On October the 20th 2012, what were you doing?
I was at a protest holding a banner whilst trying to tweet- a pretty difficult thing to do!
RMT young members played a key role in organising for the demonstration against austerity and to promote all this hard work I was snapping the moment and sharing with the world. Little did I know I had gained a new follower all the way up in Scotland and he too was a RMT young member who had not been involved with the young members group but was at the Glasgow demo.
Through the course of many tweets I had inspired him to get involved with the young members group and he will be getting nominated to be a Scottish regional representative on the national young members advisory committee in 2013.
Unity doesn’t have borders.- Jayesh Patel, London Transport Region young members officer

This is why he marched:

“I attended the STUC Future that works demonstration march against Austerity cuts on the 20th October in Glasgow's Historic George Square. RMT had a fantastic turn out of members with fellow commerades from not just the many Scottish branches but some had travelled from as far away as Carlisle and Flyde coast to be a part in of this historical march. I am a strong believer in the right to protest and I have always felt that if you don't stand up and be counted on your views and feelings you don't have a voice even more so in today's society. It was a particularly poignant demonstration as the STUC had fought Glasgow City Council to meet and commence this event from the Square towards Glasgow Green. At present the council are seeking to repress our right to protest in the Square which has since the late 1870’s been the scene of public and political gatherings. But the same Labour run council use this civic space to profiteer from events and concerts in the Square.

I felt the need to attend the march not only to support my fellow brother's and sister's from the RMT and other trade unions, but to stand up for the working class population who are being hit the hardest in this age of Austerity. I have been working since I was sixteen years old and from a young person's view I have witnessed so many attacks on our rights as employees making it easier for unscrupulous employers to abuse staff, attacks on our society from various governments past and present more so in recent times where Politicians such as George Osbourne and David Cameron along with there LibDem cronies have behaved deplorably by going back on there manifesto promises on University Fees. The current government are now attacking our public services by pillaging our NHS, Armed Forces, Fire Brigades, Police Forces, Educational Institutes, Railways and other infrastructures all in the name of Austerity cuts to reward the failures of the Major investment banks while these politicians occupy seats in West minister claiming expenses on duck ponds to second homes! I find it disgusting that the Con Dem government want to privatise our NHS which is already over stretched and management top heavy while the nurses, doctors and clinicians at the bottom struggle to provide an adequate level of care and compassion to our tax paying nation as they are bogged down with staff shortages, long waiting lists and poor facilities. Is this not just a reminder of what happened to our Railways in the late 1990's during privatisation? look at the catasphoic and disastrous results caused: Extreme fare prices, fixed term contracts, staff shortages, poor over crowded rolling stock, closure of booking offices and unmanned stations while corners were cut on maintenance that have unnecessarily cost many lost lives and resulted in a re nationalisation of Railtrack and the East Coast mainline.

its time we as a nation said enough is enough, no one should have to live in a society where our older generations cant afford to put the heating on during these tough winter months, where those who can't work are being told they are fit to work by companies recruited and rewarded for failing people who need state support the most. Where working families and lone parents are on low wages and not receiving a cost of living rise despite the cost of food such as bread and milk rocketing in recent times making it more difficult to support there own children who in the future might not get the right to a decent education in overcrowded class rooms and over priced University Fees put them off attempting to achieve there best due to the debt they shall be laden with in later life.”
Barry- Glasgow, Scotland.