A Midlands RMT member
In the latest instalment of their scorched-earth plans for our railways, the Tories have announced the closure of all but a handful of England’s 1,007 ticket offices.
Passengers have been granted a mere 21 days in order to take part in the ‘consultation’ and posters have been placed in stations informing of ‘changes’ to ticket offices with the actual closure of the facility being buried deep in mountains of text.
This is one of the most brutal elements of the assault on the railways, which will hurt vulnerable and disabled people hardest.
The government claims that only 12% of tickets are now sold through ticket offices. But that includes individuals who are unable to use self-service machines or would like assistance from a trained member of staff.
Likewise, staff employed in ticket offices are on hand to assist disabled passengers on and off trains, with luggage, and can be a deterrent against antisocial behaviour.
Tory cuts
But this all counts for nothing to the Tory government, which directly contracts and subsidises the largely privatised, for-profit train operating companies (TOCs). It is trying to force the companies to ram the policy through to de-staff the railway and save costs.
Rail union RMT is striking again on 20, 22 and 29 July, as part of our long-running dispute with the TOCs over issues of ‘modernisation’ and pay. Aslef, the train drivers’ union has a week-long overtime ban starting 17 July, with another week announced from 31 July.
Anyone expecting a fightback from Keir Starmer’s Labour will have had their hopes dashed. Neither Starmer nor Louise Haigh, shadow transport secretary, have said they will reverse the Tories’ disastrous proposals if they take over after the next general election. They simply criticise the “rushed” nature of the plans.
Further managed decline of the railways is all that is offered by the Tories, and Labour.
To fight the cuts, the working class urgently needs political representation. For that we need a new party of our own – one which will end the disaster of privatised rail by renationalising the whole network under democratic working-class control and management, and fund a fully staffed, high-quality rail network.
Tube workers’ week of strikes
Rolling strikes on London Underground, against plans for 600 job losses and attacks on pensions, by members of the RMT union, will take place 23-28 July. Train drivers in Aslef will also join RMT members in London on strike on 26 and 28 July.
