Public services not private profit

Demanding the return of the railways and other privatised indutstries to public ownership; opposing further privatisations

Resolution: Diane Abbott MP

Submitted by Admin on 8 January, 2010 - 06:12

The Regional Council Executive endorsed this resolution on behalf of the Regional Council at its meeting on 9 February 2010.

This Regional Council has been informed that Diane Abbot MP supported the former Mayor Ken Livingstone’s policy to privatise the East London Line. Also she did not sign the Early Day Motion regarding the issue.

If this is true then Ms Abbot has broken the policy of this union and the principles of our Parliamentary Group.

Death Knell for PPP?

Submitted by Janine on 4 January, 2010 - 15:56

headlinesI've written the following article for 'Solidarity' newspaper ...

A decision by the PPP Arbiter in December may prove to be a fatal punch to private infrastructure company Tube Lines and the whole ‘Public-Private Partnership’ set-up on London Underground.

The New Labour government imposed the PPP at the very end of 2002, despite widespread opposition. PPP organised the Underground’s infrastructure into three groups of lines, and transferred them to private consortia known as Infracos, two to now-defunct Metronet, one – the Jubilee, Northern and Piccadilly lines – to Tube Lines.

PPP Meltdown On The Underground As Tube Lines Contract Descends Into Chaos

Submitted by Peter on 14 December, 2009 - 14:10
photo by Paul Mattsson

TUBE UNION RMT today called for PPP contractor Tube Lines to be stripped of their contract with immediate effect and without compensation, and their work brought back under direct public control, as it emerged that their operations on the Piccadilly, Northern and Jubilee Lines have collapsed into chaos and recrimination.

RMT have no doubt that the poisoned relationship between TfL and Tube Lines has now broken down irretrievably with a sequence of events in the run up to Thursdays decision by the arbiter on the value of the next phase of their contract fuelling the case for the company to be dumped.

RMT Demand End to Privatisation as National Express Lose Franchise

Submitted by Peter on 26 November, 2009 - 13:14

RAIL UNION RMT today demanded an end to the “chaos, instability and waste” of rail privatisation following the government’s announcement this morning that National Express will have their East Anglia franchise terminated in 2011.

RMT are calling on the government to strip National Express of their remaining C2C contract and to make it clear that the company are being kicked off the UK rail tracks for good following the shambolic collapse of their East Coast Main Line operation.

Bob Crow, RMT General Secretary, said:

Cleaners to Protest For A Living Wage and End To Privatisation, Whilst Tube Bosses Enjoy 50% Bonus Increase

Submitted by Peter on 16 November, 2009 - 13:23

Tube andTfL union RMT will be holding a demonstration in support of London Underground cleaners fight against privatisation this Wednesday (18 November) as it emerged that senior TfL bosses have received a 50% increase in bonus payments over the past two years from £3.6 million in 2007 to £5.3 million this year.

The tube cleaners, who are also fighting for TfL Chair Boris Johnson’s London Living Wage, will be outside the former Metronet headquarters at Templar House, 81-87 High Holborn at 12 noon on Wednesday 18th November.

Renationalise London Midland

Submitted by Peter on 10 November, 2009 - 18:56

RAIL UNION RMT today called on the government to take back the London Midland rail franchise from the parent Govia group after the company was hit with a remedial notice for persistent poor performance and failure to deliver an acceptable quality of service.

The RMT demand for renationalisation of London Midland comes just days before the East Coast Main Line is due to be taken back into public ownership and with the government coming under massive pressure to seize back the keys on National Express’s two other franchises – C2C and East Anglia.

CWU On Interim Agreement with Royal Mail

Submitted by Peter on 9 November, 2009 - 20:53

The Communication Workers Union's postal worker members were due to go on strike again today. However an interim agreement, announced last week, was reached between CWU and Royal Mail to postpone action. This video from www.cwutv.org explains the detail of the agreement.

David Ward, The Deputy General Secretary of CWU comments "There is no doubt that the strength of support from postal workers in the strikes has made Royal Mail think again. They have made significant concessions this week that are clear for everybody to see. Those concessions have allowed us to suspend strike action and work towards a full and final agreement."

RMT Slams “Damaging” TfL Fare Increases

Submitted by Peter on 15 October, 2009 - 13:52

commutersTUBE AND TfL union RMT today slammed confirmation from Mayor Boris Johnson that tube fares will increase by 3.9% from next year and bus fares by over 12% as “dire news in the middle of a recession which will be deeply damaging to passenger numbers and revenue income.”

In further bad news for public transport in the capital, TfL's business plan, to be considered by TfL's board next week, includes the deferral by three years of all remaining station renewals which were to have been completed by the failed private Tube maintenance company Metronet.