Network Rail and Tubeworkers to take action

SEEING RED

Essential reading for today ’s transport workerIssue No 5, Volume 5 www.rmt.org.uk June/July 2004

RMTnews● Tonnage Tax - So where are the jobs?● Join the rail lobby July 20 ● No to casualisation ● 112 MPs back SET campaign ● Media in the dock ● Grades conference reports ● Women ● Hands off Cuba ● Prize crossword

CONTENTSPage 4 Organising at Park Royal Page 5 Strike action at MitchamBelle Page 6 Anti-union laws force re-ballot on SouthernPage 7 Wales TUC supports tonnage tax campaignPage 8 8 Women members holdspecial conference

Page 9 MPs support SET campaignPage 10 Health and Safety Page 11 Seeing red Page 12 & 13 No more Tebays

Page 14 & 15 No more tiersPage 16 & 17 Link the tonnage Page 18 & 19 Road freight conferencePage 20 Hands off Cuba

Page 21 Tube newsPage 22 RMT opens new webshopPage 23 RMT President Page 24 Union Learning FundPage 25 Employment rightsPage 26 Carolyne Leckie MSPPage 27 Women’s page Page 28 Letters Page 29 Classified / Review Page 30 Prize crosswordPage 31 Credit UnionRMT News is compiled and originated by the NationalUnion of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers, Unity House,39 Chalton Street, London NW1 1JD. Tel: 020 7387 4771.Fax: 020 7529 8808. email bdenny@rmt.org.uk. The information contained in this publication is believed to be correct but cannot be guaranteed. All rights reserved.RMT News is designed by Michael Cronin and printed byLeycol Printers. General Editor: General Secretary BobCrow. Managing Editor: Brian Denny. No part of this document may be reproduced without prior written approvalof RMT. No liability is accepted for any errors or omissions.

© Copyright RMT 2003.

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NETWORK Rail has refused pointblank to even discuss theclosure of the final salarypension scheme to new staff.

This callous act, carried out simply tosave money, has put the pension funditself in doubt and this union is now indispute with the company.

Network Rail ran a dishonest “I’malright Jack” campaign, attempting tocon those still in the final-salaryscheme into believing that they wouldnot suffer as a result of its closure. Thisis not true and to your immense credit,members voted for action to defendpension rights for all.

On travel facilities, Network Rail haveconceded an initial 25 per centdiscount, further evidence that ourarguments that those who work on thenetwork should enjoy priv travel iswinning out. Tubelines also recentlyagreed to a 75 per cent travel discount,to be introduced over three years.However, the same cannot be said ofthe intransient management atMetronet, which is refusing to negotiateon this and other issues.

London Underground is also refusingto enter into serious negotiations onour long term claim for a four day week.Therefore, the union has calledsimultaneous strike action at NR andLUL to demand that our aspirations aretaken seriously.

Damning reports into privatisation ofTube maintenance contracts publishedby the National Audit Office and LULitself have once more exposed the factthat the PPP is giving guaranteed, risk-free profits to shareholders at theexpense of everybody else. The cost ofCity fees alone for the PPP was over£450 million and taxpayers shelled outthe same again in higher interest ratesthan if the government had borrowedthe money directly. In exchange we’vehad derailments, falling maintenancelevels, confusion and communicationsbreakdown.

This crazy scheme went ahead just asnational rail maintenance was takenback in-house because the privatesector failed to deliver. Network Rail’sdecision to bring rail maintenance backin-house has already resulted in a cut indelays from infrastructure faults in theThames Valley area by 32 per cent. Thatsuccess shows the way for railrenewals, train operations and rollingstock.

Since privatisation, the train operating

companies alone have extracted £1.1billion in ‘profits’ – that is, cash takenfrom fares and the taxpayer and handedover to the privateers. Many of them nolonger even pretend to operate asfranchises at all, simply takingmanagement fees. Therefore, what isthe point in spending £4 million on theunnecessary re-privatisation of SouthEastern Trains? Over 100 MPs and thetravelling public agree with us and wantto see it stopped.

As we await the outcome of thegovernment’s railways review, leakedprogress reports indicate that ministersare minded to abolish the Strategic RailAuthority in favour of strongerministerial control through NetworkRail. But the SRA is only part of theproblem. The basic fault-line in ourrailways remains the unsafe fragmen-tation brought by privatisation and mustbe reversed, something we will bearguing for at the lobby of parliamenton July 20. I hope you can make it.

FOLLOWING the ‘kicking’ thatLabour got at the recentelections, the government has agolden opportunity to win back

public confidence, instead of wagingimperialist wars and continuing on thepath of mass privatisation. The electionof Ken Livingstone on a ticket of peaceand mass construction has proved thatit can be done.

It was sad to hear deputy primeminister John Prescott blaming hisformer union for the continued declinein jobs and training for UK seafarers.He made the astonishing charge inparliament about the failure of thetonnage tax regime to deliver UK jobs.Not even the Chamber of Shipping hashad the effrontery to attempt to shiftresponsibility for the lack of UK jobs onUK ships onto RMT, but the employersmust be laughing up their sleeves.

Shipowners have so far been handedmore than £70 million of taxpayers’money for putting their vessels on theUK register, but the dumping of UKratings in favour of low-paid overseasrecruits continues unabated.

What the industry needs is a formallink between the millions being handedout in tax relief and the creation oftraining opportunities and jobs. Don’tforget to send off the enclosedpostcards to demand action.

Defendingwhat is yours

CrowBob

RMT news – Essent ia l read ing for today ’s t ranspor t worker

RMT’s organising strategyscored a success – this time inthe north east of England,writes Alan Pottage.

Many new members signed up butmore importantly a large number of newlocal representatives will be trained up.This is the only way we can build ourunion to maximum strength.

RMT must create new levels of activityin line with the large increase ofmembers recruited in the last two years.

The success of our strategy is clear tosee. RMT has grown faster than anyother union in Britain over the last twoyears.

BBC labour correspondent StevenCape said recently, during the TUC’sUnions 21 conference, that the RMT wasthe only union growing at a time when

other union’s membership has stalled oris on the decline. The success of theRMT in building the union was alsomentioned by delegates and officialsfrom other unions at the recent STUCconference – so we have much to bepleased about. On the other hand, ourefforts in the regions have shown areaswhere we have no reps and are poorlyorganised.

Our strategy, once fully implemented,will ensure every union branch andregional council tackles this problem andtransforms areas of disorganisation intothriving and energetic RMT-organisedworkplaces.

However, there is much more to bedone and we have an obligation to allworkers in the transport industry toproperly organise. Nothing less will do!

RMT membership grows

RMT members at the Initial City Link Park Royal depot in Londonwere impressed that ‘their’ general secretary made the effort to visitthem during a shift.

The union handed out over 50 membership packs to drivers,warehouse and clerical workers and a follow up meeting has beenarranged for the near future.

The big issue for the drivers is the implementation of the RoadTransport Directive which is due by March 2005. This will limit hoursto a maximum 48 hours with no opt out for safety reasons. However,members’ pay is so low that they currently have to work over 60hours to take home a decent wage. RMT members therefore facefinancial dificulties.

Alan Pottage of the organising unit said that was where the RMTcame in.

“If we get more members to join the union then our influence will begreatly strengthened and we can negotiate better pay, a proper bonusscheme and London allowance,” he said.

The union has also been busy providing representation atdisciplinary hearings for City Link members across the country. RMTlawyers even negotiated a financial settlement from a dog owner after

their dog bit a member as he attempted to deliver a parcel. Withoutthe union he would only have received a sticking plaster!

RMT is in the process of training two reps from every City Linkdepot, who have been granted ‘paid release’ to attend a four daycourse in London. The RMT course will cover the proposedlegislation.

RECRUITING: In the north east

ORGANISE: Bob Crow and executive member Ray Knight meet Initial City Linkmembers at Park Royal

MEMBERS FREEPHONE HELPLINE

Open six days a week8am until 6pm

0800 376 3706e-mail: info@rmt.org.uk

Legal helpline: 0800 587 7516Seven days a week

Organising at Park Royal

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Viacom balloted for actionRMT members at Viacom Outdoor are being balloted for strikeaction and industrial action short of a strike in support ofbetter pay and conditions.

Viacom staff, responsible for putting up advertising materialon London Underground, rejected an offer from the companyfor a 3.5 per cent pay increase and a trial sickness and bonusscheme.

RMT regional organiser Bobby Law said that members hadexpected an improved offer in return for increased productivityfor some of the lowest paid staff on the Tube network.

“This company has made millions from this Transport forLondon contract yet staff are still waiting for any significantimprovements in pay and conditions,” he said.

The result of the ballot will be announced on June 24.

RMT News – Essent ia l read ing for today ’s t ranspor t worker

THE RMT-sponsored Merchant Seamen WarMemorial charity based at the Springbok estatereceived a £10,000 donation last month from Dovershipping branch and MacLachlan solicitors.

The generous gift was the result of negotiationsbetween the Dover branch and P&O ferries during amajor re-structuring programme the company wasundertaking which threatened nearly 500 jobs.

RMT managed to reduce compulsoryredundancies to just 16. P&O made clear that allstaff leaving on redundancy would be required tosign an agreement with the company to pay thelegal fees.

With fees of up to £250 per agreement Doverbranch were keen that the union benefited ratherthan the legal profession. Therefore branch secretaryMalcolm Dunning contacted Mark Griffin, a friendlysolicitor who had spent time at sea in his youth.

Mark and his firm of solicitors agreed to donate£50 of each agreement to a charity nominated bythe union.

Springbok is based in an 18th century mansion

near Guildford in Surrey and cares for retiredseafarers. RMT also use the building to holdeducation courses throughout the year.

Malcolm said that while the union took no comfortfrom job losses in the shipping industry it was fittingthat money generated from P&O found their way toa nautical charity connected to the RMT.

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Merchant seamen charity receives£10,000 retirement home windfall

STRIKE ACTION by RMTmembers at the Mitcham Bellebus company in southwestLondon was suspended after thecompany agreed to re-instate twoRMT reps.

RMT general secretary BobCrow said that further talks wouldtake place concerningoutstanding issues still to beresolved.

RMT members at the companyheld a solid 24 hour strike earlierthis month over union recognition,pay, conditions, annual leave andsick pay. There is also a lack ofnegotiation machinery and unfairdisciplinary procedures are usedagainst staff.

The rolling strike action wassparked by the unfair dismissal of10 staff for trade union duties andfor such spurious reasons asallegedly passing a red light whiledriving a bus. Mitcham Belle wasa green field site in terms of union

membership when employeesfirst applied to join the RMT.Despite around ninety per centRMT membership, the companyis still refusing to recognise theunion staff had chosen torepresent them.

Mitcham also tried to bring inagency staff to scab on the strike.However, half of them refused tocross the picket line when theydiscovered why they had beenemployed.

RMT regional organiser BobbyLaw said that staff had beentreated appallingly with no toiletor lunching facilities and forced todrive old buses.

Mitcham Belle has a contractwith Transport for London and theunion has inquired to TfL if thecompany will be fined for failingto run a service during strikedays.

The company runs bus servicesaround Croydon and Richmondinto central London, includingroutes 127, 152, 200, 201, 493and K5.

RMT YEOVIL bus branchcelebrated a double retirementlast month. Roger Trowbridgeworked at Yeovil depot since1974 and Geoff Fowler since1993. Roger and Geoff haveboth been RMT reps at thedepot. The New Nautilus SocialClub organised the event, runby Yeovil branch members.

Yeovil celebrate

Reps re-instated at Mitcham Belle

RMT members demand union recognition at the Mitcham Belle bus company

RMT news – Essent ia l read ing for today ’s t ranspor t worker

RMT member wins WingAward for track safety RMT health and safety rep BarryWest picked up this year’s WingAward for an outstandingpersonal contribution to tracksafety.

Barry, who worked for Ameybut has been recently transferredto Network Rail, was presentedthe award by parliamentarytransport committee chairGwyneth Dunwoody MP.

Barry won the award for anumber of initiatives includingmanaging occupational road risk,which was designed to increasedriver improvement and safetyawareness.

Other achievements includeassisting in and the developmentof risk assessment in a number ofareas designed to reduceaccidents and the developmentof a needle stick syringe policyand register.

Barry has been an RMT healthand safety rep for 18 years andhis message to reps was to getinvolved and propose solutions topresent to the employer toincrease safety at work.

"This is usually more effectivethan just telling them what theproblems are," he said.

Barry said that his

achievements were really down tothe work of the Amey joint safetycouncil and due to the help of anumber of reps.

Barry pointed out that a keycontribution was development ofexcellent communicationsincluding being in constant touchwith each other via e-mail.

"It could not have been donewithout the full co-operation ofthe HSE, employers, both Ameyand Network Rail, at all levelsmanagement have been totallysupportive," he said.

The annual Wing award wasfirst made in 1994 tocommemorate the life and workof Peter Wing, who was a Fellowof the Institution of Railway SignalEngineers. He was a driving forcein the industry who becamededicated to the safety of hiscolleagues who worked on track.

*Nominations for the award andsupporting documentation notexceeding 2,500 words should besent to K W Burrage, IRSE ChiefExecutive, 3rd Floor, Savoy HillHouse, London WC2R OBS.

WINNER: Left to right - Rt Hon Gwyneth Dunwoody MP, Barry West, Colin Porter

INDUSTRIAL ACTION by morethan 750 RMT members atSouthern, formerly SouthCentral Trains, was called offby the RMT executive lastmonth thanks to theabsurdities of Britain’s anti-union laws and a row overone minute’s notice.

Complex anti-union lawsdictate that the first industrialaction must be called within28 days of the ballot closing.The first action in the disputewas called for 00:01 on June14 – technically 28 days andone minute after the last dayof voting in the ballot.

Other days of action wereset involving guards andbarrier staff, revenue

protection, ticket office andother station staff in protestover the introduction ofagency staff on less money toundermine pay andconditions. RMT members atthe company were to refuseto handle revenue for twoperiods of 48 hours.

RMT general secretary BobCrow said that the companythreatened to use the anti-union laws against the unionbecause they claimed theaction was called technicallyone minute too late to bewithin the law.

“It seems that a judge candeclare our industrial actionillegal because it was set tobegin on the last bong of

midnight rather than the first.“These laws were designed

as a straitjacket to make it asdifficult as possible forworkers to take industrialaction – and this is about asabsurd as it gets.

“To ensure that we do notfall foul of potentiallydamaging legal action theRMT executive has decided tocall off the action,” Bob said.

However, the union is still indispute with the company andintends to re-ballot staff ontaking strike action. Assistantgeneral secretary Pat Sikorskisaid that employing agencystaff at £2,000 a year less todo RMT members’ jobs wasthe thin end of a very large

wedge which threatened thejobs, pay and conditions of allof our revenue-handlingmembers.

“Using agency security isbad enough, but to insist onthem doing our members’work as well shows thecompany’s true intentions,”he said.

Pat warned that the casual-isation of the rail networkmeant lower pay, longerhours, worse conditions andinsecurity and it underminedthe professionalism of railwaystaff.

“That is bad for ourmembers but it is also bad forthe travelling public,” Patsaid.

Anti-union laws force re-ballot on Southern

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Union saysfarewell toMike GardnerRMT presented LondonUnderground human resourcesmanager Mike Gardner with atoken of their appreciation onhis retirement last month afterover 40 years in the job.

RMT general secretary BobCrow said it was an unusualaward to an outstandingmanager that the union couldalways do business with.

“This union will miss Mike,he was always straightforward and honest,” he said.

Mike thanked the union forthe award and said that in allhis years working at LUL hehad never known the union tobreak an agreement.

RMT news – Essent ia l read ing for today ’s t ranspor t worker

RMT was representedat the Wales TUC inLlandudno in April byPeter Skelly, OwenHerbert, Regional

organiser Brian Curtis, Council ofExecutives member Mark Facey, PresidentTony Donaghey and General Secretary BobCrow.

The RMT motion calling for re-nationali-sation of the railways and an end to thepresent fragmented nature of the

privatised network gained overwhelmingsupport.

Wales TUC also gave its full support tothe RMT campaign to link the tonnage tax to seafarers’ jobs. Conference backed an RMT amendment calling for the minimum wage to be applied forseafarers.

Bob Crow also spoke in support of aSwansea trades council motion demandingthe repeal of the anti-trade union laws.

An RMT emergency motion calling for a

public enquiry into the events surroundingthe Tebay tragedy and the need forcorporate manslaughter legislation wasalso passed.

On the international front, RMT wonbacking for a call by regional organiserBrian Curtis for the Wales TUC to give allpractical support to the development offree trade unions in Iraq.

It was also pleasing that Brian was onceagain re-elected to the Wales TUC GeneralCouncil and Wales TUC Executive.

Welsh TUC supports tonnage tax campaign

THE 107th annual Scottish Trade UnionCongress in Glasgow was attended by420 delegates, representing 45 affiliatedtrade unions with 30 affiliated tradeunion councils. The total affiliatedmembership to the STUC now stands at627,478 trade unionists.

A key feature of Congress was thelaunch of the Union’s Work Campaign,targeting workers who are not inrecognised trade unions. A massivecampaign has been launched coveringpay, terms and conditions, fairness,health and safety, equal opportunities,security in employment, support forrepresentatives, training, equality, dignity,holidays and pensions. The STUC notedthat it represented a formidablechallenge and a lot of the campaigningwork and research material waspresented to Congress.

RMT members appeared in the launchvideo and explained the benefits of tradeunion membership, particularly belonging

to the RMT union that has beensuccessful in pursuing litigation claimson their behalf.

In line with union policy, RMT hadresolutions on the agenda in relation tore-nationalisation and the war in Iraq.RMT had a motion on the shippingindustry and one on trade union andemployment rights, moved by regionalorganiser Phil McGarry. RMT alsosubmitted two emergency motions, oneon the Northlink tendering, moved byLeith Shipping branch delegate BrianReynolds, and one on the Tebay tragedy,moved by RMT President, TonyDonaghey, as well as two amendmentson low pay and educating youth.

General Secretary Bob Crow movedthe composite on rail re-nationalisation and Phil McGarrymoved the composite on shipping.

North Clyde branch delegate JanetCassidy participated in the debate overIraq and Edinburgh & Portobello branch

delegate Michael Hogg moved theamendment on low pay, whilst Stirling &Falkirk Branch delegate Dave Kingmoved the amendment on the youthcommittee motion with regards toeducating young people on the benefitsof trade unionism.

RMT received good press coverageover its motions. The STUC delegationnow comprises of 11 members as aresult of increased membership. This isdown to the efforts of all branches andthe recruitment team.

Phil McGarry was re-elected onto theSTUC General Council.

“The initiative by the STUC in relationto the Union’s Work Campaign willgreatly assist our own recruitment andretention efforts and we can call uponthe expertise of the STUC to lendassistance in any campaign initiativesthat we consider relevant,” Phil said.

Many thanks to Dougie Kinnear foracting as a Teller.

Employment rights debated at STUC Congress

RMT vistors and delegates at STUC Glasgow from left to right: Stuart Hyslop, Janet Cassidy, John McDougall, Harry Bygate, Brian Reynolds, Andy Gordon, RonnieMoran, Jim Gray, Tony Donaghey, Bob Crow, Phil McGarry, Dougie Kinnear and Michael Hogg.

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WOMEN’S committee chair Pauline Howeof Dover shipping branch explained todelegates that the meeting had been calledby the executive committee in order to hearthe views of female members.

“We need to develop a membership-ledcampaign to increase women’s involvementin the union and represent what they want,”she said.

General secretary Bob Crow made clearthat as far as he was concerned allmembers were equal within the RMT andno member should suffer discrimination.

“As long as there is discriminationagainst women there will be structureswithin the union, such as the women’scommittee, to advise the executivecommittee,” he said.

Plymouth delegate Pauline Harris saidthat her workplace was a very maleenvironment but she got full support fromher male colleagues when carrying out herunion duties.

“We need to give confidence to otherwomen to get representation,” she said.

Bristol delegate Glen Burrows said thatmany women faced prejudice and abuseevery day and a lot of work still had to bedone.

Exeter branch delegate Carol Green

pointed out that women wanted to beheard but they were very often isolated.

“Employers will sometimes ignore awoman if she complains about health andsafety for instance, but might listen more toanother man,” she said.

Helen Butler of Lincs Roadcar agreedand said that it was important to encouragewomen to talk to their union rep and getrepresentation. Linda Wiles of Jubilee andEast London Line said it was up to womento get their female colleagues involved and

to support each other.Mary McNamara of European Passengers

Services said it was time that women putthemselves forward for positions within theunion to increase representation. CherylDennis of Wimbledon branch pointed outthat some women are single mothers andmay be more reluctant to speak out due tothe fact they are the sole bread winnersand losing their jobs would be disastrous.

Jacquie McQuade of Feltham branchsuggested there should be a women’s pagein the union journal to encourage interestamongst the entire union membership inwomen’s issues. Conference agreed andencouraged delegates to put pen to paper(see page 27). ● Female members interested in raising anissue should send material to Unity Houseor email bdenny@rmt.org.uk

Women members holdspecial conferenceRMT women members gathered in London lastmonth to discuss how to increase the activity, roleand participation of female transport workers withinthe union

SISTERS: Women delegates from around the country meeting in London last month

MEDIA smears against the union continuedlast month with a scurrilous article in TheSunday Times containing serious allegationsagainst RMT officials, which were repeatedby The Sun and The Daily Express.

All claimed that union officials held a“boozy” night in a Gloucestershire hotel atthe expense of RMT members. Defamationclaims have been lodged as the reports werefactually incorrect and unsupportable as faircomment.

All social aspects of the scheduledmeeting of RMT officials were paid for bypersonal contributions from the officersattending. The proprietor also confirmed thatstaff were duped by a Sunday Timesreporter, posing as an RMT accountant, into

faxing a copy of the bill. The hotel also

pointed out that the RMT party had behavedimpeccably.

RMT lawyers have also launchedproceedings for libel against Lib Demmayoral candidate Simon Hughes and theEvening Standard following damaging anduntrue allegations about Bob Crow’s role onthe board of Transport for London.

Hughes claimed in the paper that BobCrow pocketed £23,000 from TfL and neverturned up to meetings. However, Bobdonates the money – the entitled salary ofany TfL board member which is less thanhalf the £23,000 quoted – directly to charity,mainly to the RMT Orphans’ Fund. Bob hasattended ten TfL board and panel meetingsor given apologies.

“When I was appointed to the board I

made it quite clear that my first duty asgeneral secretary of RMT was to themembers of the union,” he said.

Readers will remember that The Mail onSunday is also embroiled in police corruptioncharges following the publication of an articledetailing how Bob Crow travelled to work byscooter during a Tube dispute.

Charges have been brought relating tohow the details of the owner of scooter,which are confidential under the DataProtection Act, found their way to the officesof a national newspaper.

The Evening Standard was forced topublicly apologise to the union in 2002 forclaiming that RMT was planning to takestrike action on the first anniversary on theSeptember 11 attacks on New York.

Media in the dock over anti-union smears, again

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EARLY-DAY motion 254 callingfor South Eastern Trains to bekept in the public sector hasbeen signed by 112 MPs todate, thanks to the RMTpostcard campaign.

RMT general secretary BobCrow said that it wasencouraging that so many MPshave already supported amotion that could help lead theway to the re-creation of a trulypublic railway.

“When every penny should bespent on rebuilding ourrailways as a national asset, it isshocking that the governmentestimates that £4 million is tobe spent on a re-franchisingprocess that simply does notneed to take place.

“It is becoming clearer by theday that there is nothing at allto be gained from re-privatisingSouth Eastern Trains, and moreand more people aresupporting the campaign tokeep it in public hands,” hesaid.

The government is toannounce the outcome of thereview of structure of therailways in July. RMT has beenarguing that this is a goldenopportunity to return therailways to public ownership.As part of the campaign theRMT Parliamentary group had avery busy month and RMT MPshave been strongly arguing tokeep SET in the public sector.

Jeremy Corbyn MP forced a

special RMTdebate on thefuture ofpassengerservices, wherea number ofMPs conveyedto theTransportMinister thatthegovernmentshould put anend to thepolicy of franchising andinstead return passengerservices to the public sector.The following week, duringquestions to the Secretary ofState for Transport a number ofMPs again backed the RMT call

for a return to public ownership of the railways.

The next important step inthe campaign is to hold a jointrail lobby on July 20, detailsbelow.

THIS CAMPAIGN COULD NOT BE POSSIBLEWITHOUT THE POLITICAL FUND

9

112 MPs support call to keepSouth Eastern Trains public

For a PubliclyOwned RailwayFor a PubliclyOwned Railway

11.30amAssemble Opposite Main Entrance to House of Commons ® Westminster

12.30–2.00pmLobby your MP

2.00-4.00pmRally Committee Room 14

National Rally and Lobby of ParliamentTuesday 20th July 2004National Rally and Lobby of ParliamentTuesday 20th July 2004Speakers so far Bob Crow, RMT General Secretary; Gerry Doherty, TSSA General Secretary;Graham Morris, ASLEF District Secretary; John McDonnell MP; Alan Simpson MPSpeakers so far Bob Crow, RMT General Secretary; Gerry Doherty, TSSA General Secretary;Graham Morris, ASLEF District Secretary; John McDonnell MP; Alan Simpson MP

By joining us on the rally and lobby you willbehelping the campaign for a publiclyowned railway.

By directly lobbying your MP on the day youwill make an even bigger difference. Don’tworry if you haven’t done it before, it’s easy!Simply write to your MP as soon as possiblein advance of the rally to the House ofCommons, Westminster, London SW1A 0AAor fax your MP by visitingWWW.faxyourmp.com. In your letter tellyour MP that you wish to meet him or herbetween 12.30 and 2.00pm on July 20 aspart of the lobby for a publicly ownedrailway. A model letter to your MP can befound by visiting our websitewww.rmt.org.uk

Although you can turn up on the day, youwill have a better chance of meeting yourMP and making the lobby more effective ifyou contact your MP in advance.

We will also provide a short briefing paperwhich you can use to lobby your MP; thiswill be available on the union’s website orwill be distributed on the day.

It would be helpful if you let us know thatyou will be able to attend the rally and lobbyby emailing info@rmt.org.uk or calling free phone 0800 376 3706.

RMT news – Heal th and safe ty

ARISING from a resolution carried at the first RMT Healthand Safety conference held in Doncaster last year, adetailed handbook has been produced for representativescontaining some of the more common health and safetyrequirements spanning some fourteen different sets oflegislation.

The handbook is now directly available to accreditedhealth and safety representatives. The union has alsoissued a new plastic identity card for health and safetyrepresentatives incorporating a photo image. To date some250 representatives have applied for the new card andeach will receive a copy of the new handbook.

General secretary Bob Crow said the handbook was thefirst fruits of the creation of the annual health and safetyconference. “This union is turning words into action onsafety which can make a crucial difference at the workplace and even save lives,” he said.

Health and safety reps who make applications for a newidentity card will also receive the handbook. In thisrespect, reps will need to submit two passport sizedphotos with their name, national insurance number andemployer printed on the reverse.

These should be sent to the regional organiser for thearea concerned to enable them to update the nationalhealth and safety database. Similarly, when notifying the

regional organiser about any newappointment, this should beaccompanied by two passport sizedphotos of the member concerned, andwhere appropriate, details of therepresentative they are replacing inorder that the records can be suitably adjusted.

LAUNCH: Bob Crow, Assistant general secretary Mick Cash and RMT health andsafety officer Phil Dee launch the new handbook

New healthand safetyliaisoncommitteeelectedA new liaison committeehas been elected made upof members of the healthand safety advisory, whichmeets at least three times ayear.

The committee will liaisewith the Council ofExecutives and thechairperson will also chairthe annual conference.They will be available tomembers to directly raiseissues of concern, numbersare given opposite.

BRIAN MUNRO, BAKERLOO BRANCH

Brian said that one of the majorproblems was that managementstructures across the transportindustry, in many cases, putsafety at the bottom of their listof priorities.

He said that the newcommittee would put safety atthe heart of the RMT’s agenda,equipping reps with theammunition to make a realdifference in the workplace.

Contact number 07947 316259

JACK JONES, HOLYHEAD NO 1 BRANCH

Jack has held local andregional positions as health andsafety reps both on the docksand in his present job as asignaller. He said that there wasa real need to get work releasefor reps in order for them toinvestigate health and safetyissues and to explain tomembers issues around theirown safety at work.

Contact number 01407740467

CHAIR BRENDAN KELLY,BRISTOL RAIL BRANCH

Brendan said that he was proudto have been elected as the firstchair of this new conference asit was his branch that initiallycalled for the annual event to beestablished. He said that thevery good attendance ofconference showed that theforum had already struck a deepchord and highlighted theimportance of this issue.

Contact number 0781 5967675e-mail bristolrail@rmt.org.uk

New health and safety rephandbook launched

10

RMT news – Str ike act ion

MORE THAN 7,500 RMT members atNetwork Rail are to strike on June 29 afterthe company repeated its refusal tonegotiate on pensions. Another 7,500RMT members at London Underground,Metronet BCV and Metronet SSL are totake action for 24 hours at the same timefollowing the failure of talks with the threecompanies to produce agreement on payand conditions.

All the action being taken is designed toprevent the development of two-tierworkforces on the Tube and on the railnetwork. RMT general secretary Bob Crowsaid that although the disputes with thesecompanies were separate and each canand will be eventually settled individually,the executive had decided to call all theworkers out on the same day to maximisethe impact of the action and concentratethe minds of the employers.

Network Rail The union’s negotiating committee saidthat the ballot for industrial action atNetwork Rail had brought the company tothe negotiating table, but on pensions theysimply sat there with their arms folded.

“The company belatedly accepted thatour pensions are a suitable area fornegotiation, but if their offer to set up apensions forum is to mean anything at all,it must be accompanied by flexibility anda willingness to negotiate,” Bob Crowsaid.

The RMT negotiating team had madeseveral positive and flexible offers –including moving this year’s payanniversary date and forgoing a proportionof this year’s bonuses – in order to keepthe final-salary pension scheme open, butthe company refused to listen to them.

Bob said that closing the pensionscheme had become pure dogma: itwould cost £4 million to keep the fundopen this year, but the bonuses will cost

£16 million.“RMT reps around the

country have had achance to weigh up thecompany’s offer, and theoverwhelming response was one ofanger at the failure to respond to ourmembers’ concern over their right todignity and security in retirement.

“They have also been angered by thecompany’s dishonest assertion that onlynew employees will be affected by theclosure of the pension scheme.

“The company knows that is not true,and it is disgraceful that they should try toconvince our members or the public that itis,” he said.

Anger among RMT members intensifiedafter Network Rail executives gavethemselves huge bonuses of £350,000 –worth 20 per cent of their six-figuresalaries – despite missing punctualitytargets and one in five trains continuing torun late.

“Their decision to go ahead withawarding themselves telephone-numberbonuses for ‘financial efficiency’ will beseen by thousands of loyal NR employeesas a grubby reward for pulling the plug ontheir decent pension scheme,” Bob said.

London Underground RMT members at London Underground,Metronet BCV and Metronet SSL are tostrike from 18.30 Tuesday June 29following the failure of talks with the threecompanies to produce agreement on payand conditions.

There will also be a seven-day overtimeban at Metronet beginning from June 29.

“Despite our best efforts, talks with bothLUL and Metronet have got us nowherefast, and our members are now fed upwith being messed around,” Bob Crowsaid.

“We have bent over backwards to keep

talks going andto leave the door open

to a long-term deal, but the employersappear not to be taking the talks seriouslyat all,” he said.

He said that the union wanted a datefor the implementation of a 35-hour weekand a date for the start of a four-dayweek, and we want serious progress onpay.

“We will not accept the destruction ofhard-won working conditions, and we willnot accept the creation of a two-tierworkforce,” he said.

RMT suspended action scheduled forJune 10 on LUL after emergency talks ledto further detailed exchanges but thecompany continued with its intransigentattitude. RMT has attempted to avert thepossibility of action and the union iskeenly aware of the losses incurred.However, there comes a time when thereis no option but to call on members totake strike action and that time has nowcome.

At the same time as fat cat directors arereaping the rewards of privatisation in theform of huge, unearned bonuses; theworkers are treated with low pay offersand the creation of a two-tiered workforcethat will gradually destroy proper workingconditions for all.

London regional organiser Bobby Lawurged members to support the union andyour colleagues in this demonstration ofRMT’s determination to secure a decentdeal in this and coming years.

“Let’s be sure we turn the mandate wehave for action into a solid strike whichwill bring these companies back to therespective negotiating tables with sensibleand honourable offers,” he said.

Together wecan win!Network Rail and LondonUnderground RMT members are totake 24-hour strike action from 18:30on Tuesday June 29.

11

DELEGATES stood in a minute’ssilence in memory to those lost atTebay and listened to a detaileddescription of the events that led to

the deaths of the men, employed by Carillion,when a runaway trailer ploughed into theirgang.

A delegate who knew the men explainedthat there had been previous incidents ofrunaway trailers yet they were still in use.

He said that the noise from lightgenerators alone ensured that theapproaching runaway trailer coming out ofthe night could not be heard.

He said that there were real questionsthat had not been answered, why wasn’t

silent lighting used? Why was planning sobad that work had to be carried out atnight?

“This was not an accident, it wasnegligence and those responsible should beput away”, he said.

“This could have happened in your area,”he told delegates.

Assistant general secretary Mick Cashsaid it was a clear indication of theproblems of privatisation.

“There were at least eight different sub-contractors working on the line that night.

“Tebay should not have happened andthis union is demanding nothing less than afull public inquiry,” he said.

He said that lessons needed to be learntand real action had to be taken.

RMT general secretary Bob Crow, whoattended the funerals of the men, reportedthat the union had to fight to secureaverage earnings for Tebay survivors whowere injured and traumatised after thecompany had tried to only pay basicearnings while they were off sick.

Conference backed a motion fromLancaster branch demanding that the unionwork towards bringing in corporate respon-sibility legislation. It also demanded a fullpublic inquiry into Tebay and the widerproblems on the privatised network and that

the union continue to campaign for therenationalisation of the railway.

Pay and conditionsConference agreed that following thetransfer of many infrastructure workers fromthe private sector to Network Rail, parity inrates of pay and conditions should beintroduced.

Richard Garde of Wimbledon No1 branchsaid that it was necessary to take theopportunity now, during the changeover toNetwork Rail, to eliminate large fluctuationsin pay scales

“If we don’t the industry will descend intochaos as staff jump around from job to jobfor more pay and better conditions, causingdangerous levels of confusion,” he said.

Danny McNickel of EMC branch said thatwhat was required was an industry-widestandard.

Mick Cash agreed and said it was clearthat one set of terms and conditions wouldbe good for the industry.

“We cannot allow infrastructure workersto become second-class citizens withinNetwork Rail. We need to take the bull bythe horns and establish certainty,” he said.

Conference agreed to place the matterbefore this year’s RMT annual generalmeeting.

Hard hats Conference called on the union to negotiatewith Network Rail and other infrastructurecompanies that the wearing of hard hats

RMT news – Engineer ing grades conference

No more Tebays

No more tiers

THE tragic deaths of four infrastructure workers atTebay earlier this year was a symptom of widerproblems in the industry the RMT engineeringgrades conference in Inverness agreed last month.

RMT will fightagainst thedevelopment of atwo-tier workforcewhere someemployees receivetravel facilities anda good pensionwhile others do not,RMT generalsecretary Bob Crowtold conference.

“How can it bethat some infras-tructure companies and the Metropolitanpolice can provide travel facilities, whileNetwork Rail is refusing to even discuss thematter?

“If you work on the Irish rail network, youget travel facilities on the British networkbut if you joined the British rail networkafter 1996 you get nothing, that is no joke,”he said.

Bob also outlined the case for a decentfinal salary pension for all Network Railstaff.

“Shutting down the Railway PensionScheme to new staff will make the schememore expensive for existing members andthreaten its very existence and the numberof members putting into the fund inevitablydwindles,” he said.

He said that the collapse of Equitable Lifepensions showed how vulnerable money

purchase pension schemes were. VOTING: Delegates backed calls for corporate accountability

12

13

should only apply in “hard hat areas”. Gerry McCann of Ayr said the union

believed that safety was number-onepriority. However, the diktat from NetworkRail that hard hats must be worneverywhere at all times was simplyunworkable.

“This is more about enforcing a uniformthan safety,” he said.

Danny McNickel said that the introductionof this hat policy was about corporateidentity as well as identifying staff, as newstarters wore different coloured safety hats.

Bill Rawcliffe of York Engineering branchagreed that the move had a whiff of controlfreakery about it.

“Staff can be threatened or disciplinedsimply for removing a hat,” he said.

Lewis Peacock of LUL Signal, Electricaland Track branch warned that the privateersthat had taken over maintenance contractson London Underground were also bringingin a compulsory hat policy.

“It has never been made clear whathealth and safety dangers head protectionis supposed to protect us from,” he said.

John Kennedy of Harlesden Engineeringbranch recounted an incident when acolleague was forced to wear a hard hatwhile working on open track. “Whileworking on some wiring, the hat fell off,caused damage and delayed trains,” hesaid.

Alex Hogg of Edinburgh and Portobellobranch warned that the practice could leadto managers claiming that no riskassessment was required simply becausehard hats were in use.

End PPP on the tubeConference called on the union to continueto campaign to bring London Undergroundmaintenance contracts back in-house and

end the disastrous PPP experiment on theTube.

Doug Hammersley of Jubilee branchwarned that the private companiesMetronet and Tubelines were underminingsafety on the network in order to savemoney.

He said that any response to criticalsafety issues was hampered by the fact thecompanies will not deviate from theircontracts.

“For the private sector there is no profit inincreasing spending on safety other thanwhat is absolutely necessary,” he said.

He said that public money was beingpoured into these companies that werecarrying out risk assessments based oncost.

“We have already seen track patrols beingreduced from 24 hours to 48 hours, then to72 hours and we have seen the results ofthat,” he said.

Lewis Peacock said that after one year ofthe so-called public-private partnership onthe Tube staff were already witnessing thenext stage – even more fragmentation.

“We are seeing the further break-up of theTube with sub-contractors and now theprivateers want to move in on theoperational side such as on the EastLondon line,” he said.

Pat Collins of Birmingham said that therewas a common bond between rail networkmaintenance staff and undergroundworkers.

“We were privatised nearly ten years agoand have seen the decline in standards, weneed to share those experiences and helpin the battle for renationalisation,” he said.

Accommodation Conference agreed that the lack of decentaccommodation facilities for transient work

groups was appalling. Fort William delegateSteve Wallace said that the private sectorwas forcing the industry backwards in termsof welfare for workers.

“We have workers in miserable conditionswith little or no access to toilet or washingfacilities,” he said.

Ayr branch delegate Gerry McCann saidthat workers were entitled under law towork in a clean environment.

Andy Littlechild of LUL signal and trackbranch said that it was a question of healthand safety.

“LUL staff shut down the job untilmanagement agreed to install decentportacabins,” he said.

Compass and rulerConference called on the union to enternegotiations with First Engineering to endthe “ludicrous” practice of using a compassand ruler to locate signal areas in unfamiliarlocations. Ayr delegate Gerry McCann saidthat forcing staff to undergo compass andruler tests was outrageous.

“It is humiliating to staff that fail despitethe fact that they are good at their job,” hesaid.

Pat Collins of Birmingham Engineeringwarned that the company was introducingthe practice to make workers cover widerareas, allowing them to employ less staff.

RMT news – Engineer ing grades conference

UNITED: Delegates to the 2004 Engineering Grades conference

Bring back the trackCouncil of Executivesrepresentative Willie Devlincongratulated conferencefor the work done duringthe transfer of maintenancestaff to Network Rail overthe last year.

“Due to the work youhave carried out companieslike Jarvis and First Engineering have beenforced to confirm, in writing, that therewould be no compulsory redundancies orerosion of conditions,” he said.

He said that the union would continue tocampaign to bring all track work back in-house, including upgrades and renewals,in order to prevent disasters like Hatfieldand Tebay.

As an engineering worker on LondonUnderground, Willie said that the privati-sation of Tube infrastructure had been adisaster and the union would becampaigning against PPP.

“We are seeing the same problems thathave developed following the privatisationof overground track.

“The immoral and corrupt privatisationof Tube privatisation must be reversed.

“We need to be listening to thisconference to learn the lessons from thosewho have lived through privatisation inorder to win the campaign to bring theTube back into the public sector,” he said.

JOHN MORAN of Liverpool shippingbranch was “socially dumped” in 1999when he was replaced by low-paid foreign crew but had since found

agency work.“I get no sick pay but the man working

next to me does. “I work alongside people on better terms

conditions than me, that is the reality oftemporary work, he said.”

Conference agreed that where suchdisparities exist, the union should negotiateto bring all employees onto the highestrate.

Jimmy McAuley of Glasgow shippingbranch said that agency workers werebeing treated as third-class citizens whichcaused instability at work and at home.

Jack Whitehead of Portsmouth branchwarned that if the erosion of conditions foragency staff was tolerated then thestandards for full-time staff would inevitablybe under threat.

Mark Winchester of Dover branch alsowarned that the recent acquisitions of P&Ovessels and routes by Stena Line posedserious threats to national terms andconditions due to the introduction of low-paid foreign crew.

“The answer must be to organise allratings employed on these vessels andfight for parity,” he said.

Peter Hall of the shipping committee saidhe had just returned from the Stena LineWorks Council and it was clear that thecompany was simply not informing workerswhen they took on non-domiciled seafarerson lower rates.

DerogationsConference agreed that derogations givento non-EU seafarers to work by theMaritime Coastguard Agency could not bejustified.

Mark Winchester said that suchderogations undermined conditionsand, given the enlargement of the EU,

must be terminated.Conference called on the union to

pressurise the Scottish Executive toabandon the damaging tendering ofCaledonian MacBrayne ferry services.

Andy Gordon of Aberdeen said that themoves, demanded by European Union law,were nothing more than the back-doorprivatisation of an essential lifeline.

National shipping secretary Steve Toddsaid that the union had joined with theScottish TUC to demand an end to the sell-off.

Conference called for legal action to betaken through the European courts, bearingin mind the recent legal decision onAltmark, which allowed the German state tosupport bus services despite EU laws onstate aid.

Neil Keith of Aberdeen said that if CalMac was made the preferred bidder thetransaction could be seen as a newcompany takeover, leaving employeesvulnerable.

“We need to ensure that TUPE applies ifany transfers take place,” he said.

Mark Winchester of Dover warned thatTUPE was not a cure-all and would notautomatically protect conditions.

“We need to strengthen TUPE and haveno illusions that your conditions areuntouchable, they are not,” he said.

Conference agreed that the issue of CalMac tendering would be taken to theunion’s AGM.

Andy Gordon of Aberdeen said that ifmembers wanted to know what wouldhappen at Cal Mac under privatisation thenlook at no further the privatised NorthLinkferries, serving north east Scotland.

“There are nine different wage rates atNorthLink and the development of a multi-tier workforce,” he said.

Conference agreed to investigate themulti-tier pay rates at NorthLink, which wasstill receiving public subsidies.

Conference called for the union tocampaign with Numast and the Chamber

of Shipping to halt the attack on ForeignEarnings Deductions(FED) by InlandRevenue.

It was agreed to seek to extend FED toUK seafarers engaged in coastal shippingas recommended in the governments’ 1998document ‘charting a new course’.

Malcolm Dunning warned that FED wasnow being deemed illegal under EU lawson state aid.

Conference applauded the efforts of theorganising unit in increasing themembership of the union. Andy Gordon ofAberdeen said that more work needed tobe done in the shipping sector. “We need arecruitment strategy that highlights theadvantages of union membership to non-members in the shipping industry,” he said.

Jack Whitehead said that recruitmentwas a difficult job it was necessary for theunion get behind the organising team. MarkWinchester of Dover said that it wasimportant not only to recruit workers but tomotivate them and make them feel a partof the trade-union movement.

Donald Graham of the organising unitexplained the union’s strategy, whichinvolved assisting branches to activelyrecruit and organise members.

He said that the unit would be writing toshipping branches to arrange meetings todiscuss recruitment and how to build localstructures to represent members.

He said that there was no place forindustrial snobbery within the RMT.

“Whatever your grade, whatever your job,you are an equal member of the union,” hesaid.

NO TOTIERS

CONCERNS over the development of two or more-tier workforces on UK ships were recurringthemes of the 2004 Biennial General Meeting of docksand shipping grades in Portsmouth last month.

National shipping secretary Steve Todd

John McDonnell MP: crisis in the shipping industry

14

Conference rejected the concept ofemploying a recruiter just for the shippinggrades as it contradicted the industrialmulti-grade basis of the union.

Re-convene in parliamentConference called upon the union toreconvene the BGM for a shippingconference in parliament in line with asuggestion by John McDonnell MP in order to deepen understanding amongstpolititians of the crisis in the shippingindustry.

John made the suggestion during his

parliamentary report to conference. He saidthat the new parliamentary group had beenvery effective and had even increased insize since RMT’s expulsion from the LabourParty earlier this year.

He said that the group met monthly withthe union leadership to discussdevelopments and how to react and to planlong-term policy goals.

“We have been campaigning on shippingissues such as on the repeal of section nineof the Race Relations Act.

“We now have the bizarre situation whereshipowners cannot discriminate on thegrounds of race but can pay lower wageson the grounds of nationality,” he said.

However, he pointed out that, due to theRMT group’s campaigning, the governmentwas committed to a review in the future.

He said that employment rights wasanother important area of work, consideringthere is was legal right to strike in the UK.

He said that the tide was turning againstthe Blair clique within the labourmovement. He said that many formerloyalists were beginning to realise thedamage being done to the Labour Party

over the last seven years in the run-up tothe next election.

● Conference agreed that the unionshould consider organising an RMT P&Oferry committee. Chris Fuller of Dover saidthat such a committee would fight theemployers’ tactic of divide and rule. SteveTodd said that the union was setting up anational ferry port committee that wouldencompass all ferry companies.

“The union will be assisting all reps to gettogether,” he said.

● Conference expressed concern that norepresentative of the International TransportWorkers’ Federation addressed the meetingand resolved to invite such a speaker toBGMs in the future.

● Conference expressed concern at thelack of progress of some previousconference decisions and called on theshipping committee and the liaisoncommittee to carry out their democraticfunctions.

● Conference called for all portcommittees to have a relevant constitutionthat complies with the aims and policies ofthe union.

THE problems facing the shipping industry are similarto those in other transport sectors, most of whichderive from the drive for profit, Bob Crow toldconference.

This was the main characteristic of the process ofso-called globalisation is the struggle between thosewho want to maximise profits and those defendingtheir pay and conditions.

One of the major obstacles in defending workerswas the implementation of European Union directiveswhich demand the privatisation of ferry services likeCal Mac. The term used to demand such moves is‘liberalisation’ which suggests freedom. But it is onlyfreedom for bankers and big business not for thosewhich work on those services. In fact, it means cutsfor these people, cuts in wages, pensions andconditions.

We clearly need to protect our members’ conditionsand organise workers.

The union was bringing in two relief national districtorganisers and expanding the organising unit tostrengthen that work in the shipping, docks andoffshore sectors.

RMT is also working closely with the oil workersunion OILC. This organisation is not a ‘breakaway’union, as some have claimed, but operates on aprincipled basis.

The union should pay tribute to leader of the RMTparliamentary group, John MacDonnell MP, for thework he has done to represent shipping members inparliament. He and the group continues to work hardto represent the union despite RMT expulsion from theLabour Party. In fact, the number of MPs involved hadincreased. Union membership had also increased byover 3,000 since RMT had been expelled.

We have made clear that the RMT is no longerprepared to give money and support to those who donot support the aims and policies of union.

Defend and extend union rights

Mark Winchester of Dover branch

Bob Crow presents Mike Tosh of Portsmouth branchwith a richly-deserved 25 years’ badge

UNITED: Delegates to the 2004 Biennial General Meeting of shipping and docks grades

15

INTRODUCED in 2000, thefavourable tax concession toshipowners has led to a three-foldincrease in foreign-owned vessels

flying the Red Ensign and was envis-aged to include training for UK ship-pers. However, the decline in Britishseafaring jobs has continued. Over£70 million in taxpayers’ money hasbeen handed out to shipowners, butthere has been no link to ratings’ train-ing and jobs.

Shipowners have continued toemploy foreign labour employed atlower rates due to a loop-hole in thesection nine of the race relations act,which allows for discrimination onBritish ships. Today there are fewerthan 10,000 UK ratings left. Actionmust be taken to stem this decline.

RMT shipping secretary SteveTodd said that the new tax had beenhailed as the salvation of theshipping industry, but there is now agrave danger of the British ratingdisappearing altogether.

“We have seen some ratings toofficer training take place since 2000but many ratings have been replacedwith overseas seafarers on terriblerates of pay,” he said.

Flag of convenience?Ratings from eastern Europe and thefar east are being paid little over apound an hour for working 70 hoursa week on British-registered ships,many of them foreign-owned,preventing British seafarers fromcompeting for jobs.

vessels have flagged-in to theBritish fleet in order to benefit fromthe tonnage tax but have no respon-

sibility to obey UK laws ofemployment.

These developments have led to agrowing feeling that the Red Ensign–the historic symbol of Britain’smerchant navy – is turning into a flagof convenience.

International Transport Workers’Federation (ITF) inspectors haveuncovered instances of appallingexploitation of foreign crews, withsome Filipino crew members earningjust £1.34 an hour for working over300 hours a month.

ITF UK co-ordinator NorrieMcVicar described the situation as“slave labour” and “social dumpingat its worst”.

“It’s an absolute disgrace that weare still arguing with the governmenton bringing in measures to changethis,” he said.

RMT to blame?The union rejected bizarre claims bydeputy prime Minister John Prescottthat RMT were to blame for the risein low paid foreign crews on Britishships.

The former RMT member madethe claim during parliamentaryquestion time earlier this monthwhen he was asked why the tonnagetax had failed to deliver extra UKjobs or training places as promised.

The deputy PM claimed that therewas extra training but RMT “did nottake up the training arrangements forBritish crew members to be on boardthe ships”.

RMT general secretary Bob Crowsaid the deputy PM was “worryinglymisinformed” on the issue of training

for UK seafaring ratings.“RMT has consistently reminded

the government of the failure of theTonnage Tax regime to delivertraining and employment opportu-nities for UK seafaring ratings.

“The fact is that there are onlyaround 50 UK ratings being trainedeach year – not enough to replenisheven the current all-time low numberof UK ratings in the industry,” hesaid.

Shipping secretary Steve Toddalso said that to accuse the union ofmissing training opportunities was“sheer nonsense”, pointing out thatRMT would never turn its back ontraining and job opportunities.

“Taxpayers have been handed overmore than £70 million for thetonnage tax, but so far nothing hasstopped shipowners dumping UKratings in favour of low-paidoverseas recruits.

“What the industry desperatelyneeds is government action toreverse the decline in UK ratings’jobs – and that means a formal link

between the millions out in tonnage tax recreation of training opjobs,” Steve said.

WebsiteThe RMT website hascampaign page whicmaterial that can be u

RMT news – Link the tonnage!

OVER 80 MPs have signed the Early Day Motion880 calling for the government to linkentitlement to the tonnage tax to training andjob opportunities for UK seafarers.

Link the tonnage

THIS CAMPAIGN COULD NOT BWITHOUT THE POLITICAL

16

PostcardEnclosed with thispostcards which yEDM and to the shtax, including a link

Whatever grade MP, adding your adsign EDM 880 and

BGM backs ToThe RMT’s bienniato achieve a link bemployment of UK

National shippincampaign was nowthe repeal on sect

Steve outlined thment and training had been establishlobbied through thhad been tabled o

Brian Armstrongthe union should cshipowners to the job for UK seafare

Malcolm Dunninforeign ships, inclufleets, which have tonnage tax paid b

John Moran of Lpicking” whereby ignoring UK laws.

"This concessionand all legislation said.

Mark Winchestecampaign to make

ions being handedax relief and theng opportunities andd.

e has a specificwhich contains be used to support

the RMT case. In particular modelletters that can be sent to MPs canbe downloaded and adapted for use.

Many MPs have alreadysigned the EDM, so a letter shouldalso be sent directly to the ShippingMinister and this is also available onthe website.

www.rmt.org.uk

py possible cut?

RMT parliamentarygroup at workThe RMT parliamentary group hasswung into action in support ofthe tonnage tax campaign bywriting to each MP explaining theneed for a change in the taxconcession to save UK jobs.

The group has been successfulin encouraging fellow MPs to signEDM 880 and hopes the postcardcampaign will bring in many moresignatures. The RMT group ofMPs has also won a selectcommittee enquiry on the issueand secured a meeting with theTreasury minister Dawn Primaroloto discuss the need for reform ofthe tax.

RMT has also written to theInland Revenue outlining theunion’s case and a reply has nowbeen received. The responsestated that the Department ofTransport would be taking thelead in any decisions regarding anemployment or training link.However, it was unable to providedetails of the timetable for thereview process, including thelikely date for any decision.

ge!

BE POSSIBLEL FUND

“This House is deeply concernedthat the total number of UKseafaring ratings has declined from30,000 ratings in 1980 to less than10,000 in 2003; regrets that thedecline has continued since theintroduction of the Government’stonnage tax regime; notes that theproportion of British Officers is alsodeclining and has fallen by morethan 27 per cent in the last threeyears; believes that the decline inUK seafarers cannot be allowed tocontinue if this country is to retaina core of essential maritime skills;abhors the fact that ship ownerswho have benefited massively frommillions of pounds of public subsidythrough the tonnage tax regimehave failed to arrest this decline inBritish jobs, notes that in itscurrent form the tonnage tax hasnot generated significant trainingand employment opportunities forUK seafaring ratings and officersand calls on the Government to usethe current Inland Revenue reviewto introduce a firm link between theconcession and the increasedemployment of UK seafaringratings and officers on UKregistered ships.”

EDM 880: Seafarers Employmentand the Tonnage Tax

17

EDM 880 signaturesLABOUR PARTY: Harry Barnes, JoeBenton, Harold Best, Bob Bizzard,Martin Caton, Colin Challen, HelenClark, Tony Clarke, Harry Cohen,Michael Connarty, Jeremy Corbyn, JimCousins, Ann Cryer, Jim Cunningham,Claire, Curtis-Thomas, Ian Davidson,Terry Davis, Janet Dean, Jim Dobbin,Brian H Donohoe, David Drew, LouiseEllman, Bill Etherington, Paul Flynn,Hywel Francis, IanGibson, Win Griffiths,David Hamilton, Ivan Henderson,Stephen Hepburn, Kelvin Hopkins,Lindsay Hoyle, Brian Iddon, Eric Illsley,Brian Jenkins, Lynne Jones, PeterKilfoyle, Mark Lazarowicz, Terry Lewis,Calum Macdonald, Alice Mahon, RobMarris, John McDonnell, AnnMcKechin, Kevin McNamara, TonyMcWalter, Alan Meale, Austin MitchellDoug Naysmith, Edward O'Hara,Sandra Osborne Albert Owen, GwynProsser, Syd Rapson, Phil Sawford,Alan Simpson, Marsha Singh, DennisSkinner, John P Smith, Gavin Strang,David Taylor, Desmond Turner, Rudi Vis,Joan Walley, Robert N Wareing, BettyWilliams, Anthony D Wright, DerekWyatt LIBERAL DEMOCRATS: AlistairCarmichael, Andrew George, MikeHancock, Nigel Jones, John Thurso,Roger Williams PLAID CYMRU: AdamPrice SOCIAL DEMOCRATIC ANDLABOUR PARTY: Eddie McGradyULSTER UNIONIST PARTY: RoyBeggs, David Burnside Sylvia Hermon,Martin Smyth DEMOCRATICUNIONIST PARTY: Nigel Dodds

this edition of RMT News are tonnage tax campaignch you can send directly to MPs to ask them to sign thee shipping minister demanding action on the tonnagea link between the tax and British jobs and training. ade you work in, please find time to drop a line to yourur address at the bottom of the card, and ask them toand find out their views on the subject.

s Tonnage tax campaignennial shipping conference backed the campaign nk between the tonnage tax and the training and

of UK seafarers.pping secretary Steve Todd said that the tonnage taxs now the priority although work was also continuing onsection nine of the Race Relations Act. ed the determination of the union to secure an employ-ning link. He reported that a special campaign page blished on the RMT website and that MPs were being

gh the postcard campaign to support the EDM 880 thated on this subject. rong of Southampton branch posed the question whyuld continue supporting a tax that had benefited the the tune of over £70 million but had not produced one

afarers.nning of the shipping committee said that hundreds ofincluding from the infamous Liberian and Panamanian

have appalling safety records, were benefiting from aid by UK taxpayers.of Liverpool branch said it was a clear case of “cherry

eby shipowners were taking the tax concession andaws.ssion should only apply to ships flying the Red Ensigntion should apply, including the UK minimum wage," he

ester of Dover branch said there was a need to make the taxpayer aware of the tonnage tax rip-off.

RMT news – Link the tonnage

THE cycle of decline has been broken,senior assistant general secretary MickCash reported, but there remained ahuge amount of work to be done.

Initial City Link had been particularly hardto deal with, said Mick, and the poororganisation was reflected by poor pay andconditions.

The group regarded the agreement withRMT as cosmetic, and where the unionshowed signs of effective organisation thecompany had become increasinglyuncomfortable with it.

“The more members we get the less theylike it,” said Mick, noting that manyCityLink franchisees persisted in simplyrefusing to recognise the agreement.

The union was also heading towards ashowdown with Freightliner, where a payoffer of three percent to most staffcontrasted with more than five percentoffered to train drivers.

The widening pay gap was the result ofprivatisation, but the low-paid should notbe used to subsidise bigger increases forthe already better-paid, said Mick.

The company had also rejected RMT’sclaim for universal travel facilities.

Mick noted that the union had madeprogress on travel facilities on LondonUnderground and in some infracos, andthat the issue was a key part of theNetwork Rail dispute over the two-tier

workforce.It was also an issue created by privati-

sation – and whose resolution could beachieved without any real cost.

Mick also outlined issues in Heavy Haul,Exel Logistics, Lynx and other employers

Welcoming delegates, conferencepresident Peter Daniels also pointed to theorganisational problems the section faced.

In Initial CityLink, despite a nationalagreement with the group, somefranchisees continued to evade contactwith the union, and in Bradford RMT repshad even been escorted from the depot.

Despite the union’s expulsion from theLabour Party, Peter said it was important toretain links and hoped that the union wouldsoon be “back in the fold”.

Outgoing secretary Maurice Hamiltonalso expressed his regret that one of thefounders of the party should find itselfoutside its ranks.

Outlining progress made on the motionspassed by last year’s road-freightconference, executive member Andy Listernoted that Lynx Express had agreed toallow union reps time off for recruitment.

Freightliner, meanwhile, had indicatedthat it would support a union campaign fortax exemption for travel facilities foremployers employed since the April 1996cut-off

The huge potential for organisation in

road freight was underlined by RoddyKeenan of the union’s organisation andrecruitment department.

There were 4,000 potential members inCity Link alone, he noted.

Department head Alan Pottage urgedbranches to use their management funds torecruit: “There can be no better way tospend it,” he said.

Problems of organisation in the road-freight sector were also underlined bymotions sent up to the RMT annual generalmeeting, seeking to take organisation inhand at Exel Logistics and Initial City Link.

Simply identifying the Exel depots atwhich the union already had negotiatingrights would be a step forward, noted PeterDaniels

“Let us know where they are and we’llget in there and organise them,” he said.

Peter also highlighted problems at InitialCity Link, citing the Bradford depot wheremanagement, determined to keep RMT out,had escorted Peter and other recruitersfrom the premises

One Leeds member interested inbecoming a union rep had found himselfbeing scapegoated for all sorts ofproblems, having his round continuallychanged and his bonus messed up.

Delegates urged the general secretary totake up with Initial City Link why somefranchises still did not recognise the union.

At Rotherham the organising departmenthad been told that it would have to givethree weeks’ notice of any visit, and wouldbe allowed into the depot only on aSaturday afternoon – when it was closed.

Delegates also agreed that bookletsshould be produced outlining existingterms and conditions in all road transportcompanies with which the union hasnegotiating rights, with updates madeavailable on the RMT website.

Jimmy Rafferty, Exeter, pointed to theproblems that the implementation of theWorking Time Directive was having on theearnings of drivers for whom overtimeearnings had been essential to make up forlow pay rates.

“Some are losing as much as £10,000,”he said.

Decisions at a glance● Delegates called for a push for parity ofprivileged travel facilities to be negotiatedwith all relevant companies.● The union should seek to negotiate withFreightliner that road motor drivers be paid

RMT news – Road f re ight conference

Organisation the keOrganisation remains the key to tackling theproblems faced by the union’s road haulage section,delegates at its annual conference agreed

Platform: AGS Mick Cash shares a platform with Pete Daniels and Maurice Hamilton18

for their meal breaks.● Pay and conditions should bestandardised across all Initial City Linkdepots ● The union should also seek to ensure

that all City Link vans are equipped withbarrows● The union should seek to remove therequirement that part-time staff at LynxExpress Parcels work up to two hours

overtime a day without notice – arequirement already dropped for full-timestaff. ● The union should negotiate a revisedday, afternoon and night shift scheme withLynx Express Parcels● The General Grades Committee shouldnegotiate with Lynx Express Parcels toinstall an RMT rep as a director of thecompany’s pension plan trustee company.● Bereavement leave of a minimum of fourdays on the death of a mother or fathershould be negotiated with all relevantcompanies.● Delegates expressed disappointmentwith the speed with which the union wasmoving to use of new technology indistributing circulars and updates, and theinability of branch secretariess and reps todownload information● Next year’s road freight conference willtake place in Exeter, and the 2006conference in Gloucester

RMT news – Road f re ight conference

key for road-freight

Trevor Howard Conference president Pete Daniels

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19

HUNDREDS of people gathered at Maritime House in south London earlier this monthfor the second annual garden party fund raiser for medical aid for Cuba.

Party goers danced to great live salsa music from Omar Puente and heard speechesfrom a host of labour movement activists and Cuban representatives. Speakershighlighted the need for international solidarity with Cuba and to build the fight againstimperialist war, racism and fascism.

Bob Crow welcomed guests and said that Cuba was a proud example of a multi-racialnation that had always answered the call for international solidarity, despite being underconstant blockade from the heartland of imperialism, the United States, just 90 milesaway.

“I had the honour of being in Revolution Square in Havana, alongside other RMTactivists and British trade unionists this year in a crowd of well over a million,celebrating May Day as no other nation can,” he said.

He said that the solidarity and comradeship of that day were inspiring, and provided astark contrast to some of the worst aspects of politics in today’s Britain.

20

A memorial to members ofthis union and itsforerunners who foughtfascism in Spain from 1936to ’39 was unveiled bySpanish anti-fascist warveterans Jack Jones andBob Doyle.

Jack said that the plaqueserved as a timely reminderthat the labour movementmust close ranks against thethreat of fascism today.

“The far right in Britain isattempting to gain groundon the back of populardiscontent and we mustlearn the lesson of Spain,”he said.

Honouring anti-fascist volunteers

Hands off cuba

TOP RIGHT: RMT presidentTony Donaghey, Tony Benn,John McDonnell MP

LEFT TO RIGHT: MorningStar editor John Haylett,SSP convenor TommySheridan, anti-fascistveterans Bob Doyle andJack Jones, Bob Crow withCuban MP and film makerSergio Corrieri and TonyBenn, Bob Crow, revellersenjoying the sounds of theeight piece salsa bandOmar Puente

RMT is seeking urgent answers from LondonUnderground after it emerged that the pointsat the centre of last month’s Central Linederailment near White City were among 42identified as potentially dangerous by theinvestigation into last October’s CamdenTown derailment.

RMT general secretary Bob Crow said thatthe White City points were among 42 setslocated on curves and of a similar design tothose involved in the Camden derailment.

“All 42 were subject to a regulatory noticeto the infrastructure companies requiring 24-hourly inspection, with approval by LUL’schief engineer required for maintenance workdone on them.

“RMT’s safety reps have asked for detailedinformation on all 42 sets of those points,including their exact locations,” he said.

The union is also demanding that extreme-caution speed restrictions be applied

immediately to all of them and want to knowif the regulatory notices have been relaxed inany way – and if so why.

Regional organiser Bobby Law said thatonce again it seemed that the absence of anyeffective accident-prevention plan under theprivatised regime had endangered lives.

“When the infrastructure was transferred tothe private sector there were 15,000 knowntrack-related items which fell belowengineering standards – but far from sortingthem out the PPP contracts simply exemptedthe privateers from any responsibility forthem.

“There have now been six majorderailments since September 2002 – howmany more do there have to be beforesomeone notices a pattern?

“This is what happens when the interestsof private profit are put ahead of safety,”Bobby said.

RMT seeks answers onCentral Line derailment

STRIKE action at infrastructurecompany Tubelines scheduled for June10 was called off after talks yielded animproved offer on pay, travel facilitiesand a reduction in the working week.

The union has accepted a one yearoffer increasing the basic rate of pay to3.1 per cent backdated to April 1 2004and will work towards the ratification ofa deal for 2005 with a view to reachingagreement.

The current offer for 2005 includes a2.5 per cent increase basic rate or RPIwith effect April 1 2005. A furtherincrease will be available for a reductionin the absence rate. This will provide anadditional 0.575 per cent of pay for each1 per cent reduction in sicknessabsence to a maximum of 2.3 per cent.

Tube Lines will provide travel benefitfor those operational grades that joinedthe company since 2003, subsidisingtheir travel costs between home andwork at the level of 25 per centimmediately, 50 per cent next year and75 per cent week from 2006.

Tube Lines also made a commitmentto work towards a 35 hour week. Thefirst reduction of 40 minutes will beimplemented in September with anotherreduction next June. Where thisreduction cannot be incorporated inroster patterns, it will be accumulatedand taken as additional rest days.

Victory atTubelines

21

AN employment tribunal hearing into thesacking of the Farringdon six by LondonUnderground privateer Metronet will deliverits findings next month.

The six RMT members were summarilysacked after empty tins of beer were foundin the loft of a hut used by hundreds ofpeople, including around 60 sub-contractors.

The six were sacked despite the fact thatthey all passed alcohol tests and the lack ofany evidence linking them to the beer cans.The tins had also been washed by managersto remove months of dust before being

presented to the media. RMT London regional organiser Bobby

Law said that it was the worst case ofvictimisation he had seen for years.

“These men are quite clearly scapegoatsfor an incompetent management team,” hesaid.

Metronet’s human resources manager hasleft the company since the cases of theFarringdon six was taken up by the union.

Bobby paid tribute to union lawyersEdward Duthie, particularly Doreen Reeves, for the work put into representingthe men.

Justice for the Farringdon six

JUSTICE: Regional organiser Bobby Law and Bob Crow with the Farringdon six unfairly dismissed by Metronet(left to right) Perry Robinson, Andrew Dobson, Gary Hill, Trevor Trower, Mahari Caleb and Ronald Edwards

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22

IWAS very pleased to attend an RMT conference of women members todiscuss ways of increasing the role and participation of female members inthe union. The increased number of women employed in our transportindustries, is not yet reflected adequately in representative positions within

the union at local, regional and national levels. An excellent debate took place from the large number of women who

attended. Some felt that childcare problems were the principal reasonpreventing women from attending branch and regional council meetings.Others felt that male RMT members felt that being a representative was “not awomen’s job”, although my impression was that this view is a minority one asthe women reps present stated that they didn’t experience discrimination andoften acted as advocates for men. Several resolutions were carried at theconference which will go forward to the union executive for consideration. All inall it was an excellent conference.

A joint meeting of ASLEF, TSSA and RMT has recently taken place to discussthe improvement in representing our respective members on issues that affectall of us, including travel facilities and pensions, and of course the forthcomingPolitical Fund ballot that will be carried out later in the year. Working togetherto maximise union votes in the local elections to prevent the BNP getting afoothold was also discussed. I think there are many issues that we as transportunions could jointly work on and I hope that we can arrange similar meetingsregularly in the future, after all, unity is strength.

I was also happy to be invited to the biennial conference of our Docks andShipping Grades. I listened to delegates on the problems of seafarers, includingthe tonnage tax, the increasing use of foreign ratings at the expense of Britishjobs and training and other issues that this section of our union is experiencing.

Delegations from Iraq and Japanese railway workers have visited the union.Our Iraqi colleagues from the Iraqi Federation of Trade Unions (IFTU) gavegraphic details of their treatment by US forces who are preventing unionmeetings at gun point, refusing to return union funds which were frozen at thebeginning of the war and preventing the unions from functioning. They statedthat the US invaded Iraq to “free the people” but instead there is a USdictatorship in place of a Ba’athist one. They have asked British workers topress Tony Blair to use the influence he claims that he has with Bush to allowfree trade unions to begin to operate in their country.

Our friends from Japan called in to explain the affects of privatisation ofJapanese railways in the late 1980’s where many members of their unionKOKURO were blacklisted for fighting against the sell-off. Their president,Mitsuru Sakeda, was returning from lobbying the International LabourOrganisation in Geneva to press the Japaneese government to lift theblacklisting as it is in breach of ILO statues on freedom of association, andasked for our support through the International Transport Workers’ Federation.All this illustrates the need for workers of all countries to unite.

TONY DONAGHEY RMT PRESIDENT

Workers of allcountries unite

23SOLIDARITY: RMT president Tony Donaghey meets a delegation from the Iraqi Federation of Trade Unions(IFTU)

Send form toFinance DeptRMT, Unity House, 39 Chalton St.London NW1 1JD

24

THE TUC has published two new reportscelebrating the impact of Unions onworkplace learning across the UK.According to the reports, in the yearsince union learning reps were given newlegal rights to promote learning at work,they have encouraged 25,000 of theirworkmates to try their hand at some formof workplace learning.

One of the reports, ‘Trade UnionLearning Representatives’, is producedby the Chartered Institute of Personneland Development with the Learning andSkills Council and the TUC. It says thatworkers in junior positions, many ofwhom tend to be suspicious of learningand training initiatives, are gaining themost.

Union Learning Representatives areencouraging their colleagues toovercome suspicions and persuade themto go on courses that will help enhancetheir own skills and their effectiveness atwork.

The other TUC report contains theresults of a TUC survey of learning repsconducted last year which, as the RMTNews reported in February, reveals thatwomen appear to be particularlyattracted to the new learning roles. Justover one in four (28 per cent) of learningreps are new to union activities, andalmost two-thirds of these (59 per cent)are women who have never before beenactive in a union.

There are around over 7,000 union

learning reps active across the UK, andthe TUC believes there will be 22,000trained learning reps by the end of thedecade.

TUC General Secretary Brendan Barbersaid that because of their unique positionin the workplace, union learning reps areperfectly placed to encourage both theirbosses and their colleagues to takelearning at work seriously.

“In the last twelve months, with theirrole now backed by the law, learningreps are going from strength to strengthand bringing learning to those parts ofthe workforce who traditionally missedout,” he said.

Full versions of both reports areavailable at www.learningservices.org.uk

RMT member Terry Springett (right), a Revenue Protection Officer for South CentralTrains based at Brighton, explains how the Union Learning Fund project at SouthCentral, Passport to Learning, got him back into the classroom.

I first realised that I needed to improve some of my skills when the company (thenConnex) introduced new RPO contracts which meant that everyone had to do anassessment and I failed.

I knew that it was my maths and English that had let me down. I only failed English by afew marks but I failed miserably at maths. No one could understand why I’d done so badlyat maths when I was fine with ticketing and calculating discounts and other aspects of mywork that involved using maths. I think it was just because I wasn’t used to the lay-out ofthe questions and the kind of sums they were asking me to do.

Connex said they would offer training to everyone who failed but that never happened.When I heard about Passport to Learning I thought it would be the perfect opportunity todo something about it.

The first thing I did was sign up for an IT course as I knew nothing about computers andI did a sign language taster course too which was really enjoyable. I then signed up formaths and English. At first I was nervous about the idea of going into a collegeenvironment and I was very apprehensive but when I found out it would all take place atBrighton station I wasn’t so worried. The teachers were really nice and they put us all atease.

Last term, I sat the City & Guilds Level 1&2 Adult Literacy and Level 1 Adult Numeracytests and I passed them all. I’ll sit the Adult Numeracy Level 2 test in June.

I have now enrolled at Portslade Community College to do an English GCSE. My UnionLearning Representative suggested that I apply for a learning bursary from P2L which I gotand that covered all of my costs. I’m also going to apply for maths GCSE.

I would really recommend signing up for a course to anyone. I feel I’ve gained a lot ofconfidence as a result. It helps that my colleagues are really supportive. They’re all for it. Ina way it adds extra pressure as everyone is expecting me to do so well in my exams!● Passport to Learning (P2L) is the Union Learning Fund project on South Central Trains. Ifyou work for South Central and you would like to do a course, contact the P2L office inLewes on 01273 784441. If you work for another company and you want to find out if thereare any similar projects where you work, contact Scarlet Harris on 0207 529 8820.

RMT news – Union Learn ing Fund

Union learning reps train25,000 in their first year

Passport to learning

COMMITTING suicide on a railway line is aviolent criminal act. Its effects on the trainand tube drivers, guards and station staffwho witness it can be so devastating that itcan put an end to a career. That is whysince 1990 workers on the railway havebeen able to claim compensation for thetrauma of seeing someone commit suicideby jumping in front of a train or from havingto deal with the aftermath of the suicide.

It took a legal battle all the way to theAppeal Courts and debate in the House ofLords to persuade a then Tory governmentto include injury to railway workers causedby railway trespass in the Criminal InjuriesCompensation Scheme. And now a Labourgovernment wants it removed.

In its consultation, Compensation andSupport for Victims of Crime, the HomeOffice described the inclusion of railwayworkers in the scheme as “an anomalousprovision”. It said it wants to find alternativeways of compensating drivers and othersfor the horror of witnessing suicides. Buthow?

How is trespass on the railway andaccidental injury an anomaly? If thegovernment saw fit to bring railway workersinto the scheme 14 years ago, what haschanged to make the provision anomalous?The answer is of course nothing, apart fromgovernment spending.

The CICS pays £200m a year to thevictims of crime. Around £12 million goes topeople injured through criminal acts atwork. Just £0.5 million is linked withtrespass on the railway because themajority of railway workers get the bareminimum under the CICS’s inflexible tariffscheme of £1,000 for witnessing a suicide.So in David Blunkett’s drive to slash thefund for victims of crime, railway workersare a cheap target, easy to describe as ananomaly because, thankfully, the incidenceof suicide on the railway is still relativelyuncommon.

It is not just railway workers thegovernment has in its sights. It is also

proposing to find alternatives to statecompensation for everyone injured in thecourse of duty. That means the police, NHSstaff, teachers, bank workers, shopassistants, Jobcentre staff and anyone elsewho might face violent attack while at work.It would also include station staff who sooften face violent assault at work.

What are the alternatives to the CICS forworkers? Making the employer pay appearsto be the government’s preferred option inall cases where a worker is injured in thecourse of their duty (other than intrespass/suicide cases). Ministers aresuggesting that compensating workersmight be linked to arrangements that existfor when an employee is injured in aworkplace accident, for example throughEmployers’ Liability Insurance. Employersare, the consultation document states,generally best placed to mitigate the risks totheir employees.

How can that be when it comes to crime?Whether it is a violent mental patient whoattacks an NHS worker, a pupil who hits ateacher, a drunken passenger who assaultsa London Underground worker, or someoneintent on killing themselves with a train,what can an employer realistically do?

Sure, there are health and safetypractices that can reduce risk, and where itcan be shown that the employer failed intheir duty to protect a worker from assaultthen they could and would be sued in anycase – for far higher amounts of damagesthan are available under the CICS.

We’re hearing now that the Home Officemight well back off from stopping anyworkers receiving compensation from theScheme for workplace violence. But therailway worker suicides and trespass casesare still very much under attack.

In the case of railway workers andsuicide, what is the government seriouslysuggesting? While maintenance of fencingis of course vital to reduce trespass on therailways, short of somehow enclosing theentire railway network, Jubilee lineextension style, how can employers stopanyone seriously intent on suicide? Again, ifthey could and they didn’t, then we’d suethem.

But the government isn’t seriouslysuggesting that the employers areresponsible for compensating railwayworkers who witness suicides. It just wantsto end their right to compensation forcriminal injury altogether.

Ministers appear to believe that it issomehow in bad taste for railway workersto receive compensation for the trauma ofwitnessing a suicide. Isn’t it in far worsetaste to deny compensation to peoplewhose lives are wrecked by the criminal actof a person who chooses the railway astheir preferred method of ending it all?

RMT news – Employment r ights

Compensation rightsunder threat

Jennie Walsh of RMT solicitorsThompsons looks at governmentattempts to undermine compensationrights for rail workers

25

IN some ways life as an MSP isn’tmuch different from what it waswhen I was a UNISON Branch secretary.The battles are the same,the enemy is the same, just a different arena.

But I miss the day to day organ-ising amongst members, the victo-ries big and small. From gettingovertime payments a member isdue, to making employers providea safer environment; to the fantas-tic victories of NHS ancillary staffagainst the multi-national parasiteSodexho for better pay and condi-tions and medical secretaries win-ning the pay grade they deserved. Imiss living off the growing enthu-siasm and political will of mem-

bers to fight. And I miss the directinvolvement in the nitty gritty oftactics and strategy minute byminute.

But being an MSP allows me abigger platform to promote thebattles of workers. Instead of beinga Branch secretary representing5000 workers, Scottish SocialistParty MSPs can and do fight withand for all workers in Scotland.

Right from the word go, we’veraised the demands the other par-ties have forgotten:

● A £7.52 minimum wage forall with no age discrimination.● A maximum 35 hour weekwith no loss of earnings.● Public ownership of the rail-ways and a reversal of the wholeprivatisation bandwagon that hasseen workers lose pay, terms andconditions and safety in theworkplace.More important than that we’ve

stood shoulder to shoulder with allthose in struggle.

The nursery nurses have been aninspiration.These women haveswum against the tide in a societythat only sees them as cheap

babysitters and the children theyeducate as sources of profit for thefast food chains and fizzy drinkscompanies etc. A society thatdemeans women and the workthey do and cares nowt aboutsecuring the educational develop-ment of children and future generations.Their heroism in ayear long campaign and 14 weeksof all out action can only bematched in scale by the treacheryof their labour dominated employ-ers and government. It’s a disgracethey’ve even had to take strikeaction, a disgrace they haven’t gotthe national pay they deserve butit’s been a pleasure to share theirpicket lines and protests.

We made the parliament confront the nursery nurses.Wemade sure their struggle wasdebated and that the ruling parties’MSPs had to face the people theywanted to turn their backs on.

The day the SSP moved a motionsupporting the nursery nurses wasthe day that made every other day in that torture chamber worthwhile.When I summed up Iforgot I was in the parliament and

spoke like I was at a strike rally.Nursery nurses came in buses

from all over in Scotland.They sur-rounded the parliament and theyoccupied it.We booked out thepublic gallery, committee roomsand put on a lunch. Everywhere a politician turned, there werenursery nurses.They sang like lin-ties and even the police and securi-ty staff commented it had beentheir best day at work ever. Andwhen the old Tories and the NewLabour Tories exposed their contempt for the nursery nurses byvoting against them, they werethere to see it. At least some ofthem had the decency to have ared face. And the nurses made sureevery other week they were onstrike that their red faces were re-heated on a regular basis.

We didn’t succeed in helpingthe nursery nurses get their national pay but trying is whatwe’re here for.The battle for themisn’t over and the war againstpoverty pay and inequality hasonly just begun. But we’re in forthe long haul and we’re still on thepicket line.

From picket line to parliament

By Carolyne Leckie MSP

26

THE signature chant of the Bristol

radical cheer-leaders made a

change from the usual slogans as I

marched with several hundred

other anti-war, anti-nuclear

protesters along the 50-odd miles

from Trafalgar Square to

Aldermaston over Easter

weekend.

I’ve got a strong local interest

in nuclear power, having two

nuclear power stations on my

doorstep.

For 40 years, trains carrying

lethal nuclear waste from Hinkley

Point to Windscale/Sellafield have

left from my station in

Bridgwater, Somerset.This waste

has been used in the manufacture

of several generations of nuclear

bombs. For many years, the

British government lied that all

these materials were for peaceful

energy production. Rail workers

should have boycotted those

trains from the start.

This year’s Aldermaston March

was not simply, as described

dismissively by the press, “a re-

run of the historic 1958

Aldermaston March”. Unhappily,

the development and prolif-

eration of nuclear weapons in

Britain is not a thing of the past.

Unlike Iraq, you don’t have to

look very hard in our green and

pleasant land to find Weapons of

Mass Destruction.The Easter

pilgrimage to Aldermaston was

revived to bring to the public’s

attention the plans for a new

round of British nuclear weapons.

The first Aldermaston march

was called by the Direct Action

Committee against nuclear war,

after the discovery of the secret

weapons establishment at

Aldermaston. Over that Easter

weekend in 1958, thousands of

people took to the road to

demonstrate their objection to

the development of nuclear

weapons. Like their 2004

counterparts, they slept in church

halls and were fed by volunteers

along the way. I walked with

some of the original marchers. Pat

Arrowsmith, the organiser of the

first march was there, and is as

civilly disobedient as ever.

Aldermaston Weapons

Establishment (AWE) in Berkshire

is responsible for the design,

building and decommissioning of

Britain’s nuclear babies. It is clear

that we, like the US, are currently

developing, a new generation of

nuclear weapons – probably

tactical “low yield” or “mini”

nuclear weapons – “bunker

busters” as they call them in the

US, with that charming use of

understatement which enables

the super-powers to get away

with murder.

Britain’s nuclear weapons

industry has always been

shrouded in secrecy.The original

decision to build nuclear weapons

in Britain was made in 1947, by a

so-called “socialist” Labour

government, without any

reference to Parliament. In 2002,

the Guardian revealed plans for

new developments at AWE, which

a spokesperson said would

provide the capability to produce

mini-nukes.The current Site

Development Strategy Plan

contains proposed facilities which

could be used to build and test

nuclear weapons.

At the onset of the Iraq war,

Geoff Hoon said that he would

not rule out the use of nuclear

weapons in any situation where

Britain’s “interests” were

threatened.That, and the fact that

Britain’s foreign policy is clearly

directed by US extreme right-

wing fundamentalists, ought to

put us all on red alert.

International law is not

something which Bush or Blair

feel constrained by.Therefore,

nuclear weapons proliferation,

followed by a pre-emptive strike

using nuclear weapons can’t be

ruled out. Add the fact that we

don’t have any control over what

is launched from US bases in this

country, and it’s not hard to

imagine Britain as a target for a

retaliatory attack, after a first

strike launched from here by the

US.

It’s time for the current

generation of campaigners to take

a stand. A mass campaign of civil

disobedience to stop nuclear

proliferation, chuck US bases out

of Britain and bring about

nuclear disarmament must

include trades unionists.

In particular, transport

workers, on rail and road, whose

skills will be deployed to carry

waste, weapons and building

materials to Aldermaston,

Burghfield, Devonport, and all

those other centres of death and

destruction.

NO MORE WMD: Marching for a non-nucear world

27

Time to take another standagainst nuclear weaponsRMT member Glen Burrows talksabout her experiences on the recentanti-nuclear CND march from Londonto Aldermaston

THIS year’s Aldermaston march was not a re-run of 1958, Glen (pictured) said

Letters to the editor RMT News, Unity House, 39 Chalton St. London NW1 1JD email: bdenny@rmt.org.uk

Stand up and be counted

Dear Editor,It is encouraging to witness howthe RMT’s stand in the face ofthreats from the Labour Party continues to embolden others to dothe same.This is reflected in JohnMcDonnell’s lengthy article in theMarch edition of RMT News.

John noted the need to stand upto privatisation, with particular reference to opposing theGovernment’s reliance on private money to resource theunderground via PPP. I sincerelyhope that the MP does indeed joinour fight against the scandal ofusing privateers to finance public services so they can recoup hugeprofits at our expense.

I do however still need convinc-ing, as, in the run up to the lastelection, apart from standing as thecandidate of a party committed towholesale privatisation of anythingthat moves, the Hayes andHarlington MP was proud to boastabout his role in achievingresources that saw the constructionof a local secondary school. WhatJohn failed to mention was that theschool was a DBFO (Design, build,

finance and operation) PrivateFinance Initiative project. The profiteers benefiting from thisarrangement are none other thanJarvis.

As a school support worker living and working in Hayes at thetime, and being a shop stewardwith UNISON that was fightingPFI, I found this quite disheartening, especially as Johnwas a UNISON sponsored MP.

Clearly, we must be assured thatthis will not happen again now that Mr. McDonnell is in the RMTparliamentary group. Our unionhas shown its commitment tostanding by its principles anddefending workers without compromise, and those our unionsupports must not only talk aboutdoing likewise, but actually actaccordingly at all times.

Yours sincerely,Roddy Keenan

It pays to beunionDear editor,May I express, through the RMTmagazine, my sincere thanks tounion solicitors Drummond andMiller for their long term diligenceand hard work acting on my behalf.

They have represented me in relation to an accident at worknearly two years ago whilst I wasworking for First Engineering.

Drummond and Miller took onboard my case and won a result inmy favour, which was settled justtwo days prior to going to court. Itpays to pay your union fee to theonly union, the RMT.

Yours sincerelyDavid Henry

A successful settlementDear editor,I would like to thank my union for all the help, advice and actionneeded to bring my case for redundancy pay against First WesternNational Buses Ltd to a satisfactoryconclusion.

Edward Duthie solicitors, whofought the case, got a pre-tribunalsettlement, a little in excess of mydemands.

Yours sincerely John Hawkes

We’ve never hadit so badDear editor,Mr John Armitt’s well structured and

informative “we’ve never had it sogood” letter I received through thepost this morning couldn’t have beentimed more misfortunately in respectof signallers’ conviviality withNetwork Rail.

Whilst I am not suggesting that ourlong-term opinion of the wagedispute (whichever stance we wish totake on it) would be affected, onewould surely allow us to indulge in alittle petulance seeing that a third ofour April wage is still in the companybank due to a massive “oversight” inManchester paybills.

L.N.E.Z signaller.

History in themakingDear editor,I am currently interviewing peoplewho have lived and worked inKing’s Cross for ‘King’s CrossVoices’, a major three year oral history project exploring the socialhistory of the area.

I am keen to interview RMTmembers about their memories ofworking at King’s Cross and StPancras Stations. We’d love to hearfrom you! Please contact Alan Deinon 020 7713 7959 or email:AlanD@kings-cross.org.uk

Alan Dein

BridgeMcFarland

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28

The Missing Piece in the PeaceProcess, by Ken Keable, publishedby the Connolly Association, £3

LIKE MANY who had positivehope that the Good Friday agree-ment was a step towards peace andreconciliation, I am bitterly disap-pointed by the lack of authorityfrom the government on the pre-sent stalemate in the six counties.

On reflection maybe I expectedtoo much: after all, governmentsonly become assertive on demo-cratic issues when pressurised todo so by the working-class move-ment.

And here lies the vacuum in theso-called Irish question – which Iprefer to call Britain’s problem inIreland.

The history of this “next-doorneighbour” has been deliberatelyhidden from working-class people,with the impression that the ‘prob-lem’ was incomprehensible.

This is a good old-fashioned rul-

ing-class ruse which means theIrish can’t forget their historybecause the English refuse toremember it.

So this little pamphlet is verywelcome indeed – a clear andhighly readable introduction to thereality of Britain’s colonial rule.

It was written by an Englishmanwith the British working-class anddemocratic movements in mind,and Ken Keable is to be congratu-lated for the result.

Tony Benn’s foreword describesthe pamphlet as “the best andclearest account of relations

between Britain and Ireland”, andemphasises the negative impactthat Britain’s continued occupationhas had on democracy here.

This is an excellent, ‘must read’for all – but especially for anyonewho has ever despaired of everbeing able to understand what’sgoing on, or who has ever fallenfor the hoary old chestnut that ‘it’sall about religion’.

Tony DonagheyThe Missing Piece in the Peace Process canbe ordered at £3 from the Four ProvincesBookshop, 244 Gray’s Inn Road, LondonWC1X 8JR

The Missing Piece inthe Peace ProcessBy Ken KeablePrice £3

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AIRPORT CAR PARKING.5% additional discount forRMT memberswww.flypark.co.uk/discount0870 733 0545. Get a quoteand see savings

TOBAGO - 4 bedroom en-suite self-catering family holi-day home. View of ocean.£500pw. Sleeps 6. Maid ser-vice. 020 7358 0575 or 07956916682.

DISCOUNT HOLIDAYITEMS. Family AnnualWorlwide Travel Insuranceonly £72.75 plus more. Tel:0870 4607806 quote RMT.Airport parking throughout theUK up to 60% discount andcommission free travel moneyselivered to your door. Tel0870 8444042 and quoteWZ587. Visit our website forBuy On Line items: AnnualTravel Insurance from £38,Super Deal Holidays and all asshown above.www.benefits.co.uk

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Merchant Navy veterans who delivered supplies to the Soviet Unionallies in dreadful conditions during World War II, marched in Londonlast month to demand an Arctic Star medal. About 200 survivors ofthe Arctic convoys delivered a 44,000-signature petition to DowningStreet.

Thousands died in freezing conditions and under heavy fire fromthe Luftwaffe, keeping the supply lines open to the Eastern frontagainst the Nazi menace.

The Ministry of Defence claims that service on the convoys iscovered by the Atlantic Star medal, which covers all those whoserved. But veterans backed by MPs of all parties point out theenormous sacrifice made by those on the Arctic runs deserves aseparate campaign medal like those for the Pacific and Burmesecampaigns.

Campaign organiser Eddie Grenfell, (pictured right) said that somewere awarded a medal for just one day’s service, while convoyveterans got nothing.

“It’s an injustice and we are fighting against it,” he said. In 2002, Russian ambassador Grigory Karasin presented Arctic

veterans with medals for bravery. Jim Kerr, who served on the destroyer HMS Venus, said that Tony

Blair should give a medal to surviving veterans and in memory of thepeople who did not come back.

“It’s our last chance,’’ he said.

War heroes marchon Downing Street

RMT CAMPAIGNS WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLEWITHOUT THE POLITICAL FUND

Book review

29

Incorporating The MacPhail Lawrence Partnership.

65 Bath Street, Glasgow G2 2DD.

22 Pavement, York Y01 9UP

e-mail: mail@drummond-miller.co.uk

website: www.drummond-miller.co.uk

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Legal services helpline for Scottish & North East England members - freephone 0800 328 1014

RMT News – Essent ia l read ing for today ’s t ranspor t worker

ACROSS1 Wildebeest (in plural) (4)3 Egyptian capital (5)6 Top cards or fighter pilots (4)11 Held in socket, covered by lid (7)12 Huge grass-covered plain,especially of north America (7)13 Leader of Cub Scout pack (5)14 Final outcome (3,6)15 Painful condition affecting thejoints (9)18 Thespian (5)20 Has a thin end and a thick end(5)21 German wines (9)23 Old soap (9)26 Enclosed space for sportingcontests or other action (5)27 Waters close to land (7)28 Burn or rust (7)29 Barry Humphreys’ DameEverage, or ‘Inebriate Woman’played by Pat Hayes (4)30 Not ashore (2,3)31 Stitches (4)

DOWN1 Ernesto Che, Argentinian-bornrevolutionary, killed in Bolivia in1967 (7)2 As Brussels bureaucrats ormembers of the House of Lords (9)4 Such stadiums required for top-flight football (3-6)5 Swift (5)7 Greek island (5)8 Jersey, pullover or jumper (7)

9 Festive gathering, traditionallyheld by mining communities (4)10 Cuba’s national sport (8)16 Means of joining ropes, with twoloops passing symmetricallythrough each other (4-4)17 Docker (9)19 Type of mandarin orange withloose skin (9)20 www.rmt.org.uk (7)22 Limbs that help you walk ondeck in bad weather! (3-4)24 Mr Welles, actor, writer anddirector (5)25 Awkward, clumsy, unsuitable (5)26 Corrosive chemical orhallucinogenic drug (4)

£25 Prize Crossword No. 6

Send entries to Prize crossword, RMT, Unity House, 39Chalton Street, London NW1 1JD by July 22 with your nameand address. Winner and solution in next issue.

Winner of prize crosswordNo. 5 is Mandy Burke ofGlasgow

set by Elk

Last month’s solution

30

MEMBERSHIP NUMBER

Finance Department, Unity House, 39 Chalton Street, London NW1 1JDRMT CREDIT UNION APPLICATION FORM – please complete your

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The Direct Debit Guarantee● This guarantee is offered by all Banks and Building Societies that take part in the Direct Debit Scheme.The efficiency and security of the scheme is monitored and protected by your own Bank or

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