Link to this page: http://www.socialistparty.org.uk/issue/551/6483
From The Socialist newspaper, 8 October 2008
Keep the Metro public!
The Keep the Metro Public campaign, including trade union activists and members of the Socialist Party have handed out thousands of leaflets opposing the privatisation of the Newcastle Metro.
Paul Phillips and Ian Patterson, Newcastle Socialist Party
Metro workers, who were under instruction by management to move us out of the stations, said they supported our cause and redirected us to good leafleting spots.
Privatisation offers the Metro no benefits. The current operator, Nexus's own statistic shows that 95.57% of Metro trains run on time.
RMT North West executive candidate Craig Johnston said: "We are opposed to the whole process, once you go down the line of privatisation it leads to increased costs, more tax subsidy, standards reduced, fare increases and safety compromised".
Even though Nexus says this is not privatisation, workers are not allowed to talk to third parties about the situation or their jobs will be at risk.
Whether this also relates to unions is unclear.
So the campaign staged a second protest at the Public Transport Authority meeting at Newcastle Civic Centre, wearing gags in protest at this ban on workers.
At the meeting no one from the campaign was allowed to speak. They claimed that workers are not being gagged but are not allowed to talk to the press, which is a joke in itself. In a recent survey, 60% of people were against the privatisation proposal.
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In The Socialist 8 October 2008:
Credit crunch
Editorial: Casino capitalism's crisis continues
Lessons of the 1990s recession in Japan
Responsibility for the 'age of irresponsibility'
Socialist Students
Students look for socialist ideas
Education
University workers fight pension attacks
NUT strike ballot: Action on pay can win
Socialist Party campaigns
A day in the life of a care worker
The sacking of Blair, London's police chief
Socialist meeting blocked by councillor
No to incinerators, give us a real say!
International socialist news and analysis
Mbeki dismissed by ANC as South Africa's president
Socialist Party workplace news
"Telling the boss: You can't do that"
Fight against the Unison witch-hunt
Frustration with union leadership
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