Karen Harrison

**Karen Harrison** (16 Nuwamba 1960 - Mayu 2011) tana ɗaya daga cikin ƙarni na farko na mata a Birtaniya da aka yi aiki a matsayin Second Man a 1979 ta ɗauki matakin farko na ƙarshe na zama Direban Jirgin Ƙasa .  Ta kasance mai himma wajen fafutukar neman ƙwadago da kuma mai fafutukar siyasa.

## Shekaru na farko
Karen Harrison, 'yar wani jami'in kwastam, an haife ta ne a Glasgow kuma ta girma a London, tana halartar Makarantar St. Michael's Convent Grammar School, Finchley . Ta bar makaranta tana da shekara 16, tana aiki a Marquee Club na London a lokacin da aka fi sani da punk rock kafin ta nemi shiga British Rail a 1977 tare da manufar zama Direban jirgin kasa. Hanyar zuwa direba ta fara ne a matsayin Traction Trainee (a baya a matsayin mai tsabta a kan locomotives na tururi), sannan kuma 'Secondman") (a baya Fireman a kan locorotives na tururin). 

Gwagwarmayar Harrison ta zama direban jirgin kasa ta fara nan da nan lokacin da ta bayyana don hira da jami'an daukar ma'aikata na British Rail. Sun yi zaton sabon mai nema zai zama namiji, bayan sun sadu da Harrison sun fahimci akasin haka. Sun yi ƙoƙari su hana ta daga aikin locomotive footplate, kuma a maimakon haka zuwa ayyukan sakatare. Koyaya, Karen ta ki a dakatar da ita kuma ta ci gaba da zama direban jirgin ƙasa.

## Jirgin kasa da aikin kwadago
A cikin shekara ta 1979 mata shida sun shawo kan nuna bambanci na lokacin kuma sun fara ayyukansu a matsayin Traction Trainees, mataki na farko don zama Direbobin. Karen ita ce ta ƙarshe daga cikin waɗannan matan da suka shiga British Rail a matsayin Traction Trainee a ranar 12 ga Nuwamba 1979  a Old Oak Common depot. Karen daga ƙarshe ta fara horar da direba bayan ta koma tashar Selhurst a Yankin Kudancin a watan Maris na shekara ta 1985 . Ta kasance a Selhurst na ɗan gajeren lokaci kafin ta koma tashar Marylebone (yanzu wani ɓangare na Chiltern Railways) 1988 , inda ta zama ɗaya daga cikin direbobi mata uku. 

Akwai juriya mai yawa ga kasancewarta a kan takalmin daga manajoji da abokan aiki, waɗanda suka ƙi kasancewa da mace a duniyarsu ta maza. Shekaru goma na ci gaba da cin zarafi - na baki da na jiki - an rage su bayan an canja ta zuwa tashar Marylebone.

Harrison ta bayyana aikinta na jirgin kasa a matsayin "Shekaru goma na jahannama, shekaru goma na sama. Yana da ɗan wahala lokacin da kake matashi ne kawai kuma wannan babbar guguwar ƙiyayya ce ta buge ka. Ga maza da yawa, ni ne almara a cikin tafkin yin iyo. Kowace rana na shiga cikin ɗakin mess da zan kasance da kaina, amma ya yi ƙoƙari ya zama kamar ba. [1] Ba za mu iya barin su ƙirƙira wuraren da suka gabata a farkon wannan tsari ba, 'Mutanen ba za mu iya zama masu arziki ba.[2]

After moving to Marylebone depot she rapidly advanced through the ranks of her trade union, having joined the train drivers' union, ASLEF, on her first day on the railway, as was required at that time due the Closed Shop practice at that time within British Rail. Harrison became the first woman to hold various positions in ASLEF, culminating in 1995 when she was elected to the highest position a lay member can hold: presiding over ASLEF's annual conference (The Annual Assembly of Delegates) during which time she was an active trade unionist and political campaigner. However, a bout of meningitis ended her train driving career as she was declared medically unfit to drive trains.&#x5B;**&#x5D; Being on the then Economic League employment blacklist, her future job options were extremely limited, but she was able to find employment as a full-time officer for the trade union UNISON. She was extremely successful in representing Union members at employment tribunals, more than holding her own against professional barristers. Her proud boast was that she never 'lost' a tribunal. This gave her a taste for the law prompting her to take up legal studies as a mature student.

## Manazarta