Disabled activists will be joining picket lines tomorrow morning to support all three strikes against driver-only operation (DOO).
The companies' threat to remove guards is not just a threat to our jobs - for many disabled people, it threatens their right to travel on the railway at all. Many of us had helped disabled passengers access the train service, have intervened to stop harassment of disabled passengers, or - more ominously - have dealt with the fallout when the lack of a guard has left disabled passengers stranded and distressed.
Mobilising support from affected passengers makes our fight so much more effective. We often feel during our disputes like it is us against the world, but defending public transport is a fight for the interests of the whole working class, so it is good to see other sections of the working class joining us in solidarity.
While Disabled People Against Cuts (DPAC) has given support to our strikes before, the solidarity is stepping up this time, partly as a result of RMT finally setting up a Disabled Members' Advisory Committee.
Disabled activists:
- will be joining picket lines at 9am tomorrow (Monday)
- have an online petition here - add your name!
- will be presenting the petition to the Department for Transport on Thursday 20 July at 2pm - join the protest!
- have a Twitter account @Dp4Guards
