date: Friday 4 January 2002 embargo: 00.01 hrs, Saturday, 5 January 2002

Attention: Safety media

TUC slams Thames Trains for 'abdicating responsibility for safety on the railways'

Responding to Thames Trains’ announcement (Wednesday) that they would be suing the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) for failing to stop the breaches of safety law that caused the Paddington rail disaster, the TUC has branded the company’s legal action 'wasteful and irresponsible'.

TUC General Secretary John Monks writes in this week’s edition of Risks, the TUC online health and safety bulletin (issued at 00.01 hrs, Saturday morning):

'By suing the HSE for not stopping them breaking the law, Thames Trains are abdicating their responsibility for safety on the railways.

'Thames Trains ought to put their efforts into making sure the travelling public and railway workers are safe, not spend their time and money trying to find others to blame for their own lamentable record.'

The TUC has written to the Chief Executive of the Go-Ahead Group, which owns Thames Trains, Martin Ballinger, asking him to drop the 'wasteful and irresponsible' legal action against the HSE.

Notes to Editors:

All TUC press releases can be found at www.tuc.org.uk

Issue 35 of Risks, the TUC’s weekly online bulletin on health and safety, will be on the TUC website at www.tuc.org.uk/risks/ at 00.01 hrs on Saturday morning, 5 January 2002.

A series of TUC rights leaflets are available on our website and from the know your rights line 0870 600 4 882. Lines are open every day from 8am-10pm. Calls are charged at the national rate.

Contacts:

Media enquiries: 020 7467 1248 or email media@tuc.org.uk

Other enquiries: Owen Tudor, Senior Health & Safety Policy Officer, on 07788 715261 (mobile) or otudor@tuc.org.uk

Press release (300 words) issued 5 Jan 2002