Link to this page: http://www.socialistparty.org.uk/issue/621/9412
From The Socialist newspaper, 21 April 2010
Planes, trains and automobiles
FOUR DAYS after planes were grounded in the UK leaving 150,000 British travellers stranded abroad, the government finally got around to deploying Royal Navy ships to help bring stranded Britons home.
As usual it was a case of too little, too late for many, who at considerable cost and much time, arranged their own rail and ferry crossings from mainland Europe.
Alarmingly, the commercial airlines, worried about a dip in their profits, seem determined to challenge the Meterological Office's advice over the resumption of flights.
However, a coastguard helicopter in Shetland flew through the ash cloud to rescue a seriously ill woman. Afterwards engineers had to strip down the engine to remove large quantities of ash.
Airlines worldwide are estimated to have lost £130 million ($200m) a day during the shutdown. A BBC article says a fall of between 1% and 2% for European economies is not being ruled out.
However, hotels, ferries and railways have experienced exceptional revenues by a huge increase in demand from stranded airline passengers. Many delayed passengers complain of being ripped-off by taxi and travel companies charging ridiculously expensive fares.
The British Airline Pilots' Association (Balpa) said the financial impact "could not be more serious... The government needs to step in and show the same approach it took to keeping banks afloat."
If that means nationalising the major UK airline carriers as part of an integrated, air, rail, road and sea planned transport system, then socialists would wholeheartedly agree. Otherwise, the pleas of union hostile, profit hungry giant corporations like BA should be ignored.
Internationally, air freight has been badly affected - in particular, flowers and vegetables grown in countries like Kenya and flown thousands of miles to fill supermarket shelves in northern European cities.
Apart from the enormous use of resources involved and its huge carbon footprint in burning aviation fuel, much of this produce is now being thrown away as the refrigerated warehouses in Kenya become full. This in a country and on a continent suffering from food scarcity.
According to a report in Kenya's Daily Nation newspaper, the Kenyan economy is losing $3.8 million a day and thousands of agricultural workers have been laid off.
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In The Socialist 21 April 2010:
Stop these savage cuts: support the socialist alternative
Youth fight for jobs
Young people facing a fight for their future
National Union of Students conference: Campaign needed against fees and cuts
Socialist Party editorial
Left candidates excluded from media
LibDem Surge
Big business as usual for Liberal Democrats
TV debate - Party leaders compete for the same policies
Transport
Volcanic eruption brings travel chaos: Planned and integrated transport system vital
Planes, trains and automobiles
Socialist Party news and analysis
Cameron turns back clock on women's rights
Banks use microloans to fleece poor
Socialist Party election campaign
Doncaster - Jarvis's vicious sackings and workers' fightback
Portsmouth North: "An ordinary guy to represent ordinary workers"
Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition
Coventry: Standing up for public services
Colne Valley / Huddersfield: Kirklees' only fighting councillor
Spelthorne: "The trade union candidate guy"
A chance to put your questions to your local Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition candidates.
Anti-racism
Why the BNP offers no way forward for working class people
International socialist news and analysis
Progressive Workers Federation of Pakistan founded
Sri Lanka parliamentary elections: Rajapaksa's clan consolidates its rule
Socialist Party features
National Care Service - fact or fiction?
1936 - A play about the Olympics
Socialist Party workplace news
Civil service dispute continues
Fighting cuts at Coventry council
Strike ballot at Manchester Metropolitan University
Dover trade unions against privatisation
National Shop Stewards Network 2010 conference:
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