Jeremy Corbyn: Ticket workplace closures are ‘pointless, merciless and easily unsuitable’

Jeremy Corbyn slammed plans to shut railway ticket workplaces as ‘merciless and easily unsuitable’ while calling on Labour to decide to renationalising the transport system, in an interview with LFF.

“What we want is an actual, public and clear dedication by the Labour Occasion, not simply to deliver the prepare working firms again into public possession, however all the opposite points of the rail trade into public possession,” mentioned Corbyn.

“We’d like a publicly owned and publicly run transport system.”

Plans to shut 1,000 ticket workplaces in Britain have led to recent calls to renationalise the rail system, as a whistle-blower admitted the plan was in reality about price slicing, as purported to ‘digitalising’ the way forward for journey which the federal government claimed. Over 2,300 jobs are being put in danger by the plan.

Talking at a rally to stop the planned ticket office closures, commerce union supporter Corbyn additionally instructed LFF how expertise ought to be used to boost working circumstances, not destroy them.

“Nearly each job depends indirectly or the opposite on computer systems. Nevertheless it’s additionally about defending folks’s livelihoods and work,” mentioned Corbyn.

“Now, we should be wanting on the very superior expertise accessible as a means of shortening folks’s working hours, giving them extra leisure time and extra skill to do different issues, and investing extra money in excessive labour depth areas like well being care and social care.”

Nonetheless, he mentioned what is going on as a substitute is that prime expertise is “growing the social and financial divide in our society”.

“It’s time we thought very rigorously in regards to the rules behind common primary earnings as a means of defending and enhancing the dwelling requirements of the mass of the inhabitants,” Corbyn added.

“We’re already probably the most economically divided nation in Europe. It’s simply getting worse as a result of we don’t have a authorities that’s remotely desirous about closing that hole.

“We’d like a a lot clearer political technique for decreasing inequality, not growing it.”

The previous Labour chief laid out three most important the reason why ticket workplace closures had been unsuitable.

“To start with, it takes the roles away from folks which might be doing a vital job,” began Corbyn. “Secondly, it makes our stations a extra harmful place as a result of there shall be no one there in any respect at some.

“And thirdly, it’s a part of a rising digital divide within the nation the place older individuals who might not have entry to the web, don’t carry an iPhone, don’t really feel comfy utilizing the web to purchase tickets or the machine, merely won’t journey, and they’re going to find yourself occurring long-distance coaches or not travelling in any respect.”

He continued: “And when you’ve got particular wants, a incapacity, sight issue, listening to issue, or your first language isn’t English, otherwise you don’t converse any English in any respect, what are you purported to do? Simply puzzle and stroll away? It’s pointless, merciless and easily unsuitable.”

Reflecting on the federal government’s intentions behind shutting the ticket workplace, Corbyn didn’t maintain again.

“Properly, if I need to be beneficiant in regards to the authorities, I’d say they don’t perceive it, however I’m not beneficiant in regards to the authorities.

“They totally perceive what they’re doing. They’re simply making an attempt to permit even better income to be made out of our railway system, which has been sliced up, diced up, and privatized. Even the railway arches have been bought off.”

He hoped that this might current a turning level within the marketing campaign for a society, ‘that’s extra caring and extra inclusive of individuals, somewhat than run by privateers.’

(Picture credit score: Flickr / Creative Commons)

Hannah Davenport is information reporter at Left Foot Ahead, specializing in commerce unions and environmental points

The publish Jeremy Corbyn: Ticket office closures are ‘unnecessary, cruel and simply wrong’ appeared first on Left Foot Forward: Leading the UK's progressive debate.