RMT members are about to get a say in a very important election. Not the President of the USA, but the RMT's London Transport Regional Organiser, who will be in charge of the industrial strategy and negotiations with all the companies who were ever part of London Transport - from LUL, to cleaners, to Metronet - for the next five years.
This election is about the future of the union, as in the next five years management will go all-out to break us. Look at what they've already done by victimising leading Metronet rep, Andy Littlechild. Management are throwing attack after attack at us, aiming to defeat us by convincing us we can't win.
We need a Regional Organiser who understands that we need a basic strategy to build the strength of the union in every company and every grade and get them working together. We need to involve more members in the union, build up the confidence of local reps, get more people actively involved. Pay and benefits will only be won if the union is in a strong position to fight for them. The union must be a fighting force, and also a democratic one, where members are listened to and control our own union.
Tubeworker believes that the candidate who fits the bill is Steve Hedley.
Steve has been in the RMT for over 20 years, representing members locally and negotiating at a high level. He is a committed fighter, who has been sacked five times for standing up to management!
Most recently, he has been working for Metronet, involved in building the strong union organisation that won two strikes in the last year. Involving members in decisions and running disputes, holding union meetings at work to involve members have built up near 100% solid RMT membership and support. These efforts have culminated in Metronet workers going back under LUL by December. Steve wants to roll these winning tactics out to the rest of the Underground.
Electing Steve will mean that someone leads the fight when management unleash their attacks in the run-up to 2012. Management's plan to continue casualising jobs before the Olympics and cull jobs after is obvious but it is not inevitable. With a strategy to take us to 2012 and beyond, and a strong union organised in every workplace and company which Steve will help to build, we can see these plans off and secure our jobs.
Electing Steve will mean that we go into the next crucial pay talks in a strong position. Management want to tie us into a five-year pay deal to disarm us until after the Olympics, and they will resent paying above-inflation pay at a time when inflation is pushing living costs through the roof. With Steve elected, RMT will go into pay negotiations in a strong position, where all companies are organised and in a position to fight if we have to.
Steve will not let the union be defeated and by defending the union will defend the benefits which the union has won in the past.
Some union elections don’t really inspire you to vote. Sometimes they are between people you have never heard of or people who just want to keep things ticking over in the same old half-effective way. This election is different. Steve Hedley is a candidate worth making the effort to vote for, and encouraging your workmates to do likewise.