Milton Keynes Rail Manager Jobs To Go?

1 October 2013, 16:00

A rail union has raised safety fears after claiming Milton Keynes based Network Rail is to axe up to 750 managerial jobs.

The Transport Salaried Staffs Association say the cuts are being planned ahead of a parliamentary inquiry into NR's safety record at level crossings.

Job losses are being made to meet cuts imposed by the Government and will hit senior staff in safety-critical roles.

A spokesman for the TSSA told Heart: "Management Reps have met Network Rail and say they were informed of their intention to reduce the salary bill for executive and bands 1-4 by 15% through cuts in staffing - due to the significant cost reductions needed through Control Period 5 (2015-2019) and the need to reduce those costs prior to the start of that time frame (ie April 2014)." 
 
The union says Network Rail have told them they'd prefer to find potential volunteers for redundancy but in parallel each part of the company will be looking a proposals for re-organisations and cannot rule out compulsory redundancies.
 
John Page from the TSSA says they are shocked at the scale of the proposed cuts, and in particular the effect on safety and on the workload of those who maybe left behind, as well as opposing continuing compulsory redundancies.
 
The TSSA will meet to discuss the situation on Wednesday 2 October before meeting with the company again on Oct 7th.

A spokesman for Network Rail told Heart: "Network Rail is making internal changes to its structure, preparing and setting-up the business in readiness for delivering the ambitious and tough programme of activity it will be undertaking over the next five years. 

Part of these changes includes reducing our management wage bill. 

Each area of the business, over the next few months, will be looking at how this can be achieved without impacting on what we need to do during 2014-9."

Network Rail say it's too early to say as and when any redundancies are made, how many of jobs at Milton Keynes will be affected.