Taking a knee, making a stand - ASLEFJOURNAL
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ASLEF JOURNAL
The magazine of the Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers & Firemen
AUGUST 2020
Taking a knee,
making a stand
The train drivers’
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ASLEF JOURNAL
The magazine of the Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers & Firemen
AUGUST 2020
GS Mick Whelan
Heart of recovery
AILY I spend most
D of my time talking
about the
pandemic, its impact, what
we need to do, and arguing
about the safest and best
ways to deal with the
myriad issues that
continually crop up. To add ‘Chance to build
to the lexicon of phrases a green economy’
that are grating on me,
5 8 along with ‘ramping up’, is ‘the new normal’. For
many, including the government, it looks like a
News rush to the old normal.
l Covid-19: latest news from the GS and the EC
We have a vested interest in a successful
4
transport sector and have worked, with sister
l Frank Rimmer and Bob Moran stick it to Boris 5 trade unions, companies, and government, to
plus Off the Rails: Meg Hillier; John Bolton; increase capacity to encompass a rise in
Gavin Williamson; Ruth Davidson; Julia Sawalha passenger traffic to maintain the various steps in
l PM is living with Mr Roarke on Fantasy Island 6 social distancing. But as the Prime Minister
l Transport Secretary signals the way ahead to the 7
encourages people back to work and to use
public transport (between 9am and 4pm) from 1
Williams review set to be published next month
August I am fearful, as with the pictures we saw
l Happy Shapps? Grant takes a journey to the
east (coast) and makes an ideological U-turn
8
10 when pubs reopened, and beaches were
inundated, that such mixed messaging will be
detrimental. If this backfires the message of key
Features workers running essential services for key
l Gregor Gall reveals how Munira Mirza and other 10 workers and a greater good will be much
former members of the RCP have quietly moved diminished.
into positions of power and influence in Britain We want the economy to recover and only
l Racists in my face: Ed d’Bell on being black in 11 real investment will drive the growth we need,
Britain. Taking a knee, raising a fist, and making otherwise wholesale unemployment will be a
a stand: the powerful stories of Colin Kaepernick; reality. Our industry, some experts say, will take
Tommie Smith; and Josiah Wedgwood 11 five years for passenger growth to return. I am
l Black lives matter: Shekhar Bhatia on football, 12-13
not so sure as we were previously
oversubscribed and unable to deal with
fascism and National Front boot boys; and population growth. Travel patterns will change,
Steve Crowley on why we need to Kill the Bill and the model may not be the Williams
l Katy Proctor reveals the dos and don’ts of data 14 approach, but we will campaign for rail to be at
protection and the tricky old world of GDPR the heart of the opportunity to build the green
l Roger Galloway-Smith on the demonization 15 economy that was so popular and right before
and destruction of GRT communities the pandemic.
Regulars
12 We have been trialing bubbles where drivers
work together after testing to facilitate in-cab
l Branch Lines: We want your photographs 16 training for handling and traction conversions
l
and those pilots have been successful so
Points and Crossings: Kurdistan and TfL 17 companies are seeking to do their own
l Double Heading: Ian Prosser; and Andy Kitson 19 reviewable trials. Work has also been done to run
l Letters and Classified Advertisements 20-21 a pilot for the needs of the sandite and other
l Chris Proctor lifts the lid on the tawdry history
needs and other workshops are reporting back
22
on the industry efforts in partnership to find
of pay to play: how British businessmen have
persuaded politicians to do what they want 15 solutions to safe working in confined spaces.
l On Track: Brian Jackman fondly recalls family
Previous work had already been completed on
23 socially-distanced classroom and static training.
hols that began on the Cornish Riviera Express; The measures are all reviewable and at this time
our Prize Crossword; ASLEF’s Legal Services; there is no intention to move away from our
and members’ Change of Address form policy and best practice in bulletin eight.
There will be many challenges, but we will
The ASLEF Journal is published every month by: not allow opportunism by bad actors to
ASLEF, 77 St John Street, London, EC1M 4NN unreasonably undermine our terms and
Tel: 020 7324 2400 l email: journal@aslef.org.uk
website: www.aslef.org.uk l twitter: @ASLEFUnion 22 conditions or agreements. Finally, my thanks to
all the branch secretaries, reps, officers, EC, and
staff for going the extra yard for us all. Please be
EdiToR Mick Whelan l dESiGNER Michael Cronin l PRiNTER College Hill Press, London, SW19 4HE
AdvERTiSiNG ASLEF Journal, 77 St John Street, London, EC1M 4NN. Contact Keith Richmond on 020 7324 2407 or
safe and well.
richmondk@aslef.org.uk l ClASSiFiEd AdS journal@aslef.org.uk or call 020 7324 2400. The acceptance of a Yours fraternally
display or classified advertisement does not necessarily imply endorsement of that product or service by ASLEF
CHANGE oF AddRESS Please post your details to ASLEF, 77 St John Street, Clerkenwell, London, EC1M 4NN Mick Whelan, general secretary
August 2020 l The ASLEF Journal 3
News
Too much
too soon
SLEF has criticised the government’s
A decision to ditch its covid-19 working
from home guidance – in place since
March – and tell millions of people to start
using public transport again and return to
their offices as ‘too much, too soon’. QUOTE…
Boris Johnson used his regular coronavirus ‘We’re working hard to get the virus,
crisis press conference on Friday 17 July to beg I mean, the vaccine’ – Matt Hancock,
Brits to get back to work to boost the country’s Today, Radio 4, Wednesday 15 July
economy. He unveiled a new ‘contain
…UNQUOTE
framework’ designed to show that the virus is
under control.
The Prime Minister urged people to use Mick: ‘We cannot deliver safely that this is the right time to relax procedures
public transport between 9am and 4pm, anywhere like the peaks of the past’ designed to keep passengers, and staff, safe
rather than travel during peak times, saying: from covid-19 on public transport in Britain.
‘There is a lot of spare capacity that is not ensure the increase in capacity that allows safe ‘As train drivers we believe in public
being used.’ travel and operation with proper social transport – we love trains! – and we want
GS Mick Whelan said: ‘We need clarity and distancing. people to use trains and buses. But we want
we are not getting clarity from this ‘Mr Johnson must be careful not to send passengers to be able to travel safely and this
government. Mr Johnson and his ministers out more mixed messages that compromise seems to be too much, too soon.’
have become the masters of mixed messaging the safety of key workers travelling or Mick added: ‘We look forward to the time
and misleading information. operating all modes of transport. when we can safely get back to normal and rail
‘We have worked with the industry and the ‘We cannot deliver safely anywhere like the forms the backbone of a green economic
government throughout this pandemic to peaks of the past and we are not convinced recovery for Britain.’
by Ron Greenwood in
England dropped Jack the boot room at West
TWEETS OF THE MONTH
Ham where he
because he was black cleaned the boots of,
So glad the government found the
magic money tree…phew.
among others, Clyde
@raygarland70
Plymouth branch is inside-left who scored Best, then one of the
backing a campaign 137 goals in 401 few black footballers
Chris Grayling fails to become
to erect a statue in appearances for in the top flight of
intelligence and security chair.
honour of a footballer Plymouth Argyle. English football (see
Conservative colleague Julian Lewis
picked to play for Bob Jack, the page 12).
humiliates PM’s pick.
England in 1925 – Argyle manager, called The Jack Leslie
Jack leslie @guardiannews
then dropped by the Jack into his office to Campaign, run by fans
selectors when they tell him he was 0-0 draw in Belfast, of Plymouth Argyle,
‘Chris Grayling fails’ the new
discovered he was playing for England Jack scored twice as Exeter City, and
dystopian children’s party game.
black. against Ireland; but Argyle beat Torquay United, is
@SimonWeller
Jack Leslie, born at when the selectors Bournemouth 7-2 at trying to raise
Canning Town in the realised he was black Home Park. £100,000 to put up a
Nigel Farage hired by Fox News as a
East End of London in they replaced him After Jack retired as statue of Jack in
political anal cyst [sic]
1900, to an English with Billy Walker of a boilermaker back in memory of the man,
@BBCNews
mother and Jamaican Aston Villa. While the East End, he was to celebrate diversity,
father, was a prolific England struggled to a offered a part-time job and combat racism.
I’m not planning to prepare for Brexit,
instead I’m going to let it creep up on
ASLEF remembers THE GS: PLEASE EMAIL US YOUR DETAILS me and surprise me, like dementia does.
‘Last month we asked you to update or provide your email @Trump_ton
GS Mick Whelan paused on addresses so we can get virtual branches up and running.
Tuesday 7 July to reflect on events We now have in excess of 13,000 on file – so thanks! – but if
15 years ago. He said: ‘We must you have not done so I would encourage you to do it. We
never forget those impacted by shall be issuing guidance and support to make this
the loss and tragedy of 7/7 and be happen. All members will have to download the Zoom app our hip, hot and very much
vigilant to ensure that it does not (it’s free) while branch secretaries will be asked to subscribe happening red baseball cap
happen again. As we remember to Zoom, reclaimable from head office. Please engage will keep the sun out of
the victims and families we all when it is up and running; it’s your union, and your voice. your eyes this summer.
give thanks to the staff and The system has been trialed by district councils, internal Price £5 (inc p&p); email
emergency services that not only meetings, and the executive committee, in the past few info@aslef.org.uk or visit our online
gave succour but prevented months but, inevitably, there will be some teething shop at www.aslef.org.uk
much greater loss of life and hurt.’ problems over our 170-plus branches as we introduce this.’
4 The ASLEF Journal l August 2020
News
that Bob Moran, lead
‘Speak, hands, for political cartoonist at
the Daily Telegraph, off the Rails
me!’‘Et tu, Brute? who used to work for
The Guardian and
MEG HILLIER, Labour MP for Hackney South &
Morning Star,
Then fall, Caesar!’ portrayed the Prime
Minister on Saturday
Shoreditch, and chair of the House of Commons
Public Accounts Committee, has warned that
RANK from the letter E in 11 July as ‘dead as a England’s taps could well run dry within 20
F Rimmer, a
driver with
‘letdown’.
‘The original is sold,
dodo’. The payoff line
is telling: ‘Can be
years. She urged the Department for
Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, together
TransPennine Express, but I have prints viewed by many with the Environment Agency, and the regulator Ofwat, to
and a member of our available,’ says Frank. today as being stuffed’. act to prevent a country with so much rainfall running out of
Preston branch, is a Things are not For the Torygraph – water. Privatisation of the water industry – like privatisation
talented artist to boot. going well for the a paper for whom the of Britain’s railways – has been a complete disaster, with the
In this, his latest Prime Minister who is PM still writes – to privatised water companies refusing to invest in
painting, the Prime nervous that Tory MPs have a pop shows infrastructure, refusing to repair leaks, jacking up prices, and
Minister is portrayed are about to do to him how vulnerable his taking as much money as possible out of the system in profits
as Bumbling Boris, in a what they did to position now is. It’s and dividends. More than 3 billion litres of water a day are
neat visual and verbal Theresa May. Johnson not just Dishy Rishi, lost in leaks – a situation Meg describes as ‘wholly
pun, a bumble bee spent years plotting who many see as not unacceptable’. A spokesperson for Environment Secretary
struggling – within a and planning against only more popular, George Eustice could only mutter, ‘We recognise the need to
green and yellow first, David Cameron, but more decisive, safeguard water supplies for future generations’. Which, like
border rather and then, Mrs May, and more successful, ‘Useless’ Eustice, comes up woefully short.
reminiscent of a and knows how it’s but Michael Gove,
Norwich City football done. ever disloyal, is out on JOHN BOLTON, former US National Security
shirt from the 1990s – He also knows that manoeuvres, too. Adviser, pulls few punches in his book The
with Brexit, the NHS, – like Cassius, Cinna, Room Where It Happened (Simon & Schuster,
and the coronavirus Brutus, and the other £25). The problem, he says, is not so much
crisis. Dominic conspirators in Julius having a boss with whom he disagreed as
Cummings, the Caesar – Conservative having a boss – the President – so
Premier’s evil goblin, MPs smell weakness dysfunctional that it wasn’t possible to
who got away with like sharks smell blood construct coherent policies. Donald Trump is,
lying about breaking and are quick to turn he says, exceedingly rude; meetings resemble ‘college food
the government’s on bumbling leaders fights’; and he’s ignorant, asking if Finland is part of Russia.
lockdown, hangs on they see as losers. Well, to be fair, it was from 1809 to 1917, but, sadly, that
an opened padlock Things are so bad wasn’t what the Donald meant. And, although treaties take
years to negotiate, Trump believes he can solve every
problem in a face to face meeting in a couple of hours.
One of Boris Johnson’s many faults is that he
is famously thin-skinned. Which you cannot
say of RUTH DAVIDSON. The former leader
of the Scottish Conservative Party cheerfully
sent herself up after comments, less than
flattering, about her appearance. ‘I once
accepted an award saying it had been a brilliant day because,
earlier, I had come second in a Kim Jong-un lookalike
competition. So it is kind of my own fault…’
GAVIN WILLIAMSON, the over-promoted,
under-achieving, Secretary of State for
Education, was given six of the very best by
Bob’s BoJo dodo (above) and Frank’s bumbling bee (above right) John Crace in The Guardian. ‘Most Education
Secretaries end up sounding like
headteachers. Not Williamson. He is firmly
QUOTE… stuck at the level of an out-of-his-depth sixth
‘We were promised a New Deal but got a Meal Deal’ former. Nothing he says comes with any real conviction. He’s
– Anneliese Dodds, Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer even lost the elan he once had of twice winning fireplace
…UNQUOTE salesman of the year (2006 and 2008). He just aspires to the
dull monotone of the supply teacher praying for class to end.’
500 CLUB: Malcolm Dixon, with number 218, won the July draw,
scooping the Retired Members’ Section jackpot of £480. JULIA SAWALHA, who played Saffy in
Absolutely Fabulous, Lydia Bennet in Pride and
Prejudice, and Dorcas Lane in Lark Rise to
Our smart black leather wallet – with embossed Candleford, had a bit of fun on Twitter when told
ASLEF logo on the front – has three fold-out and she had been axed from the sequel to Chicken
removable plastic inserts (ie, the wallet can hold six Run – she voiced Ginger – because, at 51, she’s
credit cards). Price £10 inc p&p; email ‘too old’. ‘I have been plucked, stuffed, and roasted.’
info@aslef.org.uk or visit our online shop at www.aslef.org.uk
August 2020 l The ASLEF Journal 5
News
Premier is living
on Fantasy Island
SLEF reacted angrily 2012 when, as Mayor of London,
A after Boris Johnson
suggested that driverless
Boris Johnson vowed to introduce
driverless trains “within two years”
trains on London Underground – show he has no grasp of the
should be a condition of the realities of running a modern
funding settlement for Transport railway. He is, say those who do,
for London this autumn. living with Mr Roarke on Fantasy
The Prime Minister, on a site Island.
visit to a new £200 million DO8 Finn Brennan, ASLEF’s
Siemens factory at Goole in East organiser on London The PM, who donned his favourite
Yorkshire on Monday 6 July, said: Underground, said: ‘As always, hi-vis jacket for the photo op on his trip
‘You can run these trains without Johnson is talking nonsense to Goole, seems to think he’s in a
the need for somebody to be about driverless trains. Slashing remake of the once popular telly show
sitting in the driver’s cab the government funding to TfL which starred Ricardo Montalbán as Mr
whole time. So what I will be means they cannot afford the Roarke and Hervé villechaize as Tattoo
saying to the London transport signalling upgrade, and other
authority is let’s take advantage of technology, that would be coronavirus crisis, these very same the spirit of co-operation to me.’
this technological leap forward, needed for “driverless trains”. workers are being treated with Driverless trains are simply not
let’s not be the prisoners of the While pretending to support a contempt and told they’re now viable in the deep tunnels and on
unions any more, let’s go to “great leap forward” the Prime not needed. the Victorian infrastructure of the
driverless trains, and let’s make Minister’s policies are actually ‘For the Prime Minister to claim London Underground. It would
that a condition of the funding preventing any progress with that rail unions are holding the not be safe to run services
settlement for Transport for transport in the capital; they country as “prisoners” after we’ve without a trained member of staff
London this autumn. mean that Londoners will suffer all worked closely with the on board in case of emergency.
‘That’s the way forward for this years of delays and overcrowding government and DfT to keep our Even the Docklands Light Railway,
country and we want to make use in the future.’ network working throughout the which was purpose-built to be
of the fantastic technology we’ve And a furious Mick Whelan crisis, is nothing short of driverless, is staffed with a train
got and provide a better service said: ‘Train drivers on London scandalous. Perhaps he should captain able to drive the train if
for people in the capital and take Underground have continued to speak to his own Transport necessary.
the whole economy forward.’ work throughout this pandemic Secretary who, last month, was The GS dryly concluded: ‘This is
As the trade union which to make sure fellow key workers thanking us for working with him desperate stuff which is
represents 96% of the train drivers can get to work and back. It’s and said, “I look forward to unworkable and unnecessary.
in England, Scotland, and Wales, quite disgraceful that, whilst we’re continued collaboration in future, People will be making driverless
ASLEF was quick to respond to still in the midst of this pandemic, because co-operation will be key car journeys to Barnard Castle
remarks which – although in line partly due to this hopeless to setting the country on the road before taking a driverless Tube
with an ambition he first voiced in government’s slow reaction to the to recovery.” This doesn’t look like train to Elephant & Castle.’
Stagecoach loses High Court battle
Work practices ‘archaic’ The Department for Transport has
welcomed a High Court verdict that the
Two rail workers killed while working on the track at government’s decision to block
Margam, in south Wales, on 3 July 2019, lost their lives Stagecoach from bidding for three rail
because working practices ‘aren’t fit for purpose’ according franchises – in a row over pensions –
to the family of one of the men who died. was lawful. The bus company was
An investigation by Network Rail found that Gareth trying to wriggle out of its obligations
delbridge, 64, and Michael lewis, 58, had been using a tool to employees. The judge found that the franchise process was
with a petrol engine, and wearing ear defenders, meaning ‘fair and transparent’ and the block on Stagecoach
they could not hear an approaching train travelling from ‘proportionate’. The firm said it ‘was disappointed [but] we accept
Swansea to Paddington. The report said six staff working the decision and move on.’
on the line had separated, of their own accord, into groups
of three, meaning there was no official lookout. it also said
that the Port Talbot depot’s management’s ‘habitual ways Carry all your
of working had normalised behaviour inherently non- QUOTE…
stuff – papers,
compliant with company standards’. ‘Bolsonaro, Trump and
sandwiches, keys
Mr delbridge’s son-in-law, Adrian Grant, called the Johnson: these are men you
– in style with our smart
company’s working practices ‘archaic’. He said: ‘They’ve got wouldn’t put in charge of
new sturdy black ASlEF
men with flags and whistles or horns in front of containing an outbreak of
bag. Price £17.50 (inc p&p);
locomotives travelling at 120mph.’ acne.’ – Ferdinand Mount,
email info@aslef.org.uk or
The company said it is working hard to improve the London Review of Books
visit our online shop at
safety of workers on the railway. …UNQUOTE www.aslef.org.uk
6 The ASLEF Journal l August 2020
News
Shapps to bring railways
back under public control
RANT Shapps has told ‘failed franchise system’ and
G MPs that the coronavirus
crisis has created an
replace it with management
contracts. Instead of bidding for a
opportunity to run ‘a different franchise, and taking the fare box,
type of railway’. operators would receive a fixed
The Secretary of State for fee for running a service while the
Transport told the House of Treasury would collect the cash
Commons Transport Select and the government would own
Committee on Wednesday 24 the routes. Grant Shapps has admitted that John Major got it wrong and 26 years
June that the government will use The new system will be of rail privatisation hasn’t delivered for passengers, staff, or taxpayers
emergency covid-19 measures to overseen by a new board of
take control of Britain’s railways. control, which is likely to be a three-way dog fight between together’ – and compared it to the
While he is not proposing a chaired by the Transport Secretary, Williams, the DfT, and Downing Transport for London model
return to full public ownership – giving the DfT greater control of Street, and then the covid-19 where an operator is awarded a
for which ASLEF has long timetables and fares. It would also crisis, has seen his review put on contract to run London
campaigned and which was give the network the ‘guiding the back burner. Overground.
promised in the last Labour Party mind’ which Keith Williams has Williams’ proposals will provide The Williams review should
manifesto – it is, nonetheless, a called for in his rail review in Shapps with cover if he comes now be published in September.
remarkable volte face by a leaked criticism of the ‘fragmented under attack from the TOCs, the
Conservative government. nature of our privatised railways’. RDG, or some of the ideologically-
Because it is an admission that That review was ready to be driven, uber free market, ‘swivel-
the privatisation of the UK rail published before last Christmas – QUOTE…
eyed loons’ on the government’s
network by John Major in 1994 – when Williams briefed ASLEF ‘We would welcome Prince
backbenches.
which even Margaret Thatcher, about it in November he told the Andrew coming in to talk
The Transport Secretary told
that arch advocate of GS that the structure he would with us’ – New York
the committee he would ‘bring
privatisation, famously described propose could work whether the prosecutor Audrey
the railway back together’ –
as ‘a privatisation too far’ – was railway was in public ownership, Strauss after charging
ironically, nicking a phrase from
utterly wrong-headed and simply under Labour, or still privatised, his pal Ghislaine Maxwell
our GS, as Mick has often called
hasn’t worked. under the Tories – but the general on the government to ‘bring the …UNQUOTE
Shapps is proposing to end the election in December, followed by wheels and the steel back
Warner slams TOCs
Alex Warner, chair of the West
Midlands Grand Rail
Dawlish 2.0
Collaboration, which brings Plans have been submitted to Teignbridge
together TOCs, FOCs, Network district council in south Devon for the rest
Rail, and the West Midlands Rail of the £80 million sea wall to protect the
Executive, has lashed out at the vital rail artery to the south-west of
attitude of the privatised train England from rough weather, and rising
operating companies. sea levels, for the foreseeable future.
‘Professionals seem to be Work on the first section of the wall, at
designated into one of two Marine Parade, should be finished this
categories – operations or summer. The second section, a 415 metre
customer service,’ he said. ‘I’ve stretch between the Coastguards and
always been thrown into the “He’s Colonnade breakwaters, will ‘return the
Mr Customer Services, pink and waves to the sea and reduce the amount of These panels in the new sea wall are designed to
fluffy, we’ll come to customer water and spray reaching the tracks’. deflect the power of the waves back out to sea
service once we’ve sorted the
operations out” type category.
You go away and play and make NETWORK RAIL ON TRACK IN EAST ANGLIA
staff be friendly and smile and Network Rail has started a six month programme of track improvements Time for a
we’ll do the real stuff of running in the Anglia region. It includes track renewal and signalling work at brew? This
trains from a to b. Colchester and Needham Market on the Norwich to London main line; red ASlEF
‘I’ve stumbled across this kind near Elmswell on the Ipswich to Bury St Edmunds line; and on the mug is just
of sentiment over the years and it Clacton on Sea branch line. Overhead wires at Stratford are also being the job for
does bemuse me. Because, replaced to improve reliability, especially in very hot weather. tea or coffee in the mess
actually, customer service is a big room or at home. £3.50
part of the operation. I think this is TOGETHER IN ELECTRIC DREAMS (inc p&p); email
something they do see in the Hitachi Rail has begun building five all-electric intercity Class 803s for info@aslef.org.uk or visit
West Midlands but, historically, the open access operator East Coast Trains at its Newton Aycliffe plant in our online shop at
across parts of the industry, it’s County Durham. The trains are set to enter service on the main line www.aslef.org.uk
not always been the case.’ between Edinburgh and London in autumn 2021.
August 2020 l The ASLEF Journal 7
News
infrastructure, should
Happy Shapps on be run as a public
service, not as an
journey to the east opportunity for a few
people to plunder a
SLEF has 2023, with an option private profit.
A welcomed
news that
to extend until 2025.
‘We welcome this
Especially as these
profits – cash which
East Coast main line announcement, leaks from our railway
services will continue which is a sensible system – is made off
to be run by the state decision, and which the back of an
for up to five more offers clarity and enormous public
years. The security in the short- subsidy!’ Mick added:
government has term to both ‘As the government
announced that the passengers and staff,’ has indicated it is
publicly-owned train said GS Mick Whelan. ‘Good news about lNER,’ said Mick. moving from the
operator London ‘But we think the ‘Now let’s make it permanent!’ failed franchise
North Eastern government should model to a new
Railway will run announce that this what passengers after survey, that it’s opinion, want, too. concession model,
services on the line line will stay in public want, it’s what rail what voters, of all ‘Because the why do we need the
between London and ownership staff want, and we political parties and railway, which is a key involvement of these
Edinburgh until June permanently. It’s know, from survey shades of ideological part of this country’s privateers, anyway?’
Capital punishment Up on the roof
After Sadiq Khan, the failure to help.
Mayor of London, GS Mick Whelan
revealed the crushing said: ‘London is not
financial cost of the just Britain’s capital,
coronavirus crisis on but one of the world’s
the capital on biggest and most Finn: ‘We will fight to defend
Thursday 18 June, exciting cities, with a our pay, t&cs, and pensions’
predicting a £500 public transport
million shortfall over system essential for working conditions,
the next two years, helping people move lifted, play. It is also the not more cuts.
ASLEF condemned about for work and, only major metro ‘Government
the government for its when lockdown is system in the world incompetence has led Mayor Marvin Rees (left) and Mike Gallop of
with zero central to some of the worst Network Rail (centre) join a socially distanced
funding. And that is a public health (and a very carefully gender balanced)
Are subs tax deductible? disgrace.’ outcomes in Europe, restoration team pic at Temple Meads
Mark Kennerley, of Manchester Piccadilly, DO8 Finn Brennan, coupled with huge
wrote to the Journal last month: ‘Whilst filling our organiser on the economic damage. The famous Grade 1 listed Victorian roof of
in my tax return it came to my attention that Underground, said: But they still find no Bristol Temple Meads station is to be
union subscriptions could be tax deductible. I ‘Deep cuts to essential difficulty in organising restored to its former glory in a £24
found a list of HMRC approved organisations public services in the a multi-billion pound million three year restoration scheme.
for deducting tax against subs but, capital are on the way. quantitative easing ‘This is a great moment for Bristol, and
regrettably, ASLEF is not on the list.’ For months essential programme that the whole of the West of England,
‘Thanks, Mark, for bringing this to our workers have been benefits those who providing a brighter station for
attention,’ said GS Mick Whelan, who called “heroes” but are already wealthy. passengers worthy of Isambard Kingdom
promised: ‘We will look into this.’ now they will have to ‘We don’t need Brunel,’ said Mike Gallop, Western route
Nikki Newing, ASLEF’s finance manager, fight to protect their applause for low-paid director at Network Rail. ‘We’re ambitious
has. ‘HMRC has defined subscriptions that can jobs, their pay, and essential workers. We about our plans, and this is the first step in
be used for tax relief,’ she reports. ‘ASLEF subs their conditions of need strong and providing a world class station to enable
are not one of them. We have raised this but it employment. determined trade more people to get to their jobs and
is in the hands of HMRC. If you look on the ‘The London unions that will fight encouraging more investment in the area.’
HMRC website there are definitions and they Mayor has decided to to defend them if the Marvin Rees, Mayor of Bristol, who
stem around being professionals (Institute of cut his own salary but government is not addressed AAD at the Marriott Hotel in the
Directors, ICAEW, ACCA, etc). HMRC is not, public service workers, prepared to properly city in 2017, added: ‘This is a much-needed
sadly, particularly forthcoming with non- and millions of others, fund our public step forward in the enhancement of the
professional associations and trade unions!’ need better pay and services.’ station and a significant boost for Bristol
during this really difficult time.’
ASLEF’s young members QUOTE… The project is part of a programme of
are driving the future. If ‘Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick rail upgrades designed to improve
you’re 35 or under, wear sweated under the glare of the reliability and capacity which includes the
our badge with pride for Commons lights like a saveloy in a chip remodelling of a crucial junction just
just £3 (inc p&p); email shop’ – Henry Deedes, outside Temple Meads station, complete
info@aslef.org.uk or visit our online parliamentary sketch, Daily Mail rewiring, and the construction of a new
shop at www.aslef.org.uk entrance for a new Bristol University
…UNQUOTE
campus and the east of the city.
8 The ASLEF Journal l August 2020
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July 2020 l The ASLEF Journal 9
Firebox
Take a long day’s
journey into night
GREGOR GALL, an affiliate
research associate at
Glasgow University, and
editor of the Scottish Left
Review, reveals how
Munira Mirza and several other if you’re glad,
members of the Revolutionary i’ll be Frank.
Communist Party have quietly moved Richards or
into positions of power and influence Furedi. Mirza
or Fox
UNIRA Mirza is a name you may not – dissolved in 1997.
M but should get to – know. Because
she may end up as powerful as
RCP politics – often described as ‘typically
Trot’ – were originally based around opposition
Dominic Cummings although she is less keen to the intervention of the capitalist state in the
on being in the public eye. She was appointed lives of working-class people, fierce criticism of
director of Boris Johnson’s Downing Street Labour as a reformist party, and the rejection
policy unit last summer, having previously of state controls over immigration and imports.
worked for him as a Deputy Mayor when he In 1983 it launched its general election
was Mayor of London. manifesto called, somewhat optimistically, desirability of minimal government
But it was her appointment as head of a Preparing for Power. Its four candidates, led by intervention and control. This ranges from
government commission on racial Furedi, got just 581 votes. climate change and vaccinations to fox
inequalities, following the Black Lives Matter hunting and paedophilia, amongst many other
protests this summer, that really got her THINK TANK OF SWIVEL-EYED LOONS subjects.
noticed. The RCP’s far-left politics slowly morphed into The story of progressive young lefties
‘Why?’ you may ask. Well, Johnson was cute opposition to any form of state intervention. becoming crotchety old Conservatives is not
enough to appoint a young Muslim woman of Seizing their chance, right-wing libertarians new. The International Socialists, which
Pakistani descent rather than an old white welcomed these ‘Johnny-come-latelies’ into became the Socialist Workers’ Party, once
man who used to be a judge. But, troublingly, their ‘advanced disruptor’ fold, railing against boasted Garry Bushell, who went on to The Sun
Munira Mirza is on record, and on message, as the ‘nanny state’ and calling for more neo- and promoted the proto-fascist Oi movement;
a critic of multiculturalism which, she believes, liberal deregulation. Mirza worked for Policy Peter Hitchens, who now writes a column for
‘fuels a sense of exclusion’. Exchange, favourite think tank of the ‘swivel- the Mail on Sunday; Wendy Henry, who
She has also attacked the anti-racism eyed loons’ – as David Cameron called them – became editor of the News of the World; and
movement as a ‘bogus moral crusade’ and between 2005 and 2007. Rod Liddle, who writes racist columns for The
casts doubt on whether institutional racism She is not the only fellow traveller to tread Spectator and Sunday Times. In fairness to this
exists. Which, of course, is just what Whitey in this path from the RCP to a position of power motley crew, they did renounce their former
Westminster wants to hear. and influence in the UK today. politics.
Claire Fox founded the Institute of Ideas, And therein lies a key difference. While the
MIRZA’S MADE AN EXTRAORDINARY got a regular spot on Radio 4’s Moral Maze, SWP crowd turned their backs on their former
POLITICAL JOURNEY FROM FRANK and, briefly, became a Brexit Party MEP. She is comrades, the RCP crew have not. They are far
FUREDI TO BORIS JOHNSON also a climate change denier. And was co- more influential now, as entryists and
But lying underneath this BLM controversy is publisher of Living Marxism which closed in infiltrators, than they ever were before. Some
the extraordinary political journey Munira 2000 after falsely accusing ITN of faking say they will end up as a Tory version of those
Mirza has undertaken from one end of the evidence of Bosnian genocide. thinkers behind the Communist Party’s
political spectrum – as a far-left Trotskyist Her sister Fiona Fox runs the Science Media Marxism Today magazine who later provided
revolutionary – to the other – as a far-right Centre, a ‘pro-science’ organisation that lobbies the intellectual ballast for Tony Blair’s New
libertarian reactionary – because she used to aggressively – and not always accurately, say Labour project.
be an active member of the Revolutionary critics – for industry, on controversial subjects
Communist Party which has exerted a such as genetically modified crops and MAKE THE LONG MARCH THROUGH
profound influence on her ideological ‘Frankenstein food’. THE INSTITUTIONS JUST LIKE RUDI
thinking and political actions. Other former RCP members – such as James Calling them entryists may be unfair. Antonio
Mirza was born and brought up in Oldham, Heartfield, Mick Hume, and Brendan O’Neill – Gramsci, the Italian Marxist imprisoned by
went to state schools, and read English at have become influential writers and Mussolini, developed the idea of establishing a
Mansfield College, Oxford, before doing a PhD commentators or – like Kenan Malik – counter-hegemony through a ‘war of position’
at the University of Kent under the supervision broadcasters. Spiked, backed by the US oil – in other words, developing alternative values
of Frank Furedi, a former member of the billionaire Koch brothers, is still going. and an alternative ideology to those that
International Socialists – where he used the The common thread is the acquisition of dominate present society.
nom de guerre Frank Richards – and then power and influence in the media, academia, And Rudi Dutschke, the German
founder and leader of the RCP. or at the heart of the state – the tarnished state communist student leader, turned this, in the
She wrote articles for its magazine, Living they wish to not just downgrade but dismantle late 1960s, into ‘the long march through the
Marxism, its website Spiked, and was well- and destroy as Dominic Cummings’ Praetorian institutions’ as a way of establishing the
acquainted with the RCP’s network of guard of ‘great disruptors’. conditions for political change by joining the
influencers even after the party was formally They disseminate a libertarian belief in the leading organisations of society.
10 The ASLEF Journal l August 2020Black lives Matter
Racists right in my face
ED D’BELL, Black & Minority matter’; this, too, should be applauded.
Ethnic Representatives’ Because how will change come if we
Committee member for cannot argue that black lives matter to
District 1, and a member of highlight our cause and our call for change?
it won’t. Change does not – and will not –
Southampton Northam
come of its own accord. But, after pressure
branch, on why the BLM movement is from BlM, the leaders of countries have Black and white
an important vehicle for change taken these concerns seriously, something together unite
that, frankly, in this day and age shouldn’t against the fascist
ll livES MATTER’. of course they have to be a concern. and racist right
A
‘
do! i’m sure no one disagrees but
say ‘black lives matter’ and, for
i’ve heard people say ‘racism doesn’t
exist any more’. Back in the day, it was ‘just anything, i said my good-byes, and carried
some reason, there will be several people one of those things’. i’ve been called the on. Something i probably should not have
who disagree! usual: ‘Pak*, nigg*r, black c**t’. Anyone who done.
George Floyd, a black American, was knows me knows i’m a pretty mellow chap Being racially abused is unacceptable
killed in custody by police officers in so, when i’ve been racially abused, i don’t but it still happens in Britain today and
Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Monday 25 take it personally, to me, but i do for my people suffer discrimination because of the
May. A knee was placed upon his neck by an family, to a point where i may lose my job colour of our skin.
officer, resulting in asphyxiation and death. over it! So i am saddened when i hear people
This was not the first time this has been i’ve had racism right in my face. Having a condemn movements that are trying to
done and, even when other officers car stop abruptly in front of me on the way change society for the better for minorities.
attended, and heard George pleading ‘i home by cycle, a bottle thrown at me and Should we try and find ways to stop black
can’t breathe’, nothing was done to stop it. called a ‘Pak*’. Being laughed at when i put people from being treated equally? is it
Since George Floyd’s death the Black my head out of the cab window. i’ve even wrong to say that black lives matter and
lives Matter movement has gained rolled into a station on a red, heard ‘nigg*r’ offend the far-right?
momentum, not only in America, but right by a couple of lads who jumped in the train, The BlM movement highlights the
across the world. it wants fair and equal carried on to the next station, where i got unacceptable deaths of black people in the
treatment for black and minority ethnic out and followed them into the waiting US by the hands of law enforcement as well
men and women in all walks of life and this room, and asked them ‘not politely’ what as the wider inequality against the BAME
should be applauded. Just like ‘all lives they said to me? They denied they had said community in societies across the world.
Taking a knee, Cry for freedom An iconic
image of
the ’60s
making a stand one
This Black Power salute,
of the most
who had pinned an
Olympic Project for
protest
movement
Josiah powerful protest images Human Rights badge on
Wedgwood, a of the 20th century, was his tracksuit, suggested
prominent taken by Life magazine they share.
abolitionist as photographer John The photograph was
well as a Dominis after US a progressive slingshot
potter, who sprinters Tommie Smith which went right around
specialised in and John Carlos stepped the world, capturing all
stoneware and onto the podium at the the agony, anger and Olympic rules, added: ‘I walked to the podium
earthenware Olympics in Mexico City angst of the civil rights fingered my beads and very slowly, as if in
Wedgwood’s
at his factory in 1968. Smith had just movement. thought about the mourning, hands
poignant plea
in Stoke-on- won gold, and Carlos ‘It was a cry for pictures I’d seen of the clasped behind their
Trent, made this medallion for the bronze, in the 200 freedom,’ said Smith. “strange fruit” – black backs, each holding a
anti-slavery campaign in 1787. He metres. Peter Norman, of Carlos, who wore a long men lynched by the Ku running shoe. They
donated hundreds of his ‘Am i not Australia, took silver. string of beads around Klux Klan – swinging walked across the grass
a Man and a Brother?’ cameos for As the PA started to his neck, his jacket from the poplar trees.’ in socks, to protest about
distribution by the Society for play The Star-Spangled unzipped in defiance of The runners had poverty back home.
Effecting the Abolition of the Slave Banner, Smith lowered
Trade. ‘ladies wore them in his head and raised his
bracelets, and others had them right fist. Carlos raised his San Francisco 49ers
fitted up in an ornamental manner left. Dominis raised his quarterback Colin Kaepernick
as pins for their hair,’ wrote Thomas lens and his shutter (centre), linebacker Eli Harold
Clarkson. ‘At length the taste for captured a shattering (left), and free safety Eric Reid
wearing them became general, moment of silent (right) take a knee during the
and thus fashion, which usually protest. American national anthem
confines itself to worthless things, The reason Carlos before the NFl game with the
was seen for once in the wore a glove on his left dallas Cowboys at levi’s
honourable office of promoting hand was that they only Stadium, Santa Clara,
the cause of justice, humanity and had one pair of gloves California, in 2016
freedom.’ between them. Norman,
August 2020 l The ASLEF Journal 11Black lives Matter
Then like my dreams they fad
SHEKHAR BHATIA is a
journalist and television
documentary maker
who has worked for the
Evening Standard,
Sunday Mirror, BBC,
NBC, C4 and Mail Online.
Shekhar was brought up in the East End
of London and here he reflects on his
love of football, his passion for one team,
and the racism he encountered at
grounds around the country
T WASN’T only the wonderful sight of
I Bobby Moore lifting the World Cup on
30 July 1966 that plunged me into a life
of suffering with West Ham United and, of
course, England, too. I was just a schoolboy aged
seven when he and two other West Ham legends
– Geoff Hurst and Martin Peters – ensured the
Jules Rimet trophy stayed in England after the
tournament with that famous 4-2 victory over
West Germany at Wembley.
But there was more – much more – to it than
West Ham’s terrific World Cup winning trio.
West Ham was a club where, subconsciously, I
felt my support belonged largely because the
club paraded a couple of talented young black
players in Clyde Best and Ade Coker.
BUS RIDES WERE ALWAYS EVENTFUL
I am black – or brown, if you like – and, if I ever
forgot, people were always there to remind me.
As an East Ender, I suppose I had little choice
about falling in love with the claret and blue. But
the inclusion of Messrs Best and Coker in the
Hammers’ line-up made it that much simpler.
I spent those years in the early 1970s being
called ‘Paki’ and ‘Enoch’ and this didn’t exclude
some of the West Ham following when I turned
up at the old Boleyn ground, penniless, and
went in when the gates were opened for the
final few minutes to allow for early leavers.
The number 58 bus ride home was nearly women and children they passed on the street. Upton Park.
always eventful and I would cower at the The abuse I suffered did make me turn my West Ham also played a black left-back, John
menacing sight of some of my fellow West Ham attention for a while to another East End side – Charles, and a Turkish forward called Yilmaz
fans. Leyton Orient – and I marvelled at their young Orhan and I can remember how excited I was
They would stand outside the Boleyn tavern black starlets like Laurie Cunningham and John when I saw his name printed in the team line-up
on the corner of Green Street and the Barking Chiedozie. I felt I belonged there, too, and would in my father’s Daily Telegraph one day.
Road buying and selling copies of National Front jump over the wall and, later, sell football There were so few black faces to cheer in
News and Bulldog, the newspaper of the Young programmes to watch the Os at Brisbane Road. football, or on television, that anyone who was
National Front, both of which espoused the non-white became someone to cheer as
notion that people like me should be ‘sent back EXCITED WHEN I SAW HIS NAME representative.
to where they came from’. In my case, that would But I had been caught up in the magic of West When I first worked on Fleet Street at the age
have been Leytonstone, because that was where Ham’s free-flowing attacking football and I was of 22, the Falklands War was raging; I was
I was brought up. hooked – despite my fear of the ‘Paki-bashers’ in mistaken for an Argentine and there was abuse
The irony was lost on me that those racists I their bovver boots. to overcome in the newsroom, too. I was once
saw outside the pub, and on the bus home, to It dawned on me, years later, that perhaps it called a ‘monkey’ and asked who had cut my tree
whom Clyde Best and Ade Coker were Saturday wasn’t just the beauty of the game played by the down. On another occasion, a newspaper
afternoon heroes, out on the pitch in a claret and boys in claret and blue, but the colour of the skin executive made a speech referencing ‘wogs’. My
blue shirt, would spit bile at the black men, of players like Best and Coker that drew me to true East End spirit came to the fore – and I gave
12 The ASLEF Journal l August 2020Black lives Matter
de and die Kill the immigration Bill
At an extraordinary meeting of
Bakerloo line branch 250 on
Thursday 18 June the following
motion, moved by Trevor Robinson,
and seconded by Mark Gilkes, was
passed unanimously.
RANCH and BAME members
B continue to be concerned about
the immigration Bill that we
believe will have a detrimental effect on
the already underfunded and
Clyde Best (top row, far left); Ade Coker; and The Tories are targeting
understaffed NHS.
John Charles; Yilmaz orhan (second row, left); a the NHS with this bill
The House of Commons library
young Shekhar Bhatia tries on the shirt for size;
information service provides the NHS workers and carers under the
and John Charles (back row, third from right) in
following statistics. of 1.28 million staff government promise.
a team pic with Martin Peters (back row, far
employed by the NHS, 170,000 are non- Also contained in the plans is being
left), Bobby Moore (back row, far right), and
British. The majority are low paid which able to speak English to a certain
Geoff Hurst (front row, second from right)
limits the quality of life they are able to standard and having a job offer from a
afford. government-approved employer. Such
him what for. BAME groups have been moves risk chaos to a health system that
That West Ham haven’t won anything of note disproportionately impacted by covid- struggled to cope as the covid-19
since landing the FA Cup 40 years ago – beating 19; this was particularly apparent pandemic swept Britain. An NHS
Arsenal 1-0 thanks to a header by, of all people, amongst NHS staff. As the clapping for devastated by years of cuts and
Trevor Brooking who, while majestic with his NHS workers finally ends, Tory hypocrisy privatisation saw shortages of PPE and
feet, was rarely known to head the ball – is not over support for those who put their workers unable to get tests despite
lost on me. lives on the line during the crisis is working on the frontline.
And it is a stark fact that football has a long, exposed by the immigration Bill. This More than 200 health workers have
long way to go before the game can be truly racist legislation threatens the very died from covid-19 so far; 122 of those,
labelled as all-inclusive and welcoming. bedrock of the NHS, targeting the non- 61% of the total, are from BAME
I no longer fear being beaten up, or racially British staff who make up an essential backgrounds.
abused, at a game but that is probably because I part of the workforce. As the world reverberates with global
am 6ft tall and racist behaviour is now a hate The immigration Bill edges Britain protests over structural and institutional
crime and the police appear keener to enforce towards an Australian-style points- racism and inequality we must stand
the law. based system, placing visa requirements against legislation that will only serve to
West Ham should be praised for having on care workers and NHS staff while entrench this system and deepen the
notices around the new ground that racist abuse repealing EU freedom of movement. disproportionate impact on those from
will not be tolerated, though I wish they had Setting a salary threshold of £25,600 to the BAME community.
done that way back when. qualify for a visa sends a message to We must stand together and demand
I once took a girlfriend to watch West Ham at anyone earning less than this that they the scrapping of the legislation in its
Port Vale when an Ian Bishop goal gave us the are not welcome in this country. This is a entirety and stand with all those
points. A fan next to us made monkey noises massive Tory slap in the face by those affected by this racist legislation.
throughout the whole match against George who clapped so vigorously on the The branch and BAME members
Parris, a journeyman professional for whom I downing Street steps just a few weeks request that the GS and EC lobby the
always had a soft spot. It spoiled the event for ago. government to immediately withdraw
her so much she never went to a game again. The £425 NHS surcharge for non-EU the NHS surcharge applied to all foreign
migrants which it is planned to raise to nationals and their dependents working
THE DAY A SIKH SCORES THE WINNER £625, including those working in the and paying taxes in the UK, especially
Losing fans to racism is a huge own goal for NHS, is still being paid by large those working in the NHS; oppose and
football. As a season ticket holder at the London numbers, despite a U-turn by the condemn the immigration Bill that puts
Stadium, it is still disappointing to see so few government last month. The date for working-class families at risk of not
black and brown faces walking through Stratford when the fees will be scrapped is still not being able to afford family reunion
to the ground. known and guidance has not yet been visas; lobby the government to remove
I once saw a Sikh gentleman with his son, released by the department of Health the salary threshold requirement that
both in West Ham shirts, and it made me smile and Social Care, with conflicting advice clearly discriminates against working-
broadly even though we lost. There needs to be in the new rules. it means migrants class families; and exert pressure on the
more people of colour in the seats at all grounds. working in the NHS pay three times over government to remove costly visa
I long for the day a Sikh scores a winning goal to use it – through their service, their requirements on health workers who are
for West Ham and for him to bhangra his way taxes, and the surcharge. the backbone of our National Health
across the pitch along with his teammates. But Clarity and assurances are needed Service.
then I long for West Ham to be crowned Premier over the exemption of the families of Steve Crowley, branch secretary
League champions.
I can’t stop dreaming, you see...
August 2020 l The ASLEF Journal 13You can also read
