Rail unions

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

RMT AGM debates rail dispute, Belarus, politics

The annual general meeting of the Rail, Maritime, and Transport workers' union (RMT), which was held in Birmingham from 3-7 July, saw delegates debate strategy and perspectives for the union's national dispute with Network Rail and mainline train operating companies. An emergency motion from RMT East Midlands Central resolving to name further strikes as soon as possible, citing the beginning of the next pay period for many rail workers on 17 July, was heavily defeated. This may suggest some rank-and-file delegates are, for now, unwilling to mount too vigorous a challenge to national officers'...

TSSA almost takes action on EMR

There are 2 problems with the header, "TSSA Fighting for you in EMR", on its latest briefing, attached below, to EMR members. The first, and in the long term more serious one, is the message it sends about the relationship between members and the union. It makes it seem like the union is somehow...

RMT conference demands release of Belarus rail workers

The July 2022 Annual General Meeting of UK rail and transport union RMT - currently engaged in national strike action to defend wages, jobs and conditions on the railways - passed the following in solidarity with rail workers in Belarus, jailed for taking action in solidarity with Ukraine. Free the Belarus Railway 11 This union notes that: 1. on 19 April 2022, more than twenty leaders and activists of the Belarusian Congress of Democratic Trade Unions (BKDP) were detained by State Security. At least ten are still in custody, including the BKDP President and International Trade Union...

Off the Rails, June 2022 #2: Strikes show that we can win

The new issue of 'Off The Rails' is out now. Written by rail workers from around the country, it celebrates last week's strike action and raises some suggestions for an effective way forward. Please read it, download it, print it, and give it out at railway workplaces.

A public service railway!

Mick Lynch, general secretary of the RMT rail union, on Peston on ITV, responded to Tory MP Robert Jenrick about how to increase demand for the railways: “The worst way you could do it is by insisting the fares go up by RPI ripping off the commuters, but you won’t give the workers RPI… Last year, profits were made by the train operators — £500m out of that subsidy you gave went to those companies. First Group and Go Ahead, whom we’re negotiating with, are both subject to takeovers from private equity companies. “They’re going to be worth billions because they know you’re going to keep...

Make Labour back the pickets

Dozens of Labour MPs — fifty according to The Times — attended RMT picket lines between 21 and 25 June. The very right-wing leader of the Scottish Labour Party, Anas Sarwar, also joined a picket line. Westminster Labour right-winger Jon Cruddas has written that Labour must support the rail workers. “There is no way of hiding from this, no tactical dodge. Actually, it is why the party was created in the first place”. The power of the rail workers’ action has clearly inspired chunks of the Parliamentary Labour Party, as it has inspired hundreds of thousands of trade union activists and...

Diary of a trackworker: Back to the flying pickets?

Well, it’s been an interesting week and no mistake. Our picket lines have been well attended, with “spare” pickets going off and setting up lines we thought we wouldn’t be able to staff. Going back to the old days of flying pickets! At least in this area we don’t have a serious scab problem. But a lot of us are worrying about what comes next. The three days of strike [21, 23, 25 June] have had a massive impact, and now the union leadership seems to be dithering as to what, when, and where, the next series of actions will be. Also, there seems to be a serious reluctance on our leadership to...

Online meeting, 6:30pm, Sunday 26 June: Rail and Tube workers fight back

Join us via Zoom at 6:30pm on Sunday 26 June to review the week's strikes, discuss next steps, and make plans for solidarity.

Speakers will include RMT activists from Network Rail, TOCs, and LU.

We'll also be joined by Olga Karatch from Our House, the Belarusian human rights organisation, will...

Strikes show how to fight price surges

On 21 June railworkers had our first all-out strike since 1994, and for the first time since 1989 London Underground workers joined the strike. The entire rail network ground to a halt. 50,000 rail workers walked out. On 23 and 25 June, again, workers in Network Rail and 13 mainline train company workers will strike to bust a pay freeze and defend jobs and conditions. This is the cutting edge in the fight against the Tory government. By the end of July the Communication Workers’ Union (CWU) will announce the result of its pay ballot in BT, EE, and Openreach. Royal Mail workers in CWU will...

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