Sunderland and South Tyneside council leaders back calls against furloughing Metro staff

Metro bosses could be forced into furloughing frontline rail staff by the Government, furious council leaders have claimed.
Tyne and Wear politicians have accused transport ministers of pushing for a furlough of some Metro employees during the coronavirus crisis.Tyne and Wear politicians have accused transport ministers of pushing for a furlough of some Metro employees during the coronavirus crisis.
Tyne and Wear politicians have accused transport ministers of pushing for a furlough of some Metro employees during the coronavirus crisis.

Tyne and Wear politicians have accused transport ministers of pushing for a furlough of some Metro employees during the coronavirus crisis, in order to shift some of the cost of bailing out the struggling network to the Treasury.

Passenger numbers and ticket revenue have dropped dramatically since lockdown measures were introduced and there have been warnings of long-term service cuts and job losses unless the Government funds an urgent £10 million bailout of the Metro.

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But as talks over a funding package drag on, it has now been claimed Metro operator Nexus has been told to consider furloughing staff under the Treasury’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme – in which the Government pays 80% of their salary during a temporary leave of absence.

North East leaders say that such a move would have a damaging impact on vital train services still running for NHS staff and other key workers and have urged the Department for Transport (DfT) to abandon the plan.

It is understood that the idea of furloughing staff was tabled by the DfT in discussions with Nexus, but has not yet been made a requirement of any bailout deal.

A letter to the DfT signed by local council chiefs Nick Forbes, Martin Gannon, Graeme Miller, Norma Redfearn and Iain Malcom, plus North of Tyne mayor Jamie Driscoll, states: “We do not believe that the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme was set up with the purpose of furloughing public sector workers who still have a role to fulfil in fighting the coronavirus.

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“It seems to us that the requirement for Nexus staff to be furloughed is simply a means for the DfT to transfer cost to the Treasury.

“We would far rather see those workers productively employed running Metro trains for the benefit of our local community – and the cost to the overall public sector would be the same.

“The Metro’s employees are front-line public sector workers fulfilling a crucial role at a time of national crisis. Local authority leaders are concerned that furloughing Metro staff would seriously damage relations with our trade unions and could undermine the good will, dedication and magnificent support that we have been receiving from workers across all of our public services.

“It is striking that none of the national rail companies that are franchised, have concessions, or are Government-owned have been required to furlough any staff despite having greatly reduced timetables and often fewer passenger per train than the Metro; they have a purpose to fulfil of moving key workers around the country, and so does the Metro.”

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The Treasury has stated that it does not expect many public sector workers to be furloughed because they are providing essential services.

A Nexus spokesperson said: “We remain in active discussions with the Government over obtaining the necessary financial support for the Tyne and Wear Metro.

“Many key workers, including NHS staff, are relying on the Metro service to get to work during this crisis. Public transport staff are themselves classed as key workers and are performing some vital roles out on the frontline.

“We have made clear to ministers and civil servants the significant challenges that we face, and we are seeking the same level of support that other train operating companies have received.”

The DfT has been contacted for a comment.

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