The environment

RMT General Grades Committee decision:

We note the correspondence from the London Taxi Branch regarding the 15 year vehicle age limit to be imposed on the London Taxi trade as part of proposals to reduce vehicle. We note that there is a conversion kit available for buses that allow them to become compliant with EURO 4 emissions regulations and have been made aware that such a conversion kit could be made available for the older black cabs.

RMT TfL No.1 Branch will be highlighting Climate Week by holding a competition for both ‘New’ members joining in this week and ‘Existing’ members who are already signed up.

If ‘Existing’ members go online to
https://membership.rmt.org.uk/services/p_wwv_rmt_logon and correct, or update their contact and work details they will be entered into a Prize Draw to win a Solar MP3/Phone Charger.

Any staff members who sign up to RMT will also be entered into a separate Prize Draw to win another Solar MP3/Phone Charger.

RMT General Grades Committee decision:

That we note the resolution received from our London Taxis branch.

That we believe that measures should be taken to reduce pollution and improve air quality in London and elsewhere, but that these should if possible avoid penalising working people. We share the concerns of our branch about the Mayor of London’s proposed 15-year age limit on taxis; we believe that there may be better ways of reducing pollution from taxis eg. the scrappage scheme suggested by our branch; and we are appalled at the lack of consultation with our members.

Below is a letter from RMT London Taxis branch to Mayor Boris Johnson, and attached is the Mayor's response.

Dear Boris Johnson,

Speakers include Alex Gordon (RMT), Tony Kearns (CWU), Manuel Cortes (TSSA), Chris Baugh (PCS), Prof. Barbara Harriss-White, Phil Thornhill (CaCC), Jonathan Neale (Million Green Jobs Commission), John Stewart (HACAN), Graham Petersen (UCU), Larry Lohman (Cornerhouse), Ian Terry (former Vestas worker)

Admission £10 (£5 concessions) South Camden Community School, Charrington St, London NW1 1RG Phone: 079 585 35231 Email: climatetradeunion@googlemail.com campaign against climate change trade union group Third Trade Union Conference www.campaigncc.org cacctu.wordpress.com

HARINGEY AND ENFIELD PUBLIC MEETING Organised by the Sustainable Haringey network and the Campaign against Climate Change

CLIMATE ACTION NOW! What can we do to stop climate change, and to make the transition to a fair and sustainable society?

Tuesday November 24th 8pm - Wood Green Library High Road, N22 - Just south of Wood Green tube

Film: 'Countdown To Copenhagen' (newly made by Haringey documentary team, Reel News) Speakers: including a windturbine factory worker from Vestas who was recently involved in occupying the plant to prevent its closure + Discussion

Venue: Bread and Roses Pub, 68 Clapham Manor Street, SW4 6DZ (about ten minutes walk from Clapham Common tube)

It is now clear that there will be no binding agreement at Copenhagen to stop runaway climate change.

Countdown to Copenhagen film night will provide a chance to discuss the issues around the Copenhagen talks, how to get to Copenhagen for the mass mobilisations and what we can do locally.

Films:

Save Vestas

‘Fight for 1 million Green Jobs’

The Campaign Against Climate Change has called demonstrations in London and Edinburgh on Saturday 5th December to fight for one million green jobs and publicity flyers are attached. The RMT is affiliated to the Campaign and I would urge all members to participate in these demonstrations. Assembly at the larger London event will be from 12pm in Hyde Park.

Please find below information on the Copenhagen Climate Justice event:

Check Climate Justice Action website. Actions include
• 7 December:
o Climate Justice Fast! (12:00 am)
o Take Action! COP 15 Starts (9:00 am)
• 11 December:
o Don't Buy the Lie- anti-corporate action at the COP (2:00 am)
• 12 December:
o Flood For Climate Justice (2:00 am)
o Global Day of Action (all day)

The following resolution, submitted by TfL no.1 branch and seconded by Hammersmith & City branch, was passed by the October meeting of the Regional Council.

This branch recognises the importance of the fight for green jobs and the upcoming climate talks in Copenhagen.

TUBE AND TfL union RMT today slammed confirmation from Mayor Boris Johnson that tube fares will increase by 3.9% from next year and bus fares by over 12% as “dire news in the middle of a recession which will be deeply damaging to passenger numbers and revenue income.”

In further bad news for public transport in the capital, TfL's business plan, to be considered by TfL's board next week, includes the deferral by three years of all remaining station renewals which were to have been completed by the failed private Tube maintenance company Metronet.

Becky Crocker, our Regional Young Members' Officer, writes ...

This Thursday 17th September is the second national day of action to support Vestas workers. After 18 days of occupying their factory against closure, Vestas wind turbine workers are maintaining a 24-hour blockade of the site, preventing plant and turbine blades getting out. The workers are demanding the government nationalise their factory, because the market will not guarantee their jobs or the future of the planet!

Venue: Conway Hall, Red Lion Square (Holborn tube)

Speakers include:

• John McDonnell MP (Labour, Hayes and Harlington),
• Bob Crow (RMT General Secretary)
• Tony Juniper (ex Director, Friends of the Earth, Green Party candidate)
• Ian Terry (worker from the Vestas wind turbine factory)
• Phil Thornhill (Campaign against Climate Change)

Don't miss this important meeting on the UK's future direction in the era of Climate Emergency - are we moving full steam ahead towards Green Jobs and the Green Energy Revolution at a speed that we can and should ?

Actions around the country to support workers at Vestas, Isle of Wight, fighting to save Britain's only wind turbine factory from closure. Check back here for details as they become available.

A team sponsored by Vestas is playing at Wembley. Campaigners will be taking this opportunity to voice our objections to the company closing Britain's only wind turbine factory on the Isle of Wight, at the cost of 600+ jobs.

Meet at Wembley Park tube at 11am.

More details from our Young Members' Officer, Becky Crocker.

OFFSHORE ENERGY UNION RMT today called for full support for a day of action in support of the Vestas wind turbines factory campaign which will be marked by events up and down the country tomorrow (Wednesday August 12).

RMT, which represents a substantial block of the Vestas workforce, is continuing to support the fight to get the Isle of Wight factory back into production and is sending out a clear signal that the campaign for wind turbine manufacture in England is far from over.

From Becky Crocker, Regional Young Members' officer

Dear London Transport region

On Monday 3rd August, I visited the Vestas factory on the Isle of Wight, which its workers have occupied to stop its closure and save their 600 jobs.

Vestas is the only factory in Britain making blades for wind turbines.

Wind power is part of the government’s strategy for switching to 15% renewable energy by 2020. But the private company Vestas have calculated they can make more money by moving their factory elsewhere: profit comes first and jobs and the environment second.

OFFSHORE ENERGY UNION RMT today accused the owners of the Vestas wind turbine factory on the Isle of Wight of “kicking the legs” from under a rescue package that could have saved it from closure.

RMT officials Bob Crow and John Leach, along with representatives of the Vestas workforce, met with energy minister Joan Ruddock yesterday to discuss the future of the factory.

During the meeting it emerged that the government had offered a series of rescue options to the company but each one had been rejected.

BUS TO VESTAS: FRIDAY EVENING: STOP THE EVICTION

From Workers' Climate Action

Everyone down at Vestas is still standing strong in the face of the possession order. A bus of about 20 Londoners went down on Tuesday evening, but everyone is getting pretty tired and another boost is needed!

A minibus (or two!) will be leaving London on Friday evening from Clapham at 6pm heading for Vestas. The bus will return on Sunday. It will cost between £10-£15 a head (or a bit more if you can afford to subsidise others) and will deliver a boost in numbers and energy to the fight to save jobs and save the planet!

TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber has sent the following letter to Ed Miliband MP, Secretary of State at the Department of Energy and Climate Change ...

Dear Ed

Vestas Wind Systems

As you are aware, the TUC shares your absolute commitment to tackle climate change, including through the development of a low carbon industrial strategy with quality green jobs and skills at its heart.