Trade unions tackle a range of issues. We campaign to change policy and improve life for working people across the country. We represent our members; fight for dignity and respect at work; and we fight against in-work poverty and deprivation. And we play a vital role defending working class communities and strengthening social bonds.
The Conservatives have made lots of big promises about rail investment. But they won’t count for much, if the rumours that the eastern leg of HS2 is being cancelled, and Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) being scaled back are true.
The government’s plans are deeply unfair to key workers who’ve put themselves on the line throughout the pandemic. People we rely on everyday have been told to pay for a crisis they did not cause and have risked their lives to address.
Yesterday the government announced that Virgin Trains would not run the West Coast mainline for the first time since 1997. A consortium of FirstGroup and Trenitalia (the Italian state rail operator, we have state run rail in the UK, it’s just not our state that runs it) will take over the Franchise in December.
Research shows that public transport in general and buses in particular are often seen as the distant second preference to private cars. So, if travellers are choosing other options, why should we worry so much about the bus?
Franchising has failed – only a publicly funded railway can deliver good service, fair terms and conditions and economic benefits for the whole country