RMT members with strike tomorrow on Heathrow Express. Picket lines will be at Heathrow (Heathrow Express depot, don't know where exactly it is), Old Oak Common and Paddington from about 5am.
ASLEF and RMT were due to strike over pay and conditions on 7, 11 and 21 September. Yet again, an employer forced to concede a shorter working week for staff is trying to make workers pay the price.
Both ASLEF and RMT suspended the first two dates for talks. They obviously still haven't got the hang of the idea that you can talk and strike at the same time. ASLEF recommended the company's new offer in a referendum - I assume they got their yes vote, accepted the offer and cancelled the strikes.
RMT recommended rejection in their referendum, members voted 12:1 to reject it, so RMT is striking tomorrow. It seems that a fair few ASLEF members have joined RMT because they want to fight for a better pay deal. (You'll notice that earlier RMT press releases refer to 60 drivers due to strike, more recent ones 70+). This has doubtless reignited the rivalry between the two unions that had become uglier even than usual earlier this year.
It would be good to have unity between the two unions - but not the unity of accepting a crap offer. If one union has to fight alone, then it deserves all our support.
