RTUC at Reading Pride!
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| RTUC at Pride: Ray Parkes (Unite), Nikki Dancey (GMB), Dave McMullen (GMB), Steve Geary (USDAW), John Gillman (Unite), Ruth McEwan (Unison), Helen Caney (Unison), Nick Hatton (UCU), Billie Reynolds (Unison) and Nada Al-Sanjari (NEU) |
On 1 September, Reading's LGBT+ community staged its annual Pride March and Festival. After processing through the town centre behind banners and accompanied by music and dancing, the celebrants gathered at Kings Meadow and enjoyed a party atmosphere - though with serious political, health and trade union messages being propagated from a variety of stalls.
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| RTUC's Pride Stall: Ray Parkes and Nada Al-Sanjari |
The Reading Trade Union Council attended in force, having a stall of its own and supporting pitches established by affiliate trade unions. Among the RTUC friends and delegates present were Neil Adams (Unite), Nada Al-Sanjari (NEU), Kevin Brandstatter (GMB), Helen Caney (Unison), Nikki Dancey (GMB), Rachel Eden (GMB), Steve Geary (USDAW), John Gillman (Unite), Sarah Hacker (Unite), Nick Hatton (UCU), Ruth McEwan (Unison), Dave McMullen (GMB), James Parker (Unite), Ray Parkes (Unite) and Billie Reynolds (Unison).
RTUC distributed literature on trade union issues and the history of the labour movement and spoke with Pride attendees about the value of trade unionism in contemporary society. Conversations especially focussed on the role of trade unionism in fighting fascism and defending LGBT+ members from discrimination in the workplace and the community.
Protesting Rail Fare Increases in East and West Reading
On 3 September Reading & District Labour Party and Reading Trades Union Council joined forces to protest against the Tory governments announcement of inflation-busting rail fare increases, coming into force in January. Labour's Matt Rodda (MP for Reading East) and Cllr Rachel Eden (prospective parliamentary candidate for Reading West) assembled at Tilehurst Railway Station, joined by RTUC's John Partington (TSSA) and local Labour Party activists, to leaflet the travelling public and discuss Labour's policies for renationalisation of railway franchises and reinvestment of railway profits into infrastructure and services.
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| Labour's Reading East MP, Matt Rodda (second left) and Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Reading West, Cllr Rachel Eden (second right) |
Matt and John also visited Reading Railway Station, joined by another Labour supporter, and leafleted and engaged with the commuting public. Under the Tories' plans, rail fares will increase by 3.2% in the new year.
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| RTUC's John Partington (TSSA) (centre) and Reading East Labour MP, Matt Rodda (right) |
Protesting Proposed Attacks on Disabled Travel Rights
Reading Trades Union Council, represented by Nada Al-Sanjari (NEU) and John Partington (TSSA), joined Berkshire Disabled People Against Cuts for the third wave of protests against Reading Borough Council's proposals to restrict free bus travel for members of the public with a disability - as well as disabled persons' helpers. Under the current scheme, disabled people and their helpers get free travel on Reading Buses 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Reading Borough Council proposes restricting free travel to the hours between 09:30 and 23:00 for disabled people - disadvantaging those who travel for work or appointments in the early morning or wishing to enjoy a nightlife later on when others are partying the nights away! The proposals would also remove free travel entirely from disabled people's helpers.
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| RTUC's John Partington (TSSA) (third left) and Nada Al-Sanjari (NEU) (sixth left) with DPAC protesters |
Reading Borough Council are set to make a decision on the changes to disabled people's bus concessions on 24 September. They can be sure they will be met by further protests - with greater numbers fourth time round. RTUC and DPAC (and many in the Labour Party) call on Reading Borough Council to scrap the changes and stop attacking those who need their support in order to lead a mobile life.
