Michael Edwards

Joined a tssa protest today against job cuts proposed at East Midlands Trains.  Gerry Dougherty, our General Secretary attended. 

Two members, dressed as grim reapers, distributed leaflets. 

East Midlands Trains is a newish franchise made from Midland Main Line and part of Central Trains. 

It's owned by Stagecoach.  Stagecoach own South West Trains and have axed 660 jobs there. 

East Midlands Trains is making larger profits than the previous franchise and has been getting increased passenger numbers but are proposing to cut 162 jobs. 

They intend to reduce pension benefits if staff retire early and will not commit to avoiding compulsory redundancies. 

Transport Salaried Staffs Association, which represents hundreds of workers at the firm, will ballot for industrial action.

Gerry Doherty, general secretary of the TSSA, said: "This is the end of the line as far as our union is concerned and we will now be asking our members if they wish to be balloted for industrial action. With passenger numbers increasing our members are paying the price for multi-nationals who have over bid for franchises and are now desperate to pass the costs of such folly on to employees and passengers, in fact anyone but their shareholders."

- 

Meanwhile, delight in Nottingham as the expansion of the tram was given its legal go-ahead on Monday by the Government.  

Joined a tssa protest today against job cuts proposed at East Midlands Trains.  Gerry Dougherty, our General Secretary attended. 

Two members, dressed as grim reapers, distributed leaflets. 

East Midlands Trains is a newish franchise made from Midland Main Line and part of Central Trains. 

It's owned by Stagecoach.  Stagecoach own South West Trains and have axed 660 jobs there. 

East Midlands Trains is making larger profits than the previous franchise and has been getting increased passenger numbers but are proposing to cut 162 jobs. 

They intend to reduce pension benefits if staff retire early and will not commit to avoiding compulsory redundancies. 

Transport Salaried Staffs Association, which represents hundreds of workers at the firm, will ballot for industrial action.

Gerry Doherty, general secretary of the TSSA, said: "This is the end of the line as far as our union is concerned and we will now be asking our members if they wish to be balloted for industrial action. With passenger numbers increasing our members are paying the price for multi-nationals who have over bid for franchises and are now desperate to pass the costs of such folly on to employees and passengers, in fact anyone but their shareholders."

- 

Meanwhile, delight in Nottingham as the expansion of the tram was given its legal go-ahead on Monday by the Government.  

Joined a tssa protest today against job cuts proposed at East Midlands Trains.  Gerry Dougherty, our General Secretary attended. 

Two members, dressed as grim reapers, distributed leaflets. 

East Midlands Trains is a newish franchise made from Midland Main Line and part of Central Trains. 

It's owned by Stagecoach.  Stagecoach own South West Trains and have axed 660 jobs there. 

East Midlands Trains is making larger profits than the previous franchise and has been getting increased passenger numbers but are proposing to cut 162 jobs. 

They intend to reduce pension benefits if staff retire early and will not commit to avoiding compulsory redundancies. 

Transport Salaried Staffs Association, which represents hundreds of workers at the firm, will ballot for industrial action.

Gerry Doherty, general secretary of the TSSA, said: "This is the end of the line as far as our union is concerned and we will now be asking our members if they wish to be balloted for industrial action. With passenger numbers increasing our members are paying the price for multi-nationals who have over bid for franchises and are now desperate to pass the costs of such folly on to employees and passengers, in fact anyone but their shareholders."

- 

Meanwhile, delight in Nottingham as the expansion of the tram was given its legal go-ahead on Monday by the Government.  

Not often I'm indebted to the Daily Mail for a funny political story, but they reported today that the BNP have featured a Spitfire from the Battle of Britain, in their Battle for Britain campaign poster, flown by a Polish pilot!

Surf http://tinyurl.com/dfjbzm 

Not quite laughed so much at a political mistake since the Tories published Euro literature campaign with the Icelandic flag for the Union Jack!  

And didn't the Spitfire shoot down Nazis? 

An opportunity of course to reflect on how much of what makes Britain is great comes from the contribution of immigrants and others. 

Not often I'm indebted to the Daily Mail for a funny political story, but they reported today that the BNP have featured a Spitfire from the Battle of Britain, in their Battle for Britain campaign poster, flown by a Polish pilot!

Surf http://tinyurl.com/dfjbzm 

Not quite laughed so much at a political mistake since the Tories published Euro literature campaign with the Icelandic flag for the Union Jack!  

And didn't the Spitfire shoot down Nazis? 

An opportunity of course to reflect on how much of what makes Britain is great comes from the contribution of immigrants and others. 

Not often I'm indebted to the Daily Mail for a funny political story, but they reported today that the BNP have featured a Spitfire from the Battle of Britain, in their Battle for Britain campaign poster, flown by a Polish pilot!

Surf http://tinyurl.com/dfjbzm 

Not quite laughed so much at a political mistake since the Tories published Euro literature campaign with the Icelandic flag for the Union Jack!  

And didn't the Spitfire shoot down Nazis? 

An opportunity of course to reflect on how much of what makes Britain is great comes from the contribution of immigrants and others. 

Nottingham East Labour Party organised  a campaigning major event today. 

Nottingham East Labour Party organised  a campaigning major event today. 

Nottingham East Labour Party organised  a campaigning major event today.