Workers' Liberty

Back in February 2006, TW was spelling out the case against performance-related pay.

In April, Tubeworker damns LUL's offer and calls for the unions to call special meetings in the autumn of each year so that pay claims can be decided democratically and be submitted early. We also caution that: "Yet again, we are faced with months of wrangling, with the company hoping it will make us war-weary and we won't have the spirit to fight for more when Christmas starts to loom and the back pay owed builds up." And we call for RMT to co-ordinate pay fights across the companies.

In May, TW warns of a protracted dispute and calls for an effective and decisive fight.

In June, TW is unhappy with the silence from the unions.

In August, TW lambasts the CSS bonus and welcomes the prospect of imminent strike action; says that it is time to fight, insists on a one-year deal and criticises the unions for going along with delayed pay rises by not submitting claims sooner; and cautions against faith in ACAS, accuses RMT of sluggishness, and (accurately, so it turned out) warns of a drawn-out haggling match resulting in a 3-year deal.

On 19th September, we said RMT should get on with a strike ballot. A week later, TW lambasted the six-month delay to our pay rise, and criticised RMT for: ignoring the issue of the CSS bonus, not acting like an all-grades union should, and still making workers suffer for its failure to defeat the Company Plan.

In October, TW denounced the TSSA's acceptance of management's offer and cautioned that RMT and ASLEF's 'wait-and-see' strategy was "very risky", accused the unions of making themselves into bystanders and allowing management to set the agenda, and called for organising in the workplace to prepare for strikes.

In November, TW argued that RMT's 'waiting game' strategy spreads discontent, and demanded from the union more information, more answers to management's propaganda, and a clearer strategy.

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And here comes Tubeworker after Christmas, arguing that the unions should have demanded higher pay rises especially for lower-paid grades, criticising RMT for not taking action earlier, and demanding that strategy should be democratically decided by the rank and file; arguing back against management's spin; calling on RMT to shape up its strategy by getting round the workplaces, producing more information for workers and leaflets for the public, and recognising that one-day strikes are tokentistic and ineffective.

In February, RMT at long last ballots, and Tubeworker urges a Yes vote. We also ridicule Tim O'Toole's letter to staff (twice); report the Mayor's decision to call off later running; urge ASLEF members to vote No in their referendum; tell RMT to do more to reassure probationers; sound the alarm about the leadership's preparations to retreat after the ballot result; and finally, explain how it all ended in tears.