Public transport - publicly-owned and -accountable, democratically run by workers and passengers, affordable, accessible, safe, efficient, environmentally-friendly ... cor, that'd be good, wouldn't it?!
Submitted by Janine on
Back before barring blacks became banned
Bristol buses blocked brown-skinned blokes becoming buscrew
But better Bristolians batted back
bit the bullet and boycotted the buses
Bent-backed, booted bipeds bicycled,
as bitter brushes blazed between bile and benevolence
Bands of brave, belligerent banner-bearers
branded the ban biased, barbarous balderdash
Submitted by Janine on
A version of this was published in Solidarity 568:
This story of colour bars in the UK railway and bus industries begins after the Second World War, when Britain had a labour shortage and people moved to Britain in increasing numbers from Caribbean countries and elsewhere.
NUR Opposes Racism
Submitted by Janine on
Three Bridges
Seven a.m.
Half moon
Five platforms
No trains
Two queues
Ten replacement buses
Seven leaden workers
Four going in
Three going home
Two more hours
Until forty winks
Submitted by Janine on
Janine speaks to an online audience of rail workers about the fight against job cuts.
Fellow RMT activist John Pencott also speaks.
Submitted by Janine on
Janine speaks as part of a panel on Covid-19, democratic ownership and the future of the economy in May 2020. - organised by Another Europe Is Possible. Video plus text of speech below.
Submitted by Janine on
It's just like any other Saturday night
but without the vomit and with no-one to fight
It's just like Night Tube but nobody's pissed and
the two people here are socially distant
It's just like every other morning after
but without the bleary eyes and laughter
There's no-one to beg from, no tickets to tout
because staying at home is the new going out
Submitted by Janine on
Also on the RMT London Calling website here.
Disabled transport workers are a significant and valuable part of the workforce that delivers transport to millions of passengers and freight consignments every day. Many of us are also particularly vulnerable during the current Covid-19 pandemic.
Submitted by Janine on
Today at TUC Women's conference, PCS moved a motion congratulating their members at BEIS for successful strike action, and drawing attention to the appalling conditions that outsouced workers, many of them women, face. I made the following contribution to the debate.
Congratulations to PCS on its brilliant win at BEIS and solidarity with your ongoing sturggles at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and elsewhere.
Submitted by Janine on
Your train is delayed
Because of leaves on the line
With trees still attached
Submitted by Janine on
A villanelle about the deaths of workers at the Crossrail Bond Street site.
Don't go down to level five
A killer's prowling in the deep
Stay away and stay alive
Worker bees construct a hive
of industry, where toxins seep
Don't go down to level five
