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| Kevin Jackson (4th left, Unison) and Nada al-Sanjari (3rd right, NEU) from RTUC join the protest |
In a second round of protests against Reading Borough Council's attacks on disabled people's concessionary bus passes, Berkshire Disabled People Against Cuts (DPAC) were joined by Reading Trades Union Council outside St Mary's Minster Church to inform the public of their campaign. While disabled people currently get free bus travel, as do their helpers, under RBC's proposal's, free travel for disabled people would only occur from 09:30 to 23:00 - and their helpers would cease to get any free travel at all. Also, the dial-a-ride ReadiBus scheme would become chargeable.
Nada al-Sanjari (NEU), Kevin Jackson (Unison) and John Gillman (Unite) of RTUC joined DPAC members and sympathisers to make noise on the issue, hold placards and leaflet the passing public. ITV Meridian News filmed the protest and publicised it on their website: http://www.itv.com/news/meridian/2018-08-22/protest-at-radical-proposals-to-cutback-on-bus-services-in-reading/, as did That's Thames Valley TV: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=foYRQ1sZ_7Q&feature=youtu.be.
Following the protest, leafleting took place outside RBC's Civic Offices, including RTUC's John Partington (TSSA). This brought the issues to the attention of the public as well as Council workers and officers.
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| RTUC's John Partington (TSSA) leaflets the public outside RBC's Civic Offices |
