerned that should this practice continue a rail tragedy is waiting to happen; further notes that the great rail payroll rip-off study from RMT warns that the profusion of companies contracted to NR are also encouraging bogus self-employment resulting not only in the exploitation of workers but also in tax dodges; is further concerned that NR, despite being wholly publicly-funded, is presiding over these arrangements and is proposing to make even greater use of contractors to achieve efficiency savings; believes that rail infrastructure work is safer and more efficient when carried out in-house by directly employed staff; and calls on the Government to convene an urgent summit with ORR, NR, the rail unions and other stakeholders to give urgent attention to this issue.

This motion has been signed by a total of 25 MPs.