Industrial relations at Carlisle Support Services
Tabled 9 March 2026 by Rebecca Long Bailey
That this House commends the work of station staff employed by outsourcing company Carlisle Support Services who work on stations managed by publicly owned Northern Trains to collect revenue and operate station gatelines across the North; notes that these station staff work on the frontline of what will be Great British Railways; further notes with concern that, because they are currently outsourced to Carlisle, they will not be transferred into Great British Railways alongside their colleagues at Northern Trains; also notes that these staff are engaged in a long-running and bitter dispute with Carlisle, which refuses to negotiate pay awards with the RMT union and prefers to impose the lowest possible pay rates, while blaming Northern Trains; is disturbed by reports of bullying and intimidation by Carlisle, with managers threatening to cancel shifts and holidays for staff on annualised hours contracts, which are effectively zero hours contracts; insists that Carlisle must start to treat its workforce with respect and negotiate with its union; believes that Great British Railways should be insourcing these and other outsourced rail workers to create better jobs and better services for passengers; and calls on Northern Trains to take immediate action by stepping in to resolve the current dispute and to insource the workers at the earliest opportunity.