
The Socialist 9 August 2017
Striking back against poverty pay

Venezuela shows battle Corbyn would face
Striking back against poverty pay
Rashan Charles death: End police racism and austerity
Coventry: march following racist police killing
Government's tribunal fees defeat
40% of England's psychiatric wards are 'unsafe'
Marx's Capital at 150: an unequalled analysis
Angry Birmingham bin workers enter fifth week of strike action
Barts strike: Keep up the pressure on Serco and the trust!
Steel workers at Rom Ltd strike for a pay rise
Coordinated action needed to break pay restraint
End poverty pay for sleep-in care workers
RMT condemns Welsh government rail privatisation
Young, angry and fighting back
Young Socialists off to a flying start in Cardiff
Campaign fights closure of Chatsworth rehab ward
Support for Socialist Party campaigns at biggest ever Leeds Pride
Housing safety campaign kicks off in Coventry
Far-right thrown out of Newcastle
Venezuela: Capitalist offensive sharpens after assembly elections
Workers' struggles in Peru: eyewitness report
How much reserves have councils got?
Global finance: Are those storm clouds ahead?
Crunchy guitar and poignant dialogue in alt-rock homage to south Wales miners
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RMT condemns Welsh government rail privatisation
Dave Reid, Socialist Party Wales
Private train companies currently operate the trains in Wales on tracks owned and maintained by the publicly-owned Network Rail. The franchise for operating the south Wales valley lines is coming to an end and is currently held by Arriva trains, which has run the service into the ground.
Arriva made £88 million profit in the last five years while its passengers endured an appalling service. But instead of renationalising the service, it is being put out to tender to four private companies, including Arriva.
Rail privatisation has been an unmitigated disaster. Despite billions of pounds in subsidies the private train operating companies offer a poor service and charge some of the highest fares in the world. The tracks were renationalised in 2002 because the private company, Railtrack, provided such a poor service and following a number of fatal rail disasters.
Yet the Tories are trying to re-privatise track maintenance by getting private train operating companies to take them over.
Now the RMT has learnt that not only is the Welsh government going to allow the continuation of privatisation of the train service on the south Wales valley lines, it intends to follow the example of the Tories in England and hand over the entire Metro scheme to a private company including running the tracks and infrastructure.
Between 70-80% support renationalisation of the railways in most polls, yet the Welsh Labour government intends to further privatise railways.
Mick Cash, general secretary of the RMT said: "The idea that this trade union will sit back while plans are being hatched for a £5 billion scheme to hand Welsh railways to private operators is ridiculous."
This threatened privatisation underlines how the Welsh Labour government is dominated by the Blairite right wing who are carrying out distinctly different policies to those promised by Jeremy Corbyn.
In this issue
What we think
Venezuela shows battle Corbyn would face
Socialist Party news and analysis
Striking back against poverty pay
Rashan Charles death: End police racism and austerity
Coventry: march following racist police killing
Government's tribunal fees defeat
40% of England's psychiatric wards are 'unsafe'
Marx's Capital at 150
Marx's Capital at 150: an unequalled analysis
Socialist Party workplace news
Angry Birmingham bin workers enter fifth week of strike action
Barts strike: Keep up the pressure on Serco and the trust!
Steel workers at Rom Ltd strike for a pay rise
Coordinated action needed to break pay restraint
End poverty pay for sleep-in care workers
RMT condemns Welsh government rail privatisation
Socialist Party reports and campaigns
Young, angry and fighting back
Young Socialists off to a flying start in Cardiff
Campaign fights closure of Chatsworth rehab ward
Support for Socialist Party campaigns at biggest ever Leeds Pride
Housing safety campaign kicks off in Coventry
Far-right thrown out of Newcastle
International socialist news and analysis
Venezuela: Capitalist offensive sharpens after assembly elections
Workers' struggles in Peru: eyewitness report
Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition
How much reserves have councils got?
Global finance
Global finance: Are those storm clouds ahead?
Music review
Crunchy guitar and poignant dialogue in alt-rock homage to south Wales miners
Home | The Socialist 9 August 2017 | Join the Socialist Party
Related links:
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