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European rail workers protest liberalisation plan

25 February 2014, 17:23 CET
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European rail workers protest liberalisation plan

EP rail protest - Photo © European Union 2014 EP

(STRASBOURG) - Thousands of rail workers from across Europe staged a demonstration in front of the European parliament Tuesday to protest a plan to scrap national rail monopolies in the EU in five years' time.

Police said an estimated 2,700 people took part in the rally in front of the European legislature in Strasbourg.

"Our future is at stake. Liberalisation has become a religion, it makes services more expensive and has already destroyed thousands of jobs in the EU," the Luxembourg chief of the rail section of the European Transport Workers' Federation, Guy Grievelding, told the crowd.

Euro-MPs on Tuesday were to debate the measure drawn up by the European Commission to allow competition on rail networks in EU member states. An initial vote was to be held Wednesday, followed by a long process because it bypasses the parliaments of EU member states.

One aspect of the plan calls for the management of a national rail network to be separated from its operation, as is already the case in Britain. Both Germany's Deutsche Bahn and France's SNCF are opposed to that.

The bill also provides for minimal train service to be provided for the public when strikes take place.

Union leaders said they feared public safety and workers' conditions would suffer under liberalisation.

Railway package, further information, European Parliament


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