Strike Ballot on the Vic

Submitted by plectrum on 1 April, 2009 - 10:51

Victoria line drivers at Seven Sisters depot are to be balloted for strike action in response to the increasingly hard-line approach of management towards staff. The recent sacking of Carl Campbell for an alleged wrong-side door opening incident has pushed the members at Seven Sisters beyond endurance, coming as it did after months of increasingly draconian management practices. At a meeting of the branch, it was agreed that the ballot would focus opposition to the company over four related issues:

  1. The grossly unfair sacking of Brother Carl Campbell;

The Fight Starts Now!

Submitted by plectrum on 1 April, 2009 - 10:40

London Underground and TfL have taken industrial relations to a new low with their recent disgraceful pay ‘offer’: RPI +1% this year, followed by RPI + nothing for the next four. This ‘offer’ follows a period in which LUL has abused and misused the Attendance at Work Procedure in order to harass and penalise staff who have suffered illness or injury. And the company’s latest plan is to renege on the ‘jobs for life’ agreement which was made at the time of the enforced introduction of PPP six years ago, opening the way for wholesale job cuts.

Leaflet for G20 Protests

Submitted by Admin on 1 April, 2009 - 10:34

RMT reps and activists will be giving this leaflet on protests organised this week to coincide with the G20 summit. Click '1 attachment' / file name to download it. Read the text below.

RMT supports G20 protests
• Tube staff are on your side.
• A fight for public transport is a fight against climate change
• Support our upcoming strike.

We are on your side!

Letter from Bob Crow: G20 Summit – London Wide Demonstrations

Submitted by Admin on 1 April, 2009 - 09:39

Dear Colleague

RMT members have been expressing their concerns regarding possible violent demonstrations in the capital over the coming week in relation to the G20 summit and I am writing to all employers and the British Transport Police on your behalf. It has been suggested in some parts of the national press that some of these demonstrations may be violent in nature. It is highly possible that the transport infrastructure could well be targeted as part of these demonstrations.

Financial Fools Day

On April 1st, the G20 are coming to London to face up to economic crisis and political meltdown Lost your home? Lost your job? Lost your savings or your pension? This party is for you!

At 12 noon, April 1st the Bank of England

RPI down? Prices for working-class households are up

Submitted by Admin on 28 March, 2009 - 16:51

According to the latest official Retail Price Index, on average prices are now falling. But a closer look at the figures shows that the working-class cost of living is still rising.

Food prices went up 12.5% between February 2008 and February 2009. Eggs went up 11.2%, vegetables 18.6%, fruit 13%.

Fares and other travel costs went up 10.2% (January-January), gas 33.1%, electricity 18%.

The fall in the overall index comes from cheaper prices on clothing, car purchases, and “consumer durables” of all sorts, and from lower mortgage payments.

Delegate's report from TUC Women's Conference

Submitted by Admin on 28 March, 2009 - 16:47

Becky Crocker, our regional Young Members' Officer, was an RMT delegate to the recent TUC Women's Conference. She wrote this report for the socialist newspaper Solidarity. We nicked it from their website, here!

This conference opened my eyes to a different side of the labour movement. Among the 250 delegates, there were some militant trade unionists, but their voice was drowned out by the overwhelming conservatism.

Minutes: Regional Council meeting, 26 March 2009

Submitted by Admin on 28 March, 2009 - 07:26

ATTENDANCE

  • Bakerloo branch - Malcolm Taylor, Micky Hyde, Jim McDaid
  • Camden no.3 branch - Pat O'Brien, Geoff Palmer, Clara Osagiede
  • Central Line West branch - Vic Parmar, Vaughan Thomas (meeting chair), Stefan Melnyk
  • DLR branch - Chris Ives
  • East Ham branch - Chris Tugwell
  • Finsbury Park branch - Derek Bishop, Frank Curtis, Glenroy Watson
  • LU Fleet branch - Kieran Crowe
  • Hammersmith & City branch - Josie Toussaint-Pinnock