Economic crisis / fighting public service cuts

Responding to news that unemployment has risen by 128,000 to 2.638 million in the three months to October, RMT General Secretary Bob Crow said:

“These latest shocking figures show that all the Governments promises on jobs and apprenticeships are as hollow as a chocolate Father Christmas."

RAIL UNION RMT today slammed news that private train operator Stagecoach is to receive £90 million a year in state aid to prop up its East Midlands franchise.

The RMT Young Members Advisory Committee held on the 14th November 2011 put the following request to the Council of Executives:

That following visits by RMT Young members to the anti-capitalist protest camp located near St Pauls the committee unanimously agreed to ask for the following -

1. That the RMT make public its principled support for those engaged in the protest situated at St Pauls
2. That the RMT promote the ‘message’ of the protest across the union and wider trade union and Labour movement
   

Chancellor George Osborne

RMT General Secretary Bob Crow said:

“Rather than a thin-scraping of jam tomorrow, robbed from other parts of the cupboard, what Britain needs today is real investment for growth and we could start by ending the nonsense of sacrificing thousands of manufacturing and supply chain jobs in the East Midlands, which are threatened by shifting train building to Siemens in Germany.

TRANSPORT UNION RMT today slammed Vince Cables attack on workers’ rights and warned that as well as opening the door to a vicious “hire and fire” culture he is also giving a green light to a massive increase in social dumping that will allow companies to hire in workers from abroad to undermine pay and conditions.

RMT Council of Executives decision:

That we affiliate to this organisation. We instruct the General Secretary to send the £100 affiliation fee and the Council of Executives through consultation with the Black & Ethnic Minority Members’ Advisory Committee send a delegate on behalf of this Union.

RMT's Council of Executives has agreed to submit this resolution to TUC Women's Conference 2012:

That this Conference is concerned that Government proposals for the main line railway and the actions of London Underground in slashing staff numbers will worsen passenger services through the loss of thousands of frontline workers from trains, stations, ticket offices and safety-critical infrastructure and operational roles.

RMT Council of Executives decision:

As a union we support most progressive campaigns for the advancement of people and have played a pivotal role in the anti cuts movement and continue to support trade union council and community campaigns for social justice. We also note the General Secretary is speaking at the Youth Fight for Jobs rally at Trafalgar Square.

Council of Executives decision:

That we fully support the resolution and note our support and affiliation to End Violence Against Women campaign. We instruct the General Secretary to bring to the Equal Rights Sub-Committee a model policy for our Lead Officers to obtain nationwide.

Further, a suitable article for RMT News be drafted by EVAW concentrating on our members' experiences. Reference should be made in the article to the experiences mentioned in the AGM debate and also to the impact of the cuts on women's refuges.

Council of Executives decision:

That we note the resolution and agree to donate £100 to both the Merseyside Women Against the Cuts and London Women Against the Cuts.

An article is to be placed in RMT News and write to women on the NWAC asking if they are aware of such campaigns. In addition, the latest TUC briefing on this is to be sent and placed on our website, along with this resolution.

The following Resolution submitted by Neasden Branch was carried at the Regional Council meeting on 28th July.

This branch/Region supports the growing anti-cuts movement and we realise that a successful movement will require an industrial political strategy.
We realise that all three major political parties, including Labour,are making cuts in local authorities in London.

A joint trade union meeting is being held in London to press the demand for a public sector general strike in the autumn. The meeting is being organized by the National Shop Stewards Network and will be attended by the RMT, Fire Brigades Union, Communication Workers Union and the Public and Commercial Sectors Union.

All our welcome.

The meeting will be held on Monday 18th July, 6.00pm at Indian YMCA, 41 Fitzroy Square, W1T 6AQ. (Map).

Click '1 attachment' / file name to download a report form the TUC on the gender impact of government cuts.

This Resolution submitted by LU Fleet and amended by Piccadilly and District west was carried at the Regional council meeting on 26th May

Oppose the Cuts.

This Region opposes:

·The vicious attacks by the ConDem government on public services and working class people.

·The idea that public services should be cut in order to bail out the banks.

·Privatization and cuts to public services, whether NHS, education, civil service, transport industry or local authority, and will resist them.

This Region believes:

RMT mobilised its own large contingent for the TUC-organised 500,000-strong March for the Alternative through London on March 26, 2011. The demonstration sent a clear message to the ConDem government that its savage programme of cuts is unacceptable to the British public.

Check out RMTv for more videos.

Here are some photos from the 'March for the Alternate' on 26th March in London. Hundreds of RMT members turned out to the demo from across the country.

To see more of the photos click 'Read More.'

This Saturday promises to be the biggest trade union march in a decade. The National TUC Demo, Saturday 26th March in London: make sure you’re there and be a part of the biggest trade union demonstration in years, when the TUC marches against the Government’s savage austerity cuts.

Click 'Read More' to get the latest information about the plans for the day

TRANSPORT UNION RMT warned today that the ConDem-led demand for spending cuts is compromising security on the transport system at a time when soaring copper prices have driven cable thefts to record levels - leaving passengers facing huge potential for service disruption and travel chaos.

The British Transport Police have said that they have logged record levels of thefts in the early weeks of this year as copper prices have risen by over 40%. The estimated cost to the taxpayer of thefts from UK infrastructure is £700 million with transport in the front line.

The RMT have produced a video explaining how the ConDem governments planned cuts will affect all of us and the alternative that the RMT wants to see. The 'Demonstration Against The Cuts' is "likely to be one of the biggest ever seen" so everyone is encouraged to attend on the 24th of March to join this important start in the fight back against the cuts.

RMT videos can be viewed at RMTv.org.uk here.