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Railways, Skills
Investment and Workers’ Rights
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18.1
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It was formally moved by Councillor John
Booker, and formally seconded by Councillor Jack Clarkson, that
this Council:-
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(a)
supports Mick Cash, General Secretary of the National Union of
Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT), in his argument that
there is no basis for cost cutting on the North's railways, and
notes that, according to Rail North's own estimates, passenger
demand for the North's railways will soar by 50% over the next
fifteen years, and despite this, and the clear need for investment,
the Government has stated that annual subsidy will be cut by
£160m, or 53% by the final year of the franchise;
(b)
believes there must be strong opposition to the cuts programme,
attacks on supervisory and clerical jobs, the introduction of
driver-only operation and increased casualization, arising from the
re-franchising processes;
(c) further,
supports a publicly owned “People's Railway for the
North”;
(d)
believes that, for too long, British workers involved in the
traditional industries have been ignored and not treated with the
respect they deserve;
(e)
further believes we must invest in more training of our youth to
meet future needs, especially in STEM subjects (science,
technology, engineering and mathematics), increase places for
medical training so we can be less reliant on foreign nurses and
doctors, and provide more meaningful apprenticeships to support
future growth; and
(f) pays tribute to the men and women that drive forward
British industry and undertakes to do all within its power to
protect workers’ rights from this Government’s
cuts.
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18.2
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Whereupon, it was formally moved by Councillor Lisa Banes, and formally seconded by
Councillor Mohammad Maroof, as an amendment, that the Motion now
submitted be amended by the deletion of all the words after the
words “That this Council” and the addition of the
following words:-
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(a)
supports bringing railways back under public ownership to run them
in the interests of passengers and taxpayers;
(b)
believes that privatisation has led to unfair ticket price hikes
and an inefficient system subsidising the profits of private rail
operators;
(c) regrets that
privatisation was a policy developed across numerous industries in
the 1980s under the government of Margaret Thatcher, with rail
eventually being privatised in 1994, and therefore condemns Diane
James, MEP, for describing Margaret Thatcher as a political
hero;
(d)
believes that rail services and transport infrastructure has not
been given the investment it needs and improving connectivity will
be essential in driving economic growth in the north of England,
and supports all sentiments opposing the cuts that have been made
to railways in the north and unnecessary attacks on rail
workers;
(e)
believes that, for too long, British workers have been ignored and
that this has been realised through undermining their right to
organise, through attacks on trade unions under successive
Conservative governments;
(f) opposes the
Trade Union Act 2016 which this Council believes is an attack on
the civil liberties of workers;
(g)
believes that more investment is needed in skills, particularly
STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and mathematics)
and recognises the importance of devolution of skills budgets so
local areas can match the training available to the needs of local
businesses and the economy;
(h)
welcomes Sheffield’s strong record as holding the best record
for apprenticeships of all the Core Cities and believes the
devolution of 16-18 skills budgets is essential in strengthening
this record; and
(i)
pays tribute to all British workers that
drive forward British industry and undertakes to do all within its
power to protect workers’ rights from this Government’s
cuts, and fears that Brexit could lead
to the undermining of many workers’ rights under this
Government and calls on these rights to be protected.
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18.3
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On being put to the vote, the amendment was
carried.
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18.3.1
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(NOTE: Councillors Andy Nash, Bob Pullin,
Richard Shaw, Adam Hanrahan, Joe Otten, Colin Ross, Martin Smith,
Roger Davison, Shaffaq Mohammed, Paul Scriven, Sue Alston, Andrew Sangar, Cliff
Woodcraft, Ian Auckland, Sue Auckland, Steve Ayris, Gail Smith,
David Baker, Penny Baker and Vickie Priestley voted for
paragraphs (d) to (i), voted against
paragraphs (a) and (b), and abstained from voting on paragraph (c)
of the amendment, and asked for this to be recorded.)
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18.4
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The original Motion, as amended, was then put
as a Substantive Motion in the following form and carried:-
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RESOLVED: That this
Council:-
(a)
supports bringing railways back under public ownership to run them
in the interests of passengers and taxpayers;
(b)
believes that privatisation has led to unfair ticket price hikes
and an inefficient system subsidising the profits of private rail
operators;
(c) regrets that
privatisation was a policy developed across numerous industries in
the 1980s under the government of Margaret Thatcher, with rail
eventually being privatised in 1994, and therefore condemns Diane
James, MEP, for describing Margaret Thatcher as a political
hero;
(d)
believes that rail services and transport infrastructure has not
been given the investment it needs and improving connectivity will
be essential in driving economic growth in the north of England,
and supports all sentiments opposing the cuts that have been made
to railways in the north and unnecessary attacks on rail
workers;
(e)
believes that, for too long, British workers have been ignored and
that this has been realised through undermining their right to
organise, through attacks on trade unions under successive
Conservative governments;
(f) opposes the
Trade Union Act 2016 which this Council believes is an attack on
the civil liberties of workers;
(g)
believes that more investment is needed in skills, particularly
STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and mathematics)
and recognises the importance of devolution of skills budgets so
local areas can match the training available to the needs of local
businesses and the economy;
(h)
welcomes Sheffield’s strong record as holding the best record
for apprenticeships of all the Core Cities and believes the
devolution of 16-18 skills budgets is essential in strengthening
this record; and
(i)
pays tribute to all British workers that
drive forward British industry and undertakes to do all within its
power to protect workers’ rights from this Government’s
cuts, and fears that Brexit could lead
to the undermining of many workers’ rights under this
Government and calls on these rights to be protected.
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18.4.1
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(NOTE: Councillors Andy Nash,
Bob Pullin, Richard Shaw, Adam Hanrahan, Joe Otten, Colin Ross,
Martin Smith, Roger Davison, Shaffaq Mohammed, Paul Scriven, Sue Alston, Andrew Sangar, Cliff
Woodcraft, Ian Auckland, Sue Auckland, Steve Ayris, Gail Smith,
David Baker, Penny Baker and Vickie Priestley voted for
paragraphs (d) to (i), voted against
paragraphs (a) and (b), and abstained from voting on paragraph (c),
of the Substantive Motion, and asked for this to be recorded.)
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