Transport

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

The Rail Tram and Bus (RTB) Union’s Victoria branch has around eight thousand members, three quarters of whom work on the V Line (state-wide railway), Yarra Trams or Metro Trains Melbourne. On 22 August, I visited the union's office.

UNITY IS STRENGTH

When workers leave their homes to graft
by muscle or by brain
The least they need is safety from
the dangers and the strain
So those who wave their loved ones off
can wave them home again

Flowers will lie beside the line
where working people fell
For those who keep our railways safe -
they must be safe as well

Widening roads
parking lorries
carrying loads
of no-deal worries

Laying Tarmac
digging ditches
making car parks
burning bridges

Office holder
riding high on 
a hard Brexit shoulder
to pull over and cry on

Sailing boats away
laying mines
widening motorways
narrowing minds

In July, I spoke at an event organised by Islington Labour Party women’s forum, called ‘Keeping women and girls safe in Islington’. There were various speakers from community organisations, the council and the police, plus workshops on domestic abuse, sexual harassment, hate crime, gangs and bullying. My job was to speak about harassment and violence against women on public transport.

1. TUC Disabled Workers' Conference, 24-25 May, Bournemouth

• Motions - The Committee agreed to to support all motions and amendments, except:
  • Unison's amendment to Unite's motion on Universal Credit (oppose) - the motion opposes UC; the amendment wants to change this to reforming it
  • POA's motion on mental health discrimination (oppose) - the Committee can not support the Time To Change campaign, as it is run by Mind, which collaborates with the DWP
  • Community's motion on sustainable supported employment (decision deferred) - the motion proposes promoting a particular company as 'best practice' for the employment of disabled people - we need more information before endorsing this

TUC DISABLED WORKERS’ CONFERENCE 2018

Venue accessibility: We noted our success in getting the TUC to change the conference location to an accessible venue. We looked at the detailed access statement for the venue, and I asked that a relaxation space be allocated for the use of conference attendees.

Carillion’s
Made its billions
Now its debt is so big, its account’s in vermillion
With coldness reptilian
It dumps on civilians
Rides off into sunset; the Tories ride pillion
If it were not so serious, it would be vaudevillian

The government's consultation on transport accessibility has extended its deadline to Wednesday 22 November. Anyone can submit their views.

C-charge
T-charge
Why is it OK

to congest
and pollute
London

So long as you pay?

This poem was published on the Poetry24 website on 29 October 2017.