Transport - New strategy slammed [print version]
The government’s new bus strategy for England, announced on 15 March, has been met with a lukewarm response, to say the least.
Transport
Transport
Bus strikes solid as drivers fight attacks on pay and conditions
15 March 2021
Strike action by drivers at Go North West in Manchester has been solid – and well supported in the wider labour movement.
Manchester bus drivers strike to defend jobs, conditions [updated]
1 March 2021
Bus drivers working for Go North West have begun an all-out strike against company plans to fire and rehire workers on worse pay and conditions.
Buses – the fight for the future
Before Covid-19, 4.4 billion journeys were made by bus each year. Buses are the backbone of Britain’s public transport system, but workers will have to fight to keep the quality bus services the country needs.…
Buses: Manchester strike plan [print version]
Manchester bus drivers working for Go North West have voted overwhelmingly to take strike action against the company.
Eurostar: Unions campaign
Rail unions RMT and Aslef are calling on the government to provide urgent support for Eurostar after the company said it was on the brink of bankruptcy.
Gig economy: Defeat for Uber
The GMB union is claiming a “historic win” after the Supreme Court ruled that Uber drivers are not self-employed but are workers.
Cargo handlers strike at Heathrow
29 December 2020
Cargo workers belonging to the Unite union began a nine-day strike on Christmas Day in a dispute with employer BA over its attempts to use fire and rehire tactics to impose new deep cuts in pay and conditions.
Slashed investment threatens switch to rail freight
29 December 2020
The rail freight sector’s slow recovery during the summer from the impact of Covid-19 has prompted calls for a national programme of investment in freight infrastructure.
Rail campaign marks 25 years of success
30 September 2020
Local railway campaigners in Bristol have been celebrating a quarter-century of struggle with an innovative socially distanced event culminating at Severn Beach.
Bristol bus campaigners march for action
18 September 2020
Campaigners in Bristol are on the march calling for cheaper ticket prices, better services – and public control of local transport.
Transport firms slash jobs under Covid-19 cover
The Covid-19 crisis has presented both opportunity and cover for the owners of transport operators to attack jobs, pay, and conditions of well organised British workers at a time when they are vulnerable…
West Country rail a cornerstone of economic recovery
30 April 2020
The future for rail is looking brighter in the West of England with the acknowledgement that it can contribute to rebuilding the economy after the Covid-19-induced setbacks.
Glasgow marks Workers Memorial Day
30 April 2020
Glasgow Trades Union Council marked Workers Memorial Day on 28 April by taking part in the Britain-wide “one-minute silence” tribute to those who have died in the health and caring professions during the current crisis.
Transport safety takes a back seat to profit
Keen to profit from the Covid-19 crisis, transport companies have been eagerly queuing up with their begging bowls, while ensuring that workers bear the brunt of the reductions in services…
Use cash for services - RMT
Transport union RMT has called on the government to ensure that its support for the regional bus industry during the coronavirus epidemic will be used to protect workers and maintain services.
Bus support must protect workers and services, says RMT
5 April 2020
Transport union RMT has called on the government to ensure that its support for the regional bus industry during the coronavirus epidemic will be used to protect workers and maintain services.
Government stalls urgent action on air passenger duty
12 March 2020
Airline pilots trade union BALPA reacted with dismay to the budget announcement of increases in airline passenger duty. It had been calling for a six-month suspension.
Poll finds support for public services
11 March 2020
A new poll conducted by Survation has found that voters believe that the privatisation of public services as increased regional inequality and harmed “left behind” parts of the country.
RMT ballot brings tube strike closer
2 March 2020
Widespread industrial action on the tube has moved a step closer as transport union RMT prepares to ballot its members on strikes over pay and hours.
Waiting for a good bus service?
The chaos in bus services looks set to continue with the government rejecting key recommendations in a detailed Transport Committee report. ‘Regulated competition’ – the EU’s old refrain – is still being imposed…
Heathrow: Recognition victory
“Ambassadors” at Heathrow Airport have won recognition for their union, Unite. The staff provide assistance to passengers arriving at and leaving the airport.
Tube union wins maintenance victory
16 May 2019
Tube union RMT has suspended strike action by maintenance and engineering workers after London Underground said it would withdraw planned cuts to train inspection and preparation.
Tube maintenance strike vote
Over a thousand key London Underground maintenance and engineering staff have voted by strike over cuts to train perparation and maintenance schedules.
Infrastructure delays pile up
28 January 2019
An independent report from KPMG published last week found that the delayed Crossrail project is eating up cash at the rate of £30 million a week.
Bus journeys fall
6 January 2019
Long the “Cinderella” of transport services, local bus services, especially in rural areas, are seeing deep and damaging cuts.
Bristolians call for end to bus de-regulation
27 November 2018
Despite the pouring rain, around 150 people last weekend heard speaker after speaker call for an end to the deregulated and de-facto monopoly of Bristol’s buses under private company First Bus.
Manufacture here, in an independent Britain
22 November 2018
Why has the contract to build new rolling stock for London Underground’s Piccadilly Line gone to a German conglomerate?
Transport: Bus support slashed
English and Welsh local authorities have cut £182 million from supported bus services over the last decade, with more than 3,000 routes affected, according to new research from the group Campaign for Better Transport.
A year for engineering
26 April 2018
A new campaign aims to tackle the engineering skills gap and widen the pool of young people who join the profession.