Pickets at Settle Station but No Arrests

Today has been Settle Station's Christmas Open Day.   This year it coincided with two days of strike action by members of the RMT union who work for the trolley service operated by the Settle-Carlisle Railway Development Company.   They set up a picket line at the station entrance.  Not the sort of thing that happens often if ever in Settle.

To emphasise that they were not in dispute with the travelling public these pickets were giving away Christmas cake, mince pies, coffee and sherry.   Certainly not the sort of picketing I was used to in my police service!

 click to enlarge

These were the friendliest pickets ever - and they were effective too.   A surprising number of station users knew of the dispute and sympathised with the pickets.

 Entering in on the spirit of things I flew the RMT flag from the water tower - positioning it carefully to the left, of course.

 In a moment of bonhomie the Union's Area Organiser Craig Johnston signed up as a FoSCL member.   Not just that, he signed up the RMT as Corporate members!

 The choir sang and the band played.

The snow glistened and the sun shone.