Rail unions

Rail, Maritime and Tranposrt Union (RMT); Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen (ASLEF); Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA)

Campaign for the rights of relief, cover and pool staff

Across many grades, the "cover" staff are getting a raw deal. Shifts changed at a moment's notice give no chance to plan a social life or organise child care. Tubeworker has launched a campaign which wants: All reserve/pool staff to receive their duties 28 days in advance. Rest days to be allocated with equal rights to long weekends with rostered staff. Shift patterns to follow as near as possible rostered staff patterns, to allow proper sleep cycles. More rostered posts with more spare turns on the roster, enabling staff to achieve a rostered position. Lockers at an agreed location for...

RMT tells Network Rail: 'Hands off jobs and pensions!'

Network Rail is waging a concerted attack on its workforce. The Government expects our gratitude for getting Network Rail to end contracting-out and bring infrastructure maintenance in-house. Even some union leaders have repeated the spin that this is some form of renationalisation. But the truth is that it falls well short of a genuine return to public ownership, and in no sense means that Network Rail is a 'good employer'. Below are excerpts from a leaflet from RMT's South Wales & West Regional Council, giving details of the attacks, and proposing a fight against them. NR Chairman Ian...

RMT: Tube workers strike on 12 March

By a Tubeworker RMT members employed on track and signal maintenance by Metronet on the London Underground will stage a 24 hour strike from 6 am on Friday 12 March. RMT members employed by Metronet on track and signal maintenance on London Underground voted by 5 to 1 to strike in support of sacked colleagues. Eight workers have now been sacked. The sacking arose after empty beer cans were found in a mess room. Responding to the vote Bob Crow General Secretary of RMT said: "There is not a shred of evidence that the men had been drinking. The company must stop conducting a witch hunt and...

Tube strike on 12 March

RMT members employed on track and signal maintenance by Metronet on the London Underground will stage a 24 hour strike from 6.00am on Friday 12 March. The RMT rail union issued the following press statement on 1 March : RMT members employed by Metronet on track and signal maintenance on London Underground voted by 5 to 1 to support sacked colleagues. Responding to the vote Bob Crow General Secretary of RMT said: "Reports from our members show an overwhelming support for strike action. All the people sacked were tested and these tests proved negative for alcohol. There is not a shred of...

Network Rail: Hands off Jobs and Pensions!

Network Rail is waging a three-pronged attack on its workforce: - ending final-salary pensions for new employees; - making redundancies amongst its own staff and seeking further redundancies when it takes over infrastructure work; - victimising RMT rep Martin Wicks. The Government expects our gratitude for getting Network Rail to end contracting-out and bring infrastructure maintenance in-house. Even some union leaders have repeated the spin that this is some form of renationalisation. But the truth is that it falls well short of a genuine return to public ownership, and in no sense means that...

Tubeworker 27 February 2004: We need a political voice!

Now the Labour Party has kicked out the RMT, Tubeworker discusses what the rail unions should do next. It argues for a concerted fight to overturn the Blairites, and for establishing firm principles as to who the union should back in elections - only democratic, working-class socialists. Also in this issue, Tubeworker sets out what a multi-year pay deal must contain if it is to be acceptable. It also campaigns for a Yes vote in the Metronet strike ballot, and for improved rights for reserve and pool workers. Workplace reports include the success of drivers in winning back the pay that London...

Time to get factional!

"One man is king", remarked Karl Marx in an aside in Capital, "only because other men stand in the relation of subjects to him. They imagine that they are subjects because he is king". That about sums up the Labour Party for most of the time since Tony Blair became leader of the party almost 10 years ago, on 21 July 1994. Labour activists - and, decisively, trade unionists - have been "subjects" of the "king" who looked as if he could beat, and then did beat, the Tories. He has been "king" because they have been willing to be "subjects". That is beginning to change. Trade unionists and Labour...

Disaffiliation is not the answer

By Colin Foster The Labour Party has expelled the railworkers' union RMT. The Communication Workers' Union has condemned the expulsion and called on the Labour Party to discuss with the RMT. But many socialists have rejoiced, saying that the RMT's expulsion should and will be followed by many other unions deciding of their own accord to break links with Labour. In fact that is unlikely. The Fire Brigades Union conference in March will have motions before it for disaffiliation. It is the exception. Past CWU conferences have seen lively arguments about the political fund. However, last year's...

Reclaim our party

By a RMT delegate The RMT Special General Meeting held in Glasgow on the 6 February upheld the decision of its 2003 AGM to affiliate to organisations outside the Labour Party. The union has now been expelled from the Party. The outcome should be no surprise to the wider labour movement. The RMT has a proud tradition of standing by its principles and facing up to bullies. The threats and ultimatums from the Labour Party Executive, (where representatives of our sister unions sit and shake in fear at the thought of rocking the boat), only served to strengthen the resolve of the delegation. We...

Scout Green: we need a public inquiry on rail safety

The RMT have gained information indicating that there were no less than five contractors operating at the Scout Green access point on Sunday morning, the site of the accident which killed four railworkers. They were Carillon, MDA Rail, Macrail, McGinley's and Jarvis. They also say that the trolley which killed the men was on the main line and not on a sidings and was detached from a road-rail crane to enable the crane to unload it. Instead of proper brakes holding the trolley in place, two two-inch blocks of wood were placed beneath its wheels to stop it moving. Loading had just started when...

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