Thousands gather to demand better
THOUSANDS came from all over the land to march through Central London. Rail workers, cleaners, mums with placards, dads with pushchairs – a sea of people who deserve better.
Led from the front by a line of women – general secretaries and other trade union and community leaders – the most touching moment of the Demand Better rally on Saturday was seeing two care workers hugging on stage.
Yvonne Thomas, 55, had come from a 14-hour shift and was returning to one next day.
Fellow GMB organiser Patricia Gumbira, 52, took to the stage at the Parliament Square rally at her friend’s side. The women hugged as the crowd cheered. “I would not have missed today for anything,” Yvonne said. “This is our voice. I’m here to demand better for future generations. And I will never ever stop fighting for care workers.”
Patricia was there to push for sick pay for care workers.
“Many of us have to go to work sick because I can’t afford not to,” she says. “It’s disgraceful.”
Both women had been through a gruelling pandemic. “Delta swept through our care home,” Yvonne said. “At times, my manager and I were the only people there, supporting 24 service users on 14-hour shifts back-to-back day after day,” Yvonne said.
“I was so exhausted I could hardly drag myself through the door, but I knew I had to. It really, really pains my heart to think we couldn’t see anyone, while they were party, party, party.
“What example are you setting as the Prime Minister?”
After 12 years of austerity, two years of a pandemic, and now this – the worst cost of living crisis in decades – speaker after speaker said there is nothing left to give.
Bella Fashola, 26, spoke passionately about living on low wages as a train cleaner. “We’re not going to live in poverty forever,” Bella said. “We will turn the tables on this.”
She was at the rally with other striking train cleaners, who work for Churchill on Govia Thameslink Railway, HS1, Southeastern
Railways and Eurostar.
The men and women are taking strike action with the RMT to win a decent wage and basic rights.
“Covid started getting rife in Hastings where I live,” she said. “I had to come off work for six months to look after my mother as she was diagnosed with cancer.” She says despite having worked for Churchill for more than three and a half years the company only offered her unpaid leave. Bella said before the rally: “I’ve heard so many stories from colleagues that are heart-breaking.
“People going to work, cleaning the trains to keep the public safe, keeping them sanitised.
“Some of them are sleeping at bus stops at night-time because they cannot afford to live. It’s absolutely disgusting.”
For Bella and thousands of others, the demo was a shot in the arm. “Standing side by side with comrades gave us all the fire in our bellies for the fight ahead,” she said. “We demand better.”
We are not going to live in poverty forever
BELLA FASHOLA, 26, TRAIN CLEANER