SOME 200 railworkers and supporters demonstrated opposite Parliament yesterday morning to mark two years of strikes by the RMT union to Keep the Guard on the Train.
There were banners from Cumbria, Liverpool, South East Regional Council, East Sussex Coastway, Norwich Rail Branch, Tube Branches Piccadilly and Finsbury Park.
The RMT General Secretary Mick Cash and Assistant General Secretary Steve Hedley stood holding the main banner, with others, that said: ‘Two Years On, Keep the Guard on the Train – Safety before Profit.’
Southern Rail members were there – they were the first to take strike action on the issue.
RMT South East Regional Organiser Paul Cox told News Line: ‘We’re here demonstrating to mark the second year of RMT industrial action defending the role of safety-critical guards against the imposition of driver-only operation.
‘All the disputes led by our union are here, including Northern Rail, Arriva, Merseyside, Southern and Anglia are represented here. ‘As well, we’ve got disabled groups fighting for an accessible railway, pensioners and members of the public angry about rail fares.
‘The call today is for transport secretary Chris Grayling to stop the nonsense and start tripartite discussions between the rail unions, train companies and the Department of Transport to find a way through this. ‘It’s a disgrace throwing money away to continue with a less safe railway.’ He concluded: ‘The answer is renationalisation.’
