What are workers supposed to think about the Railways Bill, which just passed its 2nd reading? It's all about promises to passengers to fix a fragmented and "broken system". But there's not one word in it about the railway workforce!

    As if the trains somehow (already!) drive themselves, as if tracks get replaced magically, and as if stations are manned and cleaned and tickets sold, all without any human intervention!

    In the same way that privatisation was justified because of the poor state of a railway which had been deliberately under-invested and consciously allowed to decay, now this semi-re-nationalisation is being justified on these identical grounds - with large doses of ignorance added to the mix!

    For the past 32 years, privateers persisted (bar a few whose companies had to be taken over, like LNER, Northern, Transpennine...) in trying to spin a profit on the back of workers (casualised and underpaid) and passengers (ludicrous fares) becoming parasites on the Treasury - eating everyone's taxes (calling it "profit", haha) and letting investment lapse completely... So yes, the trains aren't reliable. But it's because governments covered profiteers' backs, feeding them huge subsidies which they pocketed. In short, it's due to the "profit motive" - and pure greed!

    The "fragmentation" which Transport Minister Alexander claims to be reversing, was based on the fragmentation of the workforce. It was the worst possible outcome for workers, undermining resistance against erosion of their Ts&Cs - which relies on collective strength. Privatisation aimed to destroy that strength and to a large extent it did. The self-interested leaders of the rail unions adapted to this fragmentation and also to its corollary, subcontracting. Today we see how they themselves undermine workers' fights as they continue to call out on strike, just one small section of workers at a time!

    And what have the RMT, ASLEF and TSSA leaders to say about the Railways Bill, except niceties, while lately, adding a concern for "safety"? They haven't expressed any aim to "reunify" the railway workforce under one set of Ts&Cs, (including the current army of sub-contractors), let alone under one big union! We see a Hornby trainset with a new red, white and blue (save us from their nationalism!) livery at Tower Hill Station... But where is one uniform and one set of improved conditions for all rail workers and the absolute ban on temporary contracts?

    It's evident that the workforce won't get anywhere if it expects union leaders to "do it for them". Workers will have to make their own arrangements, bringing together all workmates on the ground, (regardless of union membership) and begin this fight themselves.

Last weekend, Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden announced the Labour government's new "Youth Guarantee" scheme, meant to reduce the number of "NEETs" (youth Not in Employment, Education or Training) - currently 946,000, near its highest for over a decade. He claims "this should be a Labour cause because it's an issue not just of unemployment, but of inequality too" - pretending to care about poorer areas where NEETs are concentrated - when in fact he's tasked with cutting the welfare benefits that keep this youth from sinking further into poverty!

    The government has commissioned a report by Alan Milburn, former Labour Health Secretary under Blair (who boasted about "getting the private sector into the NHS") to find out why there are so many NEETs. As if it wasn't obvious! Just in the past 2 months, companies have cut 64,000 jobs, particularly in retail, and about 180,000 in the past year! But McFadden won't lay the blame for record youth unemployment where it belongs, i.e., full square with the bosses, who try to satisfy their gross appetites by screwing the working class and squeezing more profit out of fewer of us!

    Like his predecessor Liz Kendall, he points the finger at the youth for cheating the health benefits system, and "taking the mickey". Never mind that there is a real deterioration in the health of the working class, especially youth. And it's not surprising, given a revolving door of precarious jobs on low wages and endless gaps in employment. The number of homeless youth has also increased sharply - by 25% in one year!

    But now, if young people refuse a work placement, they'll have their Universal Credit cut - and never mind the lack of jobs. In fact, McFadden himself admits there are no jobs, given he's put up a hefty £820m subsidy for companies to give 55,000 youth (on 25 hours a week) 6-month "work placements". Another £725m for youth apprenticeships was announced in Reeves' Budget. So a total £1.5bn subsidy to companies, which will gladly take on young workers as free labour, and cut them as soon as the placements end!

    McFadden's "Youth Guarantee" is just another scheme to give handouts to the bosses and harass young workers, forcing them into countless job-seeking meetings and "intensive training" - with the constant threat of "sanctions" and welfare cuts if they don't comply. As for making the bosses stop the job cuts - that can only be forced on them by all workers, young and old, fighting together!