London, UK. 21st May 2018. RMT assistant general secretary Steve Hedley speaks at the 'People's Picket' by disabled rail passengers from Disabled People Against Cuts along with the Association of British Commuters and RMT members outside London Bridge station. GTR uses a staff training guide in which they are dehumanised as 'PRM's and staff are instructed to leave wheelchair users on the platform, even when they have arranged and pre-booked a journey. Credit: Peter Marshall/Alamy Live News
London, UK. 21st May 2018. RMT assistant general secretary Steve Hedley speaks at the 'People's Picket' by disabled rail passengers from Disabled People Against Cuts along with the Association of British Commuters and RMT members outside London Bridge station. GTR uses a staff training guide in which they are dehumanised as 'PRM's (people with restricted mobility) and staff are instructed to leave wheelchair users on the platform, even when they have arranged and pre-booked a journey, if to allow them to board would hold up the train. Today's timetable changes include a reduced stopping time at stations. Most of the wheelchair users present told stories of failures by the rail companies where pre-booked travel arrangements had failed, and of being taken several stops beyond their intended destinations and then having long waits for taxis to complete their journey. The RMT says a private report to the rail companies has told them the current arrangements are in breach of the Equality Act, and the new advice makes this clear, institutionalising a blatant discrimination. The policy is a part of the company's drive to remove guards from trains which disabled people and the RMT union are determined to resist as unsafe. They say that the current industrial disputes and disabled travel problems can be solved easily with the simple guarantee of a second member of staff on all services, saying 'Keep The Guard On The Train'. Peter Marshall/Alamy Live News
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