Striking RMT Members Backed in Parliament

Submitted by Admin on 11 June, 2009 - 17:24

RMT members were strongly supported in Parliament today when the Labour MP for Hendon, Andrew Dismore MP, used questions to the Leader of the House of Commons to wade into the Mayor and London Underground. Mr Dismore accused them of pulling the rug on the deal reached with RMT negotiators on Tuesday night which would have allowed for the tube strike to be suspended.

The MP's intervention follows the intervention by several London Labour MPs today, former Mayor Ken Livingstone and Assembly members calling for Boris Johnson to agree with direct talks with the RMT.

Ken Livingstone on Tube Strike

Submitted by Admin on 11 June, 2009 - 17:20

Former London Mayor Ken Livingstone today launched a furious broadside against Boris Johnson and his tube chiefs for their failure to meet with RMT at an early stage to address the issues at the heart of the tube dispute.

Livingstone has also made it clear that the union is right over the key issue of compulsory redundancies.

Writing in The Times, and speaking on radio this morning, Livingstone said:

Mayor 'provoked Tube strike'

Submitted by Admin on 11 June, 2009 - 16:54

By Emily Ashton, Press Association

Thursday, 11 June 2009

A Labour MP today said there was a "real suspicion" that Boris Johnson's fingers were "all over" the provocation of the strike on London Underground (LU)

Andrew Dismore (Hendon) said Mr Johnson, the Mayor of London, had "interfered" and caused a planned suspension of the strike to be lifted.

He told the Commons that the Rail Maritime and Transport (RMT) union had signed an agreement on Tuesday evening to stop the strike going ahead.

Britain's Biggest Union Pledges Full Support for RMT Tube Dispute

Submitted by Admin on 11 June, 2009 - 14:50

BRITAIN’S BIGGEST trade union, Unite, which is also one of the four unions on London Underground, has pledged its full support and solidarity with the RMT in its current dispute over jobs, pay and bullying on the Tube.

Unite have also joined a growing call for Mayor Boris Johnson to enter into direct talks with RMT which has been supported today by London Labour MPs, GLA members and former London Mayor Ken Livingstone.

Peter Kavanagh, Unite regional industrial organiser, said:

TfL Dispute - Lack of Support for TfL Staff

Submitted by paulrutland on 11 June, 2009 - 10:11

I am writing this in a personal capacity but I believe this is the feeling of a lot of TfL members of RMT. We have given 100% to the build up of this dispute/campaign since day one. We have only 4 'recognised' Reps in the whole of TfL unlike other areas of membership. We are part of this dispute because of the possible 3000 job cuts in our area, no pay offer whatsoever from TfL and members being denied the representatives of their choice plus we already have to suffer the disgraceful 'OCP' scenario where we can be made compulsory redundant.

Bob Crow "stunned" by management dishonesty

Submitted by Joffe on 10 June, 2009 - 15:30

RMT General Secretary Bob Crow sent the following message to all union members:

"Dear Colleague,

A PERSONAL MESSAGE FROM THE GENERAL SECRETARY

THE TRUTH (AND IF NOT SUE US FOR LIBEL)

This is my 31st year as a member of this Union and a worker on London Underground and in all that time I have never experienced such dishonesty from any management that I have dealt with. Let me explain to you what really happened at the talks.

The Facts

Solidarity Greetings from RMT East London Rail branch

Submitted by Admin on 10 June, 2009 - 00:00

Comrades, brothers, and sisters.

Fraternal greetings.

East London Rail Branch RMT salutes the stand being taken by you, our comrades, across the London Transport network tonight in your struggle against bullying management, pay cuts, and job-losses.

This Branch notes that in these times of recession, all workers are being told we must ‘tighten our belts’; we also note the stark - and frankly stinking - hypocrisy of your management, who like so many others, believe this does not apply to them.