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From The Socialist newspaper, 31 January 2018
Merseyrail protest
Merseyrail picket line, photo RMT (Click to enlarge)
A demonstration called by the transport union RMT took place outside Liverpool Town Hall ahead of a meeting of Merseyrail stakeholders on 25 January to show the incredible public support in favour of keeping the guards on Merseyrail trains.
The meeting was attended by the stakeholders, which include Liverpool councillors and Merseyrail executives, who were greeted by over 50 demonstrators and chants of 'keep the guards on the trains' and 'say no to DOO' (driver-only operation).
Abellio, one of the private companies involved with Merseyrail, recently lost a similar dispute and conceded to having guards on trains on the Scotrail franchise and the Greater Anglia franchise.
Despite a survey conducted by the RMT showing that 78% of passengers, 84% of female passengers and 85% of over 55s feel more comfortable with guards on the train, Merseyrail still hope to remove the guards.
The scheme to get rid of the guards is no more than an attempt to increase profits at the cost of jobs and passenger safety, which the public can easily see through.
The cutting of the guards comes after a year that saw Merseyrail make a profit in excess of £12 million and a quarter of passengers' fares end up in the pockets of privateers Serco and Abellio.
The Socialist Party fully supports keeping the guards on trains to save jobs and increase passenger safety, as well as the nationalisation of the railways to prevent fares being used to line the pockets of bosses instead of improving services.
Mike Long, Liverpool Socialist Party
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In The Socialist 31 January 2018:
Save our NHS
NHS: use the 3 February protests as a launch pad for a mass movement
Northern health campaigns conference discusses the fightback
8,000 strong petition opposes closure of Sheffield health services
Labour NHS rally reveals horrors but offers no way forward
Opinion
Trump as Nixon: urgent questions about press freedom and the state
Women's liberation
For workplace trade union organisation against sexual harassment
Presidents Club sexism scandal: what you thought
100 years since women won the vote
Socialist Party workplace news
Victory for Hackney school cleaners!
Local government workers' reps reject 2% pay offer
University workers' walkout for decent pensions
Supermarket's slash jobs - union fightback needed
Cammell Lairds strikers demand improved pay and conditions
Socialist Party news and analysis
Labour civil war re-erupts over Haringey regeneration project
Tory infighting escalates - workers' action can oust them
Failing academy chain strips school assets - end academisation!
Capitalists fear for their system at Davos
Majority of kids poor in some areas
Socialist Party reports and campaigns
Fat cat vice chancellors schooled by Brum students
Confident London Socialist Party conference discusses key issues
Your newspaper fights with you: help fund it with May Day greetings
Bristol anti-cuts campaigners debate alternatives to the cuts
International socialist news and analysis
Vienna: 50,000 march against racism and austerity
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2018