The RMT's General Secretary Bob Crow will appear on the BBC's Question Time programme tonight (Thursday 22nd of July) at 10.35. Shortly afterwards it will be available on the BBC's Iplayer here.

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.

RMT London Calling is on Facebook and Twitter. You can follow us to keep up to date with the latest news and share it with your friends, colleagues and comrades.

On Facebook search for the group www.rmtlondoncalling.org.uk or click here. On Twitter follow RMTLondon here. The Twitter account has a feed to all the latest public stories as soon as they are published.

In the latest episode of RMTv, from the 21st of June, General Secretary Bob Crow discusses the Tube Lines and DLR dispute and cuts in the public sector.

There are more videos at the RMTv site or you can subscribe to RMTv's Youtube channel here

I received an email today from 'Tube Worker' with a flyer attached urging ASLEF members to reject the pay deal as it stands.

The Tube Worker Leaflet is available to view or download here.

• Communication Workers' Union (national)
• CWU London region
• CWU London branches
• 'Royal Mail chat': rank-and-file postal workers' website

Contact details for support groups in London:

• Tower Hamlets - 07532 364638 / 07961 337640

I use RSS or 'Really Simple Syndication' to keep an eye on certain areas of this site - be it news about London Underground disputes, or blog entries from my rep. However, many people don't know what it is or how to use it - so I thought it may be of interest or use to some of you for me to have a go at explaining it here.

If you want to keep up with the latest statistics on pay settlements, inflation and other employment-related facts, you could try looking at the IDS website.

One fact it will tell you is that median pay settlements are currently running at 2% - a full 0.5% higher than LUL and TfL's current offers. ['Median' is one type of average, found by arranging the values in order and then selecting the one in the middle.]

• A guide for parents of someone who is LGBT
• A guide for those thinking about coming out
• Information database
• Web info for trans support
• Publications and research documents conducted by Stonewall
• Information on HIV and AIDS

• A guide for parents of someone who is LGBT
• A guide for those thinking about coming out
• Information database
• Web info for trans support
• Publications and research documents conducted by Stonewall
• Information on HIV and AIDS

RMT's London Transport region is affiliated to the United Campaign Against Police Violence, set up in the wake of this year's G20 protests.

You can visit the campaign's website by clicking here.

ABOUT WAGE CONCERN

On Friday 15th May, the Employment Opportunities Bill will be debated in Parliament. The Bill has been put forward by Conservative backbenchers and it would enable employers to ‘opt-out’ of the Minimum Wage brought in by the Labour government ten years ago.

If passed, the system would be wide open to abuse by unscrupulous employers. For instance an employment agency could write a Minimum Wage Opt-Out into any contract potential staff would have to sign.

Unbelievably, they tried to claim it was against people’s ‘Human Right to work’ to have a Minimum Wage.

• Double glazed glass ceiling research - how it's doubly difficult for lesbians to progress up the chain of command
• HIV facts

Click here for a handy set of briefings on various aspects of employment law.

From RMT Young Members ...

Write in with your work or union related query stating your employer, grade and line/location of work and we’ll ask the font of all trade union knowledge and give you a response in the next edition.

Keeping Informed.......

Long extinct is the carrier pigeon and by the time snail mail arrives the issues have moved on – no offence to our postal comrades at CWU.

So don’t be shy contact us via e-mail with “dear comrade” in the subject line.

'No Sweat' is a campaign against sweatshop working conditions supported by RMT.

It organises in solidarity with sweatshop workers in Britain and around the world, helping to build strong union organisation.

No Sweat also campaigns to expose the way in which big name brands and high street stores exploit sweatshop labour to make profits, and organises fundraising, protest actions and speaker tours by trade unionists.

Visit their website by clicking here.