All-grades unity

The RMT have published a video explaining why the RMT is the best union for London Underground train drivers.

"From the minute I book on, the tracks that I run over, the trains that I drive, the signals that I work under, even so far as the food that I eat: If I know that those people are part of a strong union, I know that their welfare is being looked after as well as mine. If their welfare is looked after I can rest assured that they are working in a safe environment and their going to provide a professional service" - RMT Train Operator, Picaddilly Line.

Click '1 attachment' / file name to download the latest issue of 'RMT Platform', which leads with this article:

Station and revenue staff should support RMT's campaign to win the reinstatement of sacked driver reps Eamonn Lynch and Arwyn Thomas.

London Underground sacked Eamonn for following instructions from line control when he had a defective trip cock! Other drivers in similar situations, even those more at fault, have not been sacked. LU sacked Arwyn following allegations from a strike-breaker during last year's strikes against stations job cuts.

* Friday 25 March, 8pm, BBC Radio 4 *

RMT General Secretary Bob Crow and London Mayor Boris Johnson will meet head to head for the first time this week when they both appear as guests on the BBC’s “Any Questions” which is being broadcast from Kingston Grammar School in Surrey.

In almost three years as London Mayor, Boris Johnson has refused to meet directly with the tube unions despite a massive financial crisis leading to staffing and maintenance cuts and repeated breakdowns on the Underground’s creaking infrastructure.

RMT General Secretary Bob Crow said:

Neasden Branch has nominated Janine Booth for the London Transport Position on the Unions Council of Executives

There are many reasons why the Branch nominated Janine, Please find attached Posters to be displayed in your workplace.

I recommend this article for some interesting insight into why industrial (ie. all-grades) trade unionism is more effective than craft (single-grade) trade unionism.

It was written by Irish Marxist James Connolly, who was a trade union organiser in the USA at the time (1910) that he wrote this article.

We are collecting accounts of how station staff assist train operators. This information will help the RMT's case against cuts in the number of station staff.

Perhaps you had a customer ill on a train and needed assistance, needed to detrain during the peak or where given safety critical information by a member of station staff?

You can complete the survey by clicking go to form below.

In 1998, the recently-elected New Labour government announced a ‘public-private partnership’ for London Underground. Operations would remain in the public sector, but the infrastructure would transfer to private consortia on 30-year leases.

This resolution, submitted as an emergency resolution by Neasden branch and seconded by Camden 3 branch, was carried unanimiously by the April meeting of the Regional Council ...

This region notes that the plans for station staff cuts affect all grades.

This region notes that our ethos and history supports all grades in action together.

This region calls on the CofE to ballot every single grade within London Underground for the “operational strategic plan” Dispute

Click '1 attachment' / file name to download this as a PDF.

First they came for the admin staff, and I did not take action because I am not admin staff

Then they came for the engineers, and I did not take action because I am not an engineer

Then they came for the station staff, and I did not take action because I do not work on stations

Will all grades come together to fight job cuts on stations? It should not be seen as ‘will drivers support the station staff?’ but ‘will we support each other’? That’s the true meaning of solidarity: our own interests are best protected when we stand together. In order to achieve this a 'General Strike' of all grades should be put to the membership across the combine under a single heading of ‘job losses (particularly in operational grades) equals an unsafe tube’.

The cat is out of the bag. LUL have told the unions bluntly that they intend to slash as many as 800 operational jobs across the combine. Recent leaked documents have shown that these cuts are merely the tip of an iceberg which includes sub-surface stations having no more than minimum staff numbers, even during special events, and open section stations having no staff at all. This is a Company Plan with knobs on.

I just found this video over at the RMT website about the importance of all grades sticking together. I started work with LU on the stations and now work as a train driver. I'm often asked why I don't now join a single grades union and this video states clearly the answer to that and why we need to stand together.

Click '1 attachment' / file name to download this as an A4 poster

First they came for the admin staff, and I did not take action because I am not admin staff

Then they came for the engineers, and I did not take action because I am not an engineer

Then they came for the station staff, and I did not take action because I do not work on stations

Then they came for service control, and I did not take action because I do not work in service control

Then they came for the revenue staff, and I did not take action because I am not an RCI

Then they came for the drivers, and I did not take action because I am not a driver

Then they came for me ... and there was no-one left to take action for me

STAND UP FOR JOBS, PAY AND JUSTICE DEFEND JOB SECURITY - DEFEND THE 'JOBS FOR LIFE' AGREEMENT

Well what can i say!!

We have let LUL sack one member who damaged his leg at work and before that we let them dip a driver to stations and took little or no action when at the branch meeting recently i was very disturbed at the majority attitude there no one seems to want to take any action stating we will not win a ballot!! let alone even taking a ballot!

LUL want to lose 180 driver positions "they are over subscibed" they say

will there be any one left to stand up against LUL or should we just let them walk all overs us??

they are offering no real pay rise!

by Jared Wood, RMT rep, Rickmansworth group

We remain in dispute over the enforced transfer of five CSAs from Rickmansworth group.

RMT’s strike action was extremely well supported. 70% of turns did not book on; 25 members picketed. Several TSSA members and even non-union staff observed the strike.

LUL is picking local disputes with station staff in an attempt to demoralise us by facing these down. At some point they will attempt a major cut in station staff numbers. This must not be allowed to happen.

The following is a report of the organisational conference on 29 August requested by branches and facilitated by the Region.

The day began with a general assessment of some recent disputes, including those involving TfL, Metronet, Tubelines, and the fight against Casualisation within LUL, with a view to establishing what the union did well and where it did badly.

Positives

Now we must co-ordinate the action Come to the meeting: 19 August, 6.30pm Friends House, Euston Road, opposite Euston station Speakers: Bob Crow, and reps from all the disputes

By Steve Hedley, RMT London Transport Regional Council Secretary

Massive congratulations are in order for the RMT members who have organised effective strike action recently.