Workers' Liberty

sh Bob crowe is apparently mulling over the idea of a merger with the tssa in response to what he claims is the "rise through the trade union movement of tony woodley like hitler"[although bob went on to say he ment that "in a nice way"].This would be a terrible mistake.Many of the tssa members are unreconstructed scabs,their social composition being of mainly aspiring lower middle class types.To many of these creatures the idea of solidarity with say a pway labourer is anathema and the idea of class solidarity is something they will activly oppose.To let these people into the rmt unvetted would be tantamount to creating a fifth column of potential scabs in our own organisation.That is not to say that we would not welcome the many decent tssa members into our union these people only give their miserable organisation undeserved credibility by staying there.
Much of the same applies to amicus/unite,although this is composed mainly of industrial workers (on the railway)it has attracted those who dont wish to strike and who are quite prepared to scab.Again we would welcome the many decent individuals in amicus/unite some of whom refused to cross our picket lines in defiance of their leaderships advice.In spite of all our faults the Rmt is the most millitant union out there ;to deliberatly dilute this militancy by allowing dross to join could seriously damage us orginisationaly and industrially and is to be opposed at all costs.

Management love the fact that there are two unions. It plays completely into their hands. We know that we are dealing with management who are on a mission to break the strength of the RMT on the underground. We saw this by the low levels they stooped to in the pay dispute this year when they offered to pay all non-RMT members their backdated pay if they signed to say they were not in the RMT. It would be brilliant if management did not have this tool in their hands, although we would have to fight to make sure non of the RMT's militancy and democracy was lost with a merger.

I also think that having another union is used by some in the union to let the RMT off the hook for its handling of disputes. Again, in the pay dispute this year, some excused calling off the strike by saying it was TSSA's fault cos 'we were left to fight alone'. This was at a time when the RMT should have been taking a serious look at what they'd done wrong (e.g. waiting too long to go into dispute). This also shows that people who leave the RMT are not all scabs. Some leave because they're frustrated with the RMT's mistakes. We should be clear that they should stay with the RMT and challenge within it, but we can understand some of the frustration they feel.

Whilst acknowleding that the rmt is an imperfect body to paraphrase brian clough it may not be the best union in britain but its in the top one.I can see why people sometimes get frustrated but surley your not trying to tell me that TSSA is seen as some kind of militant alternative.on the contrary its a home for scabs and scoundrels and those who have given up and want an excuse not to strike.I do accept that in the past and even now that some good class concious socialists remain there for what they see as good reasons[an attempt to turn it left]However even if the left were to capture the leading positions there the class composition of the tssa would effectivly prohibit action.It would be a case of a red hed but blue feet.The rmt in contrast is currently a pinkisk head and red feet.I agree that we need only one union on the railway ,the one industrial union which already exists the RMT.I am not writing off the many working class fighters in tssa or even the potential of middle class elements to play a progressive role in the trade union struggle but to achieve this i believe that they must make a concious decision to join a union which is composed of some of the most class concious and militant elements of the working class.The treacherous role of the tssa [and amicus] have been proven in practice again and again in disputes despite the bravery of many of their members.Its high time socialists stopped apoligising for this wretched strike busting management led excuse for a union and helped put it out of its misery.

Redheds, you want one union for all railworkers. But the way you seem to see that happening is by RMT recruiting all the other unions' members.

However historically, the big moves towards one union for the industry have been mergers - the founding of the ASRS through the merger of local and grade-based unions, then the merger of the ASRS with the Pointmen's & Signalmen's Union and the General Railworkers' Union to form the NUR. The existence of TSSA as a separate union is because its predecessor, the Railway Clerks Association, refused to join that merger nearly a century ago.

If TSSA corrects that mistake, albeit nearly 100 years late, then that would surely be a good thing!

sh For the reasons stated above no it wouldnt.As for your historical analysis pure logic would dictate that just becsause something has not happened in the past this does not mean it cant happen in the future.Mergers of the kind proposed between the rmt and tssa do little more than protect the pensions and salaries of full time officals.If these people want to join the rmt we should carefully vet them taking in pro working class elements and barring those who will not contemplate industrial action even to defend their own jobs let alone in solidarity with others.