The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
Unions call for merger of railway policing to stop
Transport: Labour says policy is ‘unwanted, unnecessary and uncosted’
The UK’s three largest rail unions have joined forces with Labour in a renewed bid to stop the merger between the British Transport Police (BTP) and Scotland’s national police force.
The RMT, TSSA and Aslef unions have all spoken out against the move, urging Transport Secretary Michael Matheson to speak to workers about their concerns.
Mick Cash, the general secretary of the RMT, warned the merger would
“Labour hopes he will listen to British Transport Police officers”
“jeopardise” the specialist policing delivered by the BTP, and could leave taxpayer with a “ballooning bill”.
He accused the Scottish Government of “pressganging BTP officers into Police Scotland for political purposes”, while TSSA leader Manuel Cortes said SNP ministers were “putting nationalist dogma ahead of the safety and well-being of Scotland’s rail passengers”.
Mr Matheson, in his previous role as justice secretary, had spearheaded the legislation merging the BTP and Police Scotland through Holyrood – with the Railway Policing (Scotland) Bill passed despite criticism from opposition parties, the unions and others.
The merger was due to take place in April 2019 but the timetable has been delayed, with a report setting out recommendations for a new date expected by August.
But now Labour is calling on the Transport Secretary to use the Scottish Parliament’s summer break to rethink what it says is a “divisive policy”.
Colin Smyth, the party’s spokesman for connectivity, said: “The summer recess gives Mr Matheson the opportunity to chart a different course for Scotland’s railways once he returns to Holyrood in his new role.
“Labour hopes that he will listen to British Transport Police officers, and the rest of the industry, and bins this divisive policy.”
“Labour has consistently opposed this merger as it is unwanted, unnecessary and uncosted.
“The gravity of the situation is underlined by this coming together of three separate transport unions, all pleading with the new SNP Transport Minister Michael Matheson to pause and rethink this plan.”
A Scottish Government spokesman said: “We are committed to the safe and seamless integration of BTP into Police Scotland following Parliament’s vote to pass the Railway Policing Act. This will enable the delivery of continuity of service for rail users and staff and a single command structure, with seamless access to wider support facilities and specialist resources.”