by a tube worker
The RMT’s National Executive has decided to accept London Underground’s pay offer and not go ahead with strike action. But deal is well short of what we wanted and what staff deserve.
After a 76% vote for strike action, the RMT's London Transport Regional Council discussed the situation on 22 February. At that meeting the majority of reps said that members in their area did not want to strike (even though they had just voted to), because:
• the other two unions (TSSA and ASLEF) would work during the strike, reducing its effectiveness;
• they were upset about members of other unions getting the pay rise while they did not;
• the whole thing had gone on too long and they wanted it resolved.
None of this accorded with my experience.
The following day, a meeting of RMT Functional Council reps — from stations, trains, service control and admin — agreed unanimously to recommend to the Executive that it call off the dispute and accept the offer.
The truth is that management have been able to exploit the weakness of the other unions and the fact that the Tube workforce is divided into different unions. We would all be in a much better position if we were united in one, all-grades union. With no immediate prospect of the unions merging, we need to build RMT as strong as possible.
