RMT DEMANDS HALT TO DECLINE IN BUS USE

RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: october 2014 :: RMTnews 6 T he families of asbestos victims rallied at the Labour Party conference in Manchester to demand justice and the need for medical research to prevent future deaths. Between thirty and forty family members and support groups, including the Hazards campaign, were joined by at least thirteen MPs. Jim Sheridan, Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group was there and Kate Green, Shadow Minister for Work and Pensions, said that was a need for positive changes to the way sufferers and their families are treated. R MT is demanding action to halt the decline in the number of journeys being made. There was a 1.3 per cent dip in the number of bus passenger journeys made in England in spring 2014 than in winter 2014, seasonally-adjusted figures from the Department for Transport showed. In total there were 1.17 million passenger journeys made on buses in England in April- June 2014 compared with nearly 1.86 million in January-March 2014. However, the 1.17 million figure was 0.4 per cent up on the total for April-June 2103. The Department for Transport said: "Bus passenger journeys in England increased by around 15 per cent between 2004/05 and 2008/09, a period in which the English National Concessionary Travel Scheme was introduced. RMT general secretary Mick Cash said that with bus services being cut back and others threatened with total closure, it was no surprise that there has been a decline in usage. ''Growing numbers of people, particularly in rural areas, have ended up isolated as life-line bus services have been stripped away and as the private companies concentrate on the routes that they can extract the most money from. "We have warned repeatedly that the cutting of grants and threats and restrictions to the free travel pass, combined with the drive for private profit, will continue to hack away at the provision of bus services and will lead to an escalation in transport poverty as those without cars are left abandoned. “It is inevitable that bus passenger journeys will decline against that backdrop,” he said. L eicester and Rutland branch has had a number of successes for its taxi members recently including negotiating fare increases and additional taxi ranks with the local city council. RMT has also blocked long- term planning permission for a private hire taxi office which had opened next door to Leicester Railway Station. The union engaged with specialist planning solicitors and a transport consultant to prevent the development. RMT General Secretary Mick Cash and Midlands Regional Organiser Ken Usher played a significant role in the success of the office being refused planning permission. Mick and Ken had both visited Leicester and learned about the issues taxi members were facing. Leicester branch secretary Umar Khan said that these successes had been down to collective teamwork from all branch officers. “I would also like to thank Mick Cash and Ken Usher for all the support to make sure that our member’s rights and livelihoods are protected. “With these successes our branch can only grow from strength to strength and encourage others to join RMT,” he said. JUSTICE FOR ASBESTOS VICTIMS RMT DEMANDS HALT TO DECLINE IN BUS USE LEICESTER TAXI SUCCESS