Solidarity with other workers

SPECIALIST TRANSPORT union RMT today pledged its full support for the CWU postal workers in their fight for a secure future and decent pay and conditions and a delegation from the union, including General Secretary Bob Crow, will be joining the picket line at Mount Pleasant sorting office on Thursday (22nd October) at 4.30pm.

On Friday (23rd October) RMT cleaners working on the Eurostar for the Carlisle Group at St Pancras International will be on strike and will be organising picket line exchanges with local postal workers.

RMT fully supports postal workers in their fight against Royal Mail's attacks on their working conditions. The posties' union, the CWU, has supported us in our disputes this year, with CWU rep Mark Palfrey speaking at two of our mass meetings. RMT picket lines have also received visits - and gifts! - from postal workers.

Please visit the CWU's website for more information about their industrial action. You will find a list of London CWU branches here, so contact your local one and offer your support!

OFFSHORE ENERGY UNION RMT today called for full support for a day of action in support of the Vestas wind turbines factory campaign which will be marked by events up and down the country tomorrow (Wednesday August 12).

RMT, which represents a substantial block of the Vestas workforce, is continuing to support the fight to get the Isle of Wight factory back into production and is sending out a clear signal that the campaign for wind turbine manufacture in England is far from over.

From Becky Crocker, Regional Young Members' officer

Dear London Transport region

On Monday 3rd August, I visited the Vestas factory on the Isle of Wight, which its workers have occupied to stop its closure and save their 600 jobs.

Vestas is the only factory in Britain making blades for wind turbines.

Wind power is part of the government’s strategy for switching to 15% renewable energy by 2020. But the private company Vestas have calculated they can make more money by moving their factory elsewhere: profit comes first and jobs and the environment second.

OFFSHORE ENERGY UNION RMT today accused the owners of the Vestas wind turbine factory on the Isle of Wight of “kicking the legs” from under a rescue package that could have saved it from closure.

RMT officials Bob Crow and John Leach, along with representatives of the Vestas workforce, met with energy minister Joan Ruddock yesterday to discuss the future of the factory.

During the meeting it emerged that the government had offered a series of rescue options to the company but each one had been rejected.

Bob Crow, RMT general secretary, said

"Our members have shown again that they are solid,angry and determined to secure a fair deal on pay and conditions from a company that is obsessed with maximising profits at the expense of staff and the traveling public.

National express have provoked this action and have alienated their entire workforce across all three unions. Those workers have shown that they are not prepared to take a hit to prop up the profits of a company whose management have shown that they are not fit to run rail services."

BUS TO VESTAS: FRIDAY EVENING: STOP THE EVICTION

From Workers' Climate Action

Everyone down at Vestas is still standing strong in the face of the possession order. A bus of about 20 Londoners went down on Tuesday evening, but everyone is getting pretty tired and another boost is needed!

A minibus (or two!) will be leaving London on Friday evening from Clapham at 6pm heading for Vestas. The bus will return on Sunday. It will cost between £10-£15 a head (or a bit more if you can afford to subsidise others) and will deliver a boost in numbers and energy to the fight to save jobs and save the planet!

TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber has sent the following letter to Ed Miliband MP, Secretary of State at the Department of Energy and Climate Change ...

Dear Ed

Vestas Wind Systems

As you are aware, the TUC shares your absolute commitment to tackle climate change, including through the development of a low carbon industrial strategy with quality green jobs and skills at its heart.