Public Transport in public hands
SP Newsletter No.253
Public Meeting in Melbourne: Bring public transport back into public hands!
Featuring: Greg Barber, Greens MP, Stephen Jolly, Socialist Party Councillor & Tony Morton, Public Transport Users Association.
7pm Wednesday March 18th at Trades Hall in Carlton South.
While demand for decent public transport in Victoria continues to increase, so the does the public anger at private rail operator Connex.
An extra 22.4 million trips were made on Melbourne’s trains last year. At the same time recent surveys have revealed that customers want the exact opposite to what Connex is currently providing.
Passengers are calling for fewer train cancellations, trains that run on time, cleaner and less packed carriages, more security, better information about delays and cheaper tickets sold in more locations.
Customers also want Connex to employ more staff. This is especially the case since the state’s rail safety chief found that Connex did not have enough staff to respond to a rail meltdown that stranded hundreds of people on Oaks Day last year.
Despite hundreds of train cancellations being recording this year already, the State Labor Government is planning to leave the public transport system in the hands of private operators. If this is allowed to go ahead, Victorians will continue to have little say over the running of the public transport system.
The alternative is that the Government refuse to renew the contracts to Connex or any other private company. Public transport should be brought back into public ownership so that we can once again exercise some control over the system.
We need an elected body made up of public transport workers and users to run it in the interests of ordinary people. The days of leaving public transport in the hands of the profiteers have to stop.
For more information about the public meeting contact 0396399111.
Socialism 2009 next weekend!
Capitalism in crisis: A day school on understanding the world economy
Saturday March 21st, 11am till 5pm at Trades Hall in Melbourne.
Three sessions including: An introduction to Marxist economics, How the global downturn will effect Australia and Fighting back against capitalism. Costs are $5 unwaged, $10 waged or $20 solidarity price. To book your place, or for more information phone 03 9639 9111 or click here.
http://www.socialistpartyaustralia.org/archives/1606
Upcoming SP meetings
The Melbourne Branch of SP meets every Wednesday at 7pm in Trades Hall on the corner of Lygon & Victoria Streets Carlton South. Upcoming meetings include:
18/3/09 – Public transport in public hands: A public meeting featuring Greg Barber (Greens MP), Stephen Jolly (Socialist Party Councillor) and Tony Morton (Public Transport Users Association).
25/3/09 – 90th anniversary of the foundation of the Comintern
1/4/09 – 200 years since the birth of Charles Darwin
8/4/09 – The 1976 Iranian revolution
For more information or for details of meetings in other parts of Australia contact our National Office on 03 9639 9111.
News links
Northern Ireland: Thousands attend rallies to protest against sectarianism
http://socialistworld.net/eng/2009/03/1201.html
Guadeloupe: General strike movement ends in victory
http://socialistworld.net/eng/2009/03/1104.html
US: Mass demonstration in New York against budget cuts
http://socialistworld.net/eng/2009/03/1103.html
Join the Socialist Party
If you agree with what you have read in our newsletter or on our website you should consider joining SP. The Socialist Party has branches in Melbourne, Sydney, Newcastle and Perth as well as members and supporters in all other states.
We are involved in trade union work and student work. We also run community, anti-war and environmental campaigns. But most of all we want to build a party that will fight to get rid of the capitalist system, the system that is at the root of all of these problems. We fight for socialism - a system that will bring an end to wars, poverty and environmental destruction. To join SP contact our National Office on 03 9639 9111 and we will send you a membership application form.
Subscribe to ‘The Socialist’ newspaper!
Support the Socialist Party by subscribing to our monthly newspaper ‘The Socialist’. Subscription rates are only $10 per year or $20 solidarity price. You will receive 11 copies per year delivered to your door every month. You will also receive our email newsletter every week and you will know that you are supporting an organisation that is at the fore of fighting against the capitalist system. To subscribe to ‘The Socialist’ contact our National Office on 03 9639 9111 and we will send you a subscription form.
Socialist Party contact details
Melbourne: Phone Anthony on 0396399111.
Sydney: Phone Gary on 0297287727.
Newcastle: Phone Samantha on 0249681545.
Perth: Phone John on 0894020728.
Rest of Australia: Phone our National Office on 0396399111.
Rest of the world: Phone our International Office on ++ 44 20 8988 8760.
The Socialist Party is the Australian section of the Committee for a Workers’ International (CWI). The CWI is organised in over 40 countries across the world.
http://www.sp.org.au
http://www.socialistworld.net
http://www.myspace.com/socialistpartyaustralia
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=20461960776
