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| Peter Wilkinson: the man the unions say is driving the Southern rail strike Peter Wilkinson: the man the unions say is driving the Southern rail strike | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| A casual observer might struggle to equate the man who appeared before the transport select committee looking like a French philosopher with the hatchet man whom unions accuse of driving the Southern rail strike. | A casual observer might struggle to equate the man who appeared before the transport select committee looking like a French philosopher with the hatchet man whom unions accuse of driving the Southern rail strike. |
| But Peter Wilkinson, whose shaven head, polo-neck and thick designer glasses transcend the usual faceless civil servant attire, has become the bogeyman at the Department for Transport for unions since he made an ill-advised speech in Croydon in February. | But Peter Wilkinson, whose shaven head, polo-neck and thick designer glasses transcend the usual faceless civil servant attire, has become the bogeyman at the Department for Transport for unions since he made an ill-advised speech in Croydon in February. |
| Speaking to local rail users about train drivers, he said: “We have got to break them,” adding that those who resisted government plans should “get the hell out of my industry”. | Speaking to local rail users about train drivers, he said: “We have got to break them,” adding that those who resisted government plans should “get the hell out of my industry”. |
| Wilkinson has since apologised to the committee both for his comments then and for subsequently misleading MPs about Southern’s franchise. | Wilkinson has since apologised to the committee both for his comments then and for subsequently misleading MPs about Southern’s franchise. |
| He joined the DfT in the wake of the West Coast fiasco as franchising director with a brief to get the business of awarding rail contracts back on track. | He joined the DfT in the wake of the West Coast fiasco as franchising director with a brief to get the business of awarding rail contracts back on track. |
| His appointment was greeted warmly by many in rail, when he was seen as a highly experienced rail professional giving some much-needed ballast to the department, having worked on both sides of franchising. | His appointment was greeted warmly by many in rail, when he was seen as a highly experienced rail professional giving some much-needed ballast to the department, having worked on both sides of franchising. |
| A Sheffield University graduate in industrial science, with a master’s in business from Bordeaux, he became a general manager at London Underground before joining British Rail in the last years before privatisation. | A Sheffield University graduate in industrial science, with a master’s in business from Bordeaux, he became a general manager at London Underground before joining British Rail in the last years before privatisation. |
| As an international rail consultant he built up a number of businesses, selling up equity to take over his departmental role. Now managing director, passenger services, he earns £265,000 a year. | As an international rail consultant he built up a number of businesses, selling up equity to take over his departmental role. Now managing director, passenger services, he earns £265,000 a year. |
| Wilkinson lives in London – near Borough market, of which he has been a trustee – during the week and flies to be with his wife and children in Vienna at weekends. | Wilkinson lives in London – near Borough market, of which he has been a trustee – during the week and flies to be with his wife and children in Vienna at weekends. |
| Wilkinson, who describes himself as an urbanite who loves the mountains, used to race motorbikes, with a passion for the kind of speed and freedom few Southern commuters now enjoy. | Wilkinson, who describes himself as an urbanite who loves the mountains, used to race motorbikes, with a passion for the kind of speed and freedom few Southern commuters now enjoy. |
| For all his controversial statements about drivers, Wilkinson also told Rail Professional magazine two years ago: “Frontline staff are the heroes of this industry, they’re the people who make it work, not people like me in head offices and places; this is a nonsense, we’re just petty bureaucrats.” | For all his controversial statements about drivers, Wilkinson also told Rail Professional magazine two years ago: “Frontline staff are the heroes of this industry, they’re the people who make it work, not people like me in head offices and places; this is a nonsense, we’re just petty bureaucrats.” |