June 2025
REGIONAL NEWSLETTER
Issue 22
CONTACT US:
North East Region
Your North East Regional Council can be contacted at: NorthEastRegionalCouncil@rmt.org.uk And on our X (Twitter): @RMTNorthEast
END OUTSOURCING CAMPAIGN LAUNCHES RMT has launched a new campaign to further the fight for insourcing of all rail workers, abolishing the two-tier system wherein many train operating companies pay dishonest agencies to hire anyone from cleaners, caterers and gateline staff to security guards and revenue protection officers under poorer pay and conditions than their directly employed counterparts. The Labour government committed under manifesto promises to lead the “biggest wave of insourcing for a generation”, and RMT is holding their feet to the fire to make this become a reality. Outsourcing has cost the taxpayer £400 million annually in profits leaking out of the rail industry, which could have amounted to a 3.8% fare cut for passengers. It also leads to systemic racism for the people most likely to be struggling in insecure, poorly-paid jobs on the railway. Directly employing staff rather than resorting to agencies improves safety on the railway, as outsourcing takes certain safety critical roles a step away from the actual working railway under the control of bosses whose priority lies with profit, not safety. Insourcing the tens of thousand of agency workers employed on the railway will lead to a more engaged, better paid workforce. With Great British Railways allegedly on the horizon claiming to bring unity to the disjointed railway, we cannot let our outsourced colleagues remain on the fringes. The first step in RMT’s new campaign is to push the current Transport Minister, Heidi Alexander, to ensure that the Labour Party’s election promises are kept, at least in this area: please see the RMT website to find details on relevant petitions and Early Day Motions.