issue number 9, volume 13 october 2011 g ypg p stop bus … · government that bean counters were...

ISSUE NUMBER 9, VOLUME 13

Essential reading for today’s transport worker

October 2011

www.rmt.org.ukwwww rmt org ukw rm

g y pg y pg pp

STOP BUS CUTSSTOP BUS CUTS2012DIARY

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ISSUE!

INSIDE THISISSUE

TUBE DRIVERSBALLOTED OVERSAFETYPAGE 5

NATIONALISATIONNOT MCNULTYPAGE 16

SIGN THE PEOPLESPLEDGEPAGE 20

RMT News is compiled and originated by National Union of Rail, Maritime &Transport Workers, Unity House, 39 Chalton Street, London NW1 1JD. T el:020 7387 4771. Fax: 020 7529 8808. e-mail [email protected] Theinformation contained in this publication is believed to be correct but cannot beguaranteed. All rights reserved. RMT News is designed by Bighand Creativeand printed by Leycol Printers. General editor: Bob Crow . Managing editor:Brian Denny. No part of this document may be reproduced without priorwritten approval of RMT. No liability is accepted for any errors or omissions.Copyright RMT 2011

RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: october 2011 :: RMTnews

3

Government cuts to local authoritytransport funding have led to

councils rushing to slash bus subsidiesto make short term savings.

On top of that a 20 per cent cut tothe fuel tax rebate for buses, known asBSOG, will come into force next year ,and funding to the free bus pass schemeis to be curtailed.

Tory leader David Cameron hadpromised to protect the bus pass but ifthe scheme is not properly funded, thebuses most used by pass holders will bethe first to go.

We also have the shameful spectacleof bus workers on the Isle of Wightbeing displaced by ‘volunteers’. That alladds up to a fundamental threat to busservices particularly in rural areas.

That is why the union is urging allmembers to get their MP to sign up toEarly Day Motion 1986 to resist thesewholesale attacks on the bus network.

On the Tube, after protracted talks, apay offer has been made which has beenput out to a referendum with arecommendation to accept.

The news that there were moreaccountants than engineers involved inassessing the Thameslink contract is yetmore evidence as to how the betrayal ofBombardier workers in Derby wasallowed to happen.

It is a shocking indictment of thisgovernment that bean counters were incharge of key engineering decisions thatcould destroy train-making in the nationthat gave the railways to the world.

If ever working people needed adecisive lead from the trade-unionmovement now is that time.

We have a fragile Con Demgovernment with no mandate for thevandalism it is imposing on behalf ofbig capital.

Transport workers and those who relyon them have already suffered theravages of privatisation on rail, bus andferries, yet now see themselves facedwith the threat of cuts so deep that theywould make Dr Beeching blush.

A mass campaign of resistance isrequired to fight the McNulty railproposals that would savage jobs,services and safety while jacking up

fares and protecting the profits ofprivatisation.

So get along to the rally and lobby ofParliament on October 25 advertised onthe back of this magazine to tell MPs wedon’t want to see McNulty’s recipe forfurther fragmentation and privatisationimplemented.

The Scottish government’s FerriesReview also threatens the fragmentationand privatisation of publicly owned ferryservices, undermining lifeline support forcommunities, encouraging socialdumping and further reducing thenumber of UK seafarers.

The union is preparing to ballotRoyal Fleet Auxilary members overattacks to pensions rights which areunder attack. Tyne and Wear Metro staffare also being balloted for the samereason. Pensions are deferred wages andit is unacceptable for the government tosteal them.

Not content with these attacks onworking people the Con Dem coalition isengaged in secretive talks to put aEU/Indian Free Trade Agreement inplace which will allow Indian workers tobe used to drive down wages andworking conditions through a processcalled ‘social dumping’.

It is a nightmare prospect that woulddestroy collective agreements andundermine trade union organisationhere, and ‘liberalise’ key sections of theIndian economy including the banking,insurance and pharmaceutical sectorsdriving millions on Indians further intopoverty.

That is why I’ll be speaking at thePeople’s Pledge Congress this month todemand a referendum on Britain’smembership of the EU.

EU membership has devastated manyindustries and it has led to banksdictating to governments how to attacktheir citizens. The catastrophic EUausterity measures imposed on Greecehas led to the suicide rate soaring andcitizens now rely on internationalcharity groups for healthcare.

It is clearly time to leave the EU inorder to build a better future for all.

contents EDITORIAL

When you have finished with this magazine give it to aworkmate who is not in your union. Even better, ask them tojoin RMT by filling in the application form opposite

SAVE OURBUSES

Page 4

TRANSPENNINE MEMBERS WINIMPROVED PAY DEALPage 5

TUBE DRIVERS BALLOTED OVER TUBETRAIN SAFETYPage 6

CALLING ROAD FREIGHT WORKERSPage 7

SAVE OUR BUSESPage 8

RMT AT TUCPage 9

PARLIAMENTARY COLUMNPage 10

SHIPPING NEWSPage 12

A BETTER APPROACH TO STRESSMANAGEMENTPage 14

SAVE BOMBARDIER JOBS!Page 16

LEGAL MATTERSPage 18

NATIONALISATION NOT MCNULTY Page 20

SIGN THE PEOPLES PLEDGEPage 22

REMEMBERING CABLE STREETPage 23

MARCHING FOR JOBSPage 24

THE WORKING CLASS NOVEL REBORNPage 25

PRESIDENT’S COLUMN Page 26

REMEMBERING THE ARCTIC CONVOYSPage 28

REPORT OF THE INDEPENDENTAUDITORS 1

RETIRED MEMBERS YOUR UNION NEEDSYOU Page 33

CROSSWORDPage 34

CREDIT UNION - OPEN A JUNIOR DEPOSIT ACCOUNT!


4

RMT members at First TransPennineExpress have won an improved pay offer

of five per cent after member took jointstrike action with ASLEF over pay.

In two separate ballots, RMT drivers andall other grades across the company votedoverwhelmingly for strike action after thecompany refused to budge from a 2.2 percent pay offer that would have amounted toa substantial pay cut.

Over 400 members took strike action inAugust forcing management back around thetable for further talks. Both unionssuspended strike action and after protractedtalks all grades won increases worth five percent.

RMT general secretary Bob Crowcongratulated the workforce for standingtogether.

“The company can hardly be surprisedthat staff took action when profits are up 13per cent, with a whopping dividend of £42million paid to shareholders, and the boss –already on well over £450,000 – was handeda 5.8 per cent pay rise,” he said.

RMT is balloting workersemployed by Nexus and DB

Regio on Tyne and Wear Metrofor strike action in defence ofpension rights.

The workers are covered bythe Local Government PensionScheme and would be hit bythe assault on contributionsand retirement provisions. Theballot will cover the full range

of staff on the north east'sMetro system.

RMT general secretary BobCrow said that the unionbelieved that where there isscope to organise and co-ordinate strategies with othertrade unions that it would dojust that.

“Tyne and Wear Metroworkers are directly affected by

the attack on the LocalGovernment Pension Schemeand we have no hesitation inballoting for action.

"It is a scandal that workerswho have made pensionprovisions and planned for thelong-term are taking the hit fora financial crisis created by thereckless and greedy actions ofthe spivs and speculators from

the banks and business sector."Wherever RMT members

are threatened by theConDem’s austerity cuts wewill fight back and whereverthere is an opportunity to co-ordinate our campaigns andactions with fellow tradeunionists to maximise ourimpact we will seize it,” hesaid.

Management grademembers at Freightliner

Intermodal are being ballotedfor strike action and actionshort of a strike in a fight fora fair increase in rates of payand improvements toconditions of service.

The offer made by themaritime container haulagecompany was less than thatoffered to all other gradeswithin the company and doesnot represent a fair reward forthe duties and responsibilitiesof this particular group of

members.RMT general secretary Bob

Crow said that the company’sfailure to meet members’aspirations and commit todealing with excess unpaidovertime had left the unionwith no option but to ballot

for action.“The company’s current

offer would mean a furtherdeterioration in paydifferentials in relation tonon-management grades andthat is wholly unacceptable,”he said.

TRANSPENNINE MEMBERSWIN IMPROVED PAY DEAL

PENSIONS BALLOT AT TYNE AND WEAR

FREIGHTLINER BALLOT OVER PAY


5

RMT is balloting tube driversfor action short of a strike

in a dispute over safety. The ballot is over four

particular aspects of LondonUnderground’s OperationalEffectiveness Programme whichare unacceptable and potentiallydangerous.

LUL has introduced new‘sensitive-edge’ procedures’ onthe S stock on the sub-surfacelines, despite the objections ofdrivers and health and safetyrepresentatives to the overridingof current failsafe systems.

Management wants toremove the inbuilt functionwhich stops a train if an objectis caught in the door. Thechanges would allow the driverto over-ride the sensitive edgetechnology and proceed afterjust a visual check. Coupledwith the planned reduction ofstation staff, the dangers arecompounded and any accidentswould immediately be blamedon the driver.

The proposed new proceduresfor reversing a train wouldallow a driver to reverse a trainfrom a forward driving positionwithout any assistance. Thiswould increase the risk to staffand passengers and does notcomply with the ALARP “(aslow as reasonably practicable)established safety principle. Theissue of ‘platform re-categorisation’ involves ordering

drivers to ‘self dispatch’ as aconsequence of the massivereductions in platform-basedstaff and takes no account ofthe serious faults alreadyuncovered by RMT in theplatform camera system. Theunion considers this a recipe foraccidents and injuries topassengers.

Plans to carrying passengersover a shunt signal would delaythe movement of the trainservice and potentially holdingpeople in tunnel sections forlonger than necessary.

London underground is nowunilaterally imposing

Operational Standards Notice(OSN) 101 to bulldoze throughthese measures against theobjections of unionrepresentatives.

RMT general secretary BobCrow said that the union wasdemanding an end to thereckless policy of expectingdrivers to override door failsafesystems after a potentially fatalincident in which a passengerjumped from a moving trainand another was caught in itsopen doors.

“Along with the ‘sensitiveedge’ procedures, a bunch ofother unsafe procedures are

being bulldozed through in thedash for cuts, and to cover upthe impact of reductions instation staff, under the guise of“operational effectiveness”.

“It is our members who haveto deal with the consequences ofthese ill-conceived policies.

“We have tried to get LUL tosee sense, but they havecontinued to put cash and jobcuts ahead of passenger safetyand we now have no choice butto ballot for action to stop thesedangerous proposals beingimposed without agreement,” hesaid.

TUBE DRIVERS BALLOTEDOVER TUBE TRAIN SAFETY

S

6

RMT is not just a railway union-it alsorepresents heavy goods vehicle (HGV)drivers.

The road-transport sector has beenignored for far too long now and there aremany unorganised haulage companies outthere just waiting for someone to offer themthe opportunity to join a trade union.

Therefore RMT will be holding a roadfreight transport training course onFebruary 20 and 23 next year in Doncaster .

The course is immediately before theRMT road-freight conference being held inthe same venue on Friday February 24 2012.The course will cover:• How to make the union work for you

• Improving road-freight employmentconditions

• Agency workers – a ‘level playing field’?

• Representing road-freight RMT members

• The road-freight conference – how to setthe agenda that members want

If you are an RMT road-freight member andwant to find out how to improve workingconditions then you should complete anapplication form available from your branchsecretary.

As an HGV driver of 30-plus years, Ihave witnessed a great deal of changes inthe road transport industry mainly in theintroduction of tachographs and driving

hours regulations. A HGV driver is now considered to be “a

professional driver” simply because of theknowledge needed to comply with so muchlegislation and the responsibilities of drivinga vehicle weighing up to 44 tonnes.

It is now mandatory that all HGV drivershave to take a driver’s Certificate ofprofessional Competence (CPC). Manyemployers think that you are just “a lorrydriver” which is not the case at all now withso many rules and regulations to abide by.

This includes two sets of rules to workwith, the HGV driving hours regulations andthe European Working Time Directive.

You are responsible for ensuring that thevehicle that you are driving is roadworthy,taxed, MOTed on both unit and trailer, thatthe load is secure and you have plannedyour routes to avoid low bridges, weightlimits etc.

Then you encounter another obstacle -“other road users”. We have all seen some ofthe dangerous and downright idiotic anticsof some drivers which can put years on anHGV driver.

An HGV carrying 44 tonnes cannot stopas quickly as a car and we have to leave abraking distance between lorry and thevehicle in front. A car driver sees this gapas an open invitation to sneak in, notrealising the danger they have just put

themselves in. The companies that RMT has recognition

with are not being visited by branches intheir locality - UPS, City-Link, DHL,Freightliner, DB Schenker, Inland Ports,Wincanton etc.

Yet every branch will have either a City-Link or UPS depot in their area and shouldvisited them as part of the branch plan.

If you would like to visit a City-Linkdepot you can contact Brian Whitehead atUnity House. UPS visits can also bearranged by contacting Ken Usher at theMidlands regional office. You can also getany assistance from the organising unit bycontacting either Gerry Hitchin or DonaldGraham.

RMT has recognition agreements withthese companies and you would be allowedto visit drivers to recruit staff.

A visit by the union goes a long way toreassuring members and it makes non-members understand the benefits of being apart of a trade union.

So get along to conference next year.Details of the conference and trainingcourse can also found by contacting theconference secretary on 07944 589 151 or e-mail [email protected]

CALLING ROADFREIGHT WORKERSLeeds Goods and Cartage branch chair Trevor Howard calls on road-freight members to attend a conference and training course inFebruary in Doncaster


7

Around 50 MPs from all themain parties in parliament fromthe Tories to Lib Dem andLabour have signed up to EarlyDay Motion 1986 to condemnthe fact that hundreds of localauthority supported bus servicesdeemed socially necessary arebeing withdrawn.

The MPs are concerned thatthe decision to reduce the BusService Operators Grant by 20per cent from 2012 will furtherdamage the bus network andundermine governmentobjectives to tackleunemployment and promoteequal opportunities and socialmobility, particularly in ruralareas.

RMT general secretary BobCrow called on all members towrite to their MP aboutconcerns over Con Dem cuts tobus services.

“RMT will fight this attackon bus services, and bus staff,with every tool at our disposal,”he said.

The union has also opposed

Tory-led transport cuts on theIsle of Wight which includes adangerous pilot scheme toreplace paid bus workers withunpaid volunteers.

Tory leader David Cameronhas repeatedly denied that hisBig Society is about dumpingpaid staff and replacing themwith unpaid volunteers and yetthat is exactly what ishappening on the Isle of Wightsbuses.

“This is that clearest evidencethat the so-called ‘Big Society’scam will be used as a batteringram to replace skilled andexperienced staff with ad-hocvolunteers,” said Bob.

More than 70 per cent oflocal authorities have cut backon bus subsidies, with someplaces losing all weekend andevening services. On top of thisa 20 per cent cut to the fuel taxrebate for buses, known asBSOG, will come into force in2012, and there are also costcutting changes to the way thefree bus-pass scheme is funded.

Cameron also promised to

protect the bus pass but if thescheme is not properly funded,the buses most used by passholders will be the first to go.

Sophie Allain of the SaveOur Buses campaign said thatpart of the problem was that thepeople making the decisionswere rarely the people who usethe bus.

“We want to track bus cuts toreveal the real extent of theproblem, and to support bususers up and down the countrywho are standing up to defendtheir local bus services from thecuts.

“Central government cuts tolocal authority funding have leftbig holes in public transportbudgets, with councilsscrambling to make deep andrushed short term savings,” shesaid.

If you know of bus cuts orfare rises happening in yourarea, please report them on theinteractive map(www.bettertransprot.org.uk/campaigns/save-our-buses).

Spreading the word in the

anti-cuts movement is animportant way of raising thepublic profile of the threat tobuses. Localised bus cuts add upto a real danger for our busnetwork and those who rely onit.

“It is time we all stepped upand spoke out for buses,” saidSophie.

The national campaign isworking with local communitiesfighting to save buses route byroute. Jo Green, a bus user fromCambridgeshire, started legalproceedings against her councilsdecision to withdraw all fundingfor buses. As a result thecouncil has been forced to backdown and rethink its plannedcuts.

Save Our Buses has produceda campaign pack, whichincludes a beginner’s guide tobus campaigning andinformation about thearguments made in Jo’s legalchallenge.

If bus cuts have not yetstarted to bite in your area, thetime to take pre-emptive actionis now.

To get involved and order your freecampaign pack [email protected]

SAVE OUR BUSES Union calls on members to write to their MPs to ask themto sign Early Day Motion 1986 to stop cuts to bus servicesparticularly in rural areas


8

TUC Congress delegates inLondon last month backed callsto oppose the controversialMcNulty report which threatensto increase fragmentation,privatisation and a swathe ofjob losses on the railways.

RMT led the way in anumber of key debates andsecured the backing from thewider movement for itsindustrial, political andcampaigning priorities.

RMT general secretary BobCrow condemned the so-called‘value for money’ report writtenby Sir Roy McNulty,“commissioned by Labour andto be carried out by the Tories”.

"Over 110 years ago therewere 120 railway companiesthen after the war we had fourand they were nationalised -now we have 103 railwaycompanies.

"Suddenly this blokeMcNulty comes along andargues for more fragmentation.

“Well I suppose when youpay someone £200,000 a yearyou are going to come up withthe answer you want," said Bob,who was re-elected to the TUCGeneral Council with anincreased majority.

Bob also recalled that Labourleader Ed Miliband had said that

East Coast Mainline wasrunning well in the publicsector.

TSSA general secretary GerryDoherty agreed and said that theMcNulty report was a Beechingreport Mark 2 and would lead toless people using trains.

"To Mr Miliband I am tellingyou now bring the railwaysback into public ownership, it'scheaper and the right thing todo,” he said.

RMT delegate Mick Tosh,from Portsmouth, also managedto get in on the Labour leaderQuestion and Answer sessionwith a direct challenge tosupport the public ownership ofthe railways. A waffling,political-speak answer aboutlooking at all potential forms ofownership hardly inspiredconfidence that Ed Milliband isgoing to seize this sure-fire votewinner with both hands.

RMT won backing for anemergency motion slamming thegovernment’s betrayal ofBombardier workers in Derby byawarding the Thameslink train-building contract to the Germancompany Siemens instead.

Midlands RMT regionalorganiser Ken Usher travelleddown to London with a grouprepresenting the Derby

workforce and they received arapturous response and standingovation as they entered the hall.

At a fringe meetingorganised jointly with the otherBombardier unions, DarrenBarber, RMT rep and vice chairof the works committee madean impassioned plea - thankingthe trade movement for thesupport and calling forcontinuing and renewedsolidarity now that the betrayalover the Thameslink fleet was inthe public eye.

RMT president Alex Gordonmoved opposition to the socialdumping provisions in theproposed Free Trade Agreement(FTA) between the EU and India.

Alex told delegates that thesecretive Mode 4 would handtransnational corporations theright to import cheap labourfrom India, displacing localworkers, and give westerncapital access to Indian banking,financial and pharmaceuticalmarkets (see page 25).

Under Mode 4, Indiancompanies operating in Delhiand London could move low-paid workers from India toBritain, undercutting workersdomestically.

"Transnational companieswill be able to move workers

across national borders andnation states will limit theirown constitutional authorityover these corporations.

"Workers' rights will be lostforever to corporate power,"Alex said.

GMB delegate FernMcCaffrey seconded the motioncriticising the record of freetrade agreements in general.

"They have had a negativeeffect on the ability of nation-states to foster national andlocal economic development andto promote and protect humanrights," she said.

Congress delegates agreedthat all trade unionists shouldbe made aware of what is beingstitched up in the murkycorridors of the World TradeOrganisation and the EU in thename of free trade.

In a major composite oneconomic policy an RMTamendment calling for therenationalisation of transportand the utilities was backed bydelegates.

RMT delegates contributed toa debate on trade-union rights,exposing the renewed attacks bybig business and leading figuresin the Tory party on the right tostrike. Repeated efforts totamper with trade union

RMT AT TUC Union winssupport to fightthe McNultyreport and EUsocial dumping,and in defence ofworkers’ rightsand trainmanufacturing inBritain

Parliamentary column

RMT helpline 0800 3763706 :: october 2011 :: RMTnews

9

The rail unions commissionedinterim report “RebuildingRail” launched at a packedfringe meeting at LabourParty conference attended bythe Shadow Secretary ofState for Transport, MariaEagle MP, is very significant.

Firstly, it will be an importantcontribution to the currentLabour Party policy reviewand shows that publicownership of the railwayscould be a clear winner forLabour. Secondly, it showsthat there is a clearalternative to the furtherprivatisation, fragmentationand cuts agenda of McNulty.

The Rebuilding Rail reportfound that taking the railwaysinto public ownership wouldnot only save £1.2 billion ayear, exceeding the savingssought by McNulty’s cutsagenda, but also offers theprospect of practical benefitsto passengers and the wholeindustry, such as an 18 percent cut in fares and therevitalisation of rail freightand train manufacturing, toname but a few.

Armed with this alternative Ihope that as many RMTmembers as possible canattend the hugely importantlobby of Parliament onOctober 25 to put pressureon their MPs to question thegovernment over the threatsthe McNulty review pose tothe future of jobs andservices on the national railnetwork.

If you have not made anappointment to see your MPdon’t worry, you can still tryand see them on the day.This is because every voterin the UK has the right to goto Central Lobby in

Parliament and ‘Green Card’their MP and it remains anessential expression of ourdemocratic rights.

All you need to do is fill out aGreen Card with your nameand address (so the MPknows that you live in theirconstituency). The GreenCard will be put on the MPsmessage board and his orher Parliamentary office willbe called to tell them thatyou are at Parliament andwould like to speak to them.

Your MP may be away fromparliament on October 25 orotherwise engaged but ifthey choose not to come andmeet you, the Green Card isa foot in the door which youshould try to follow up onwhen you’re back home bycalling their office andbooking an appointment atthe MP’s surgery or atanother time.

The October 25 lobby,hosted by the RMTParliamentary group, isanother example of how thegroup is a vital antidote tothe murky and unregulatedactivities of PR companiesthat are paid millions ofpounds to lobby Ministersand officials to adopt thepro-profit and anti-tradeunion ambitions of theirwealthy clients.

We need RMT members toLobby their MPs and tellthem that our rail systemwould be better off andbetter run in the public sector,not left as the ‘rich man’s toy’Tory Transport SecretaryPhilip Hammond believes itto be.

John McDonnell MP

LOBBY YOUR MPON OCTOBER 25TO SAVE OURRAILWAYS

balloting processes, raising artificialthresholds added up to the mostblatant attempt to twist the noose ofthe anti-union laws even tighteraround our necks.

RMT pointed out the hypocrisy ofpoliticians, who would never subjectthemselves to the same distortedversion of democracy they are tryingto impose on the working class,demanding one set of balloting rulesfor their class and another for theworking class. The motion wasagreed unanimously.

This year’s annual TUC conferenceheld in London at Congress Housewas a stripped down eventcompressed into two-and-a-half daysand with a fraction of the normalnumber of delegates.

RMT had opposed the move to anew cycle of a small, London-basedCongress alternating every two yearswith a full TUC away from Londonand with the usual representativedelegations and high level of publicand media interest.

Mick Tosh

Bombardier RMT rep Darren Barber


10

Stena, probably the biggestemployer in the ferry sector, hasannounced the downgrading ofthe High Speed Service (HSS) onthe Holyhead/Dun Loaghaireroute from an all year roundservice to a summer seasonalservice only.

This not only threatens theemployment of a possible 26permanent ratings but also anumber of long-term temps.

These developments in twoports which have little or noprospect any future employmentopportunities has dealt adevastating blow to thecommunities. Similarly theStranraer/Belfast route has beenaffected by the withdrawal ofthe HSS altogether.

We knew the HSS was aboutto finish in Stranraer and thetwo conventional ships werealso being withdrawn to bereplaced by two Superfast ferriesand many believed these twoferries would absorb anypossible job losses.

But, out of the blue aftermonths of trying to get thecompany into discussions toavoid all this, the companyannounced that there could be arisk of redundancy.

The race is on now to save asmany jobs as possible and thecompany has been told in nouncertain terms that the unionwill not accept any compulsoryredundancies and is committedto looking at all alternatives

that avoid anything other thanvoluntary redundancies.

Options forms have now beensent out to the workforce to findout what the preferences are andlocal discussions are now takingplace over staffing levels on theAdventurer and Nordica, inHolyhead.

Detailed discussions are alsorequired over the manninglevels of the new StranraerSuperfast ferries. We cannothave someone just pluck afigure out of the air withoutdiscussion, involvement andconsultation of our memberswho are at the sharp end. Thetask is now to save as manyjobs as possible and protect thejobs of those who remain in thebusiness securing the long termfuture is a priority.

RFA

The union has managed toprevent any compulsoryredundancies at the Royal Fleetdue to three ships beingwithdrawn from service earlierthis year.

The union said that it wouldresist any compulsoryredundancies and I am pleasedto say that the number ofvoluntary early retirementschemes has almost beenachieved.

We have had furtherdifficulties with regard to thepay freezes being imposed bythe government across the

public sector.RFA members have not

escaped the net however anincrease has been achievedalbeit a very low level based onperformance and membersoverwhelmingly accepted theoffer.

P&O

The long-running saga over theharmonisation of terms andconditions at P&O NorthSea/Irish Sea is at last reachingan end and we are very close toachieving one set of terms andconditions for our members inthe North Sea.

Harmonisation is always atwo-way street and the stakeshave been high with ourmembers on the higher level ofpay quite rightly not wanting tosuffer any loss.

I am confident that by theend of this month we should beable to put an acceptablepackage to all our members as alot of hard work has gone intogetting us into this position andit would be a shame to lose theimpetus at this stage. Once weclear the final hurdle it is ourintention to focus on similar ifnot the same arrangements inthe Irish Sea which is longoverdue.

JOBS DOWN UNDER

The union has continued tomeet with the Maritime Unionof Australia (MUA), the

Maritime Union of New Zealand(MUNZ) and the Australianemployers over jobs in theoffshore shipping sectorindustry.

These jobs are for IntegratedRatings, or as we know it GPratings, but there are nocatering jobs at this stage.

The problem seems to be theimmigration department and the457 visas, some grades ofseafarers are not classed asskilled labour as such and this isproving to be our problemconvincing the authorities.

The MUA is doing itsdamnedest to work this out andboth Mick Doleman and ChrisCain have done a tremendousjob helping us - they don't wanttheir coast flooded with cheaplabour.

Anyone going there will beon local terms and conditionsand we have agreed in principlea memorandum ofunderstanding (MOU) betweenall parties which we will sign offat the next meeting.

These jobs are real and whenthere is an identified shortagewe will be working hard withboth MUA and MUNZ to ensurethat union labour fills thatshortage.

These jobs are not "pie in thesky", I might have ate a few piesin my time as is obvious to see,but let me assure you I don'ttalk it whilst trying to help ourmembers.

SHIPPING NEWSNational secretarySteve Todd reportson developments inthe shipping sector


11

GULF OFFSHORERMT representatives proposed a pay rise in excess of RPI and anoffer was made for a three per cent increase, plus one per centseniority for those members who are entitled to receive it,backdated to July 1 2011. A referendum is currently taking placewith a recommendation to accept the offer.

CALEDONIAN MACBRAYNE Pay negotiations were delayed due to the Gourock to Dunoonretendering issue but a number of meetings between RMTrepresentatives and the company have now taken place and thefollowing offer was tabled for members:A three-year deal from 2011 to 2014 with an agreement that basicpay will be increased by a guaranteed 10.86 per cent over thr eeyears

• An increase of two per cent, effective from October 1 2011.• An increase of 4.25 per cent in 2012.• An increase of 4.25 per cent in 2013 with an opportunity to

increase this to 4.75 per cent on achieving agr eed savingsbeing made by year three.

• It is agreed that if RPI is above five per cent in years two orthree the union reserves the right to reconvene with theemployer.

A referendum is currently taking place with a recommendation toaccept the offer.

MAERSK SUPPLY VESSELS An initial pay offer of 3.5 per cent was made earlier this year whichwas immediately rejected as being totally unacceptable. Followingfurther long and protracted discussions, the revised offer wasaccepted as follows:

• A 4.5 per cent increase to basic pay, effective July 1 2011.• A 4.5 per cent increase to increment scales from £334 to

£349 per year per increment on the 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th and9th years of anniversary in the rank.

CLYDE MARINE (LD LINES) The company agreed with a bonus payment and made an initialoffer of a two per cent increase for 2011. Following furthernegotiations and representation the following offer was accepted:

• A 2.7 per cent increase to personnel employed by ClydeMarine Guernsey Ltd employed on the LD Lines vesselNorman Arrow, backdated to August 1 2011.

• A £400 bonus for those employed on an ongoing basis forwork completed over the winter and during the summerseason.

• A £200 bonus for those employed on a seasonal basis whosuccessfully complete the entire summer season.

DFDS SEAWAYS SHORT SEA RATINGS A two per cent pay increase has been agreed, backdated toJanuary and the company agreed to discussions this month for the2012 review in an effort to get the January anniversary date backon track and on pension provisions.

Shipping pay deals


12

Office of Rail Regulation's deputy chief inspectorfor railway operations, Caroline Wake, looks atdealing with stress in the rail industry

A BETTER APPROACHTO STRESSMANAGEMENT


13

Stress is recognised by tradeunions and employers as a keyhealth concern within the railindustry. While employment inthe rail sector can be fulfillingand rewarding, it can also bechallenging, and excessive workdemands or other pressures maylead to cases of stress. Work-related stress can lead to ill-health as well as poorproductivity and an increase inhuman error in the workplace.

A recent TUC survey rankedstress as the most frequentlyidentified hazard across thetransport sector, and data fromthe Health and Safety Executive(HSE) shows that in the UK anestimated 9.8 million days werelost to work-related stress in2009/10.

ORR recognises that manyrail companies have goodarrangements in place tomanage stress at an individuallevel after traumatic events -such as fatalities, assaults andSignals Passed at Danger - andto support affected individualsback into work. Initiativesaimed at individuals, such aspersonal stress resiliencetraining, employee assistanceschemes and counselling can beextremely useful components ofa stress-management strategy.However, if rail companies onlyfocus on tackling the problem atan individual level after theharm has occurred, the rootcauses of stress may not beidentified and managedeffectively.

As part of ORR’soccupational health programmefor 2010-14, we are working topromote the wider adoption ofan organisational, preventiveapproach to stress managementwithin the rail industry.

We are seeking a shift inapproach - from a reliance onthe reactive management ofstress at an individual level(although this will still clearlybe needed for affectedindividuals) to more emphasison the proactive management ofstress by looking at job designand the organisation as a whole.We recommend use of the HSEManagement Standards

approach, which provides astep-by-step process for the riskassessment of work-relatedstress at an organisational level.

This approach requiresmanagers and employees towork together to improve sixmain areas of work (demands,control, support, relationships,role, and change) that, ifmanaged properly, can help toreduce work-related stress.

We recognise the importantrole that employees’representatives play inunderstanding and tacklingstress at the organisational level.In addition to supportingindividuals already sufferingfrom work-related stress,employees’ representatives areoften well placed to explain andencourage worker participationin data gathering exercises, suchas stress surveys, and can playan active role in helping toidentify if any groups are atparticular risk. Employees’representatives can help explore,and agree, practical solutions inthe workplace, andcommunicate the agreedimprovement targets and actionsto the workforce.

With National Stress

Awareness Day on November 2approaching, ORR invites tradeunion safety representatives tothink about what they can do tosupport the prevention of work-related stress in the workplace.

As a starting point, wesuggest that safetyrepresentatives complete theshort online exercises on HSE'swebsite - www.hse.gov.uk/stress/roles/tradeunions.htm - to helpthem better understand the rolethey can play in applying theHSE Management Standardsapproach.

There are five short exerciseslooking at the signs andsymptoms of stress, exploringwhat workforce representativescan do to help reduce andprevent stress.

Once completed, the answerscan be used as a basis fordiscussion on how workers andmanagers might work effectivelytogether to prevent work-relatedstress at an organisational level.

In rail, as in many other‘heavy’ industries, there are realchallenges in overcoming anentrenched culture where stressis still seen, by some, as aweakness. A closer focus on theorganisation rather than the

individual will help encouragethe participation of the entireworkforce. Employees need toknow where they can go forhelp or raise concerns andemployee representatives canplay a positive role in achievingthis.

Evidence from use of theHSE Management Standardsapproach in the public andprivate sectors has shown apositive effect on worker health,as well as financial andproductivity gains - and it willalso help employers to meettheir legal duties.

By working with rail tradeunions, rail industry groups andindividual businesses to promotethe wider adoption of apreventive approach to stressmanagement, ORR aims to movethe industry towards bestpractice in stress management.We hope that we can count onyour support.

More information on ORR’soccupational health programme for2010-14 can be found at: www.rail-reg.gov.uk/server/show/nav.2497 HSE Management Standardsapproach can be found at:www.hse.gov.uk/stress/standards/index.htm


14

How determined are we Derbypeople to help stop thedestruction of Bombardier jobsand skills, and the end of trainbuilding in Britain?

The local campaign startedwell with the massive petition ofover 50,000 signatures presentedto Parliament and a spirited anddetermined demonstration ofover 10,000 people, cheering onspeakers expressing adetermination not just to protestbut to fight all the way.

The Bombardier unions, thelocal paper, the trades-unioncouncil, local MPs and a newly

formed community supportgroup have worked hard toprevent the government fromsweeping its destructive intentunder the carpet and finallygetting Transport SecretaryPhilip Hammond to admit that itis within the government’spower to reverse the decision togive the contract to Siemens.

But has the governmentlistened? It promised a smear of“jam tomorrow” withsuggestions of possible futuresmall contracts, but to continueto apply European Unionprocurement ‘rules’ and to serve

the interests of the powerfulbanks, whose manipulative“credit rating” systemguaranteed that Siemens’financial backers could deliverthe job cheaper thanBombardier’s - even though thequality and technical base oftheir work could not match theDerby-based company.

The process is alreadyunderway of throwing 1,400Bombardier workers on the dole,and undermining the jobs ofmany thousand more workers inthe supply chain.

So what are we to do? Of

course we need to continue tolobby and argue, even thoughwe have had the “deaf ear”turned consistently in ourdirection. But we need to domore.

The government anticipatedopposition when it made theiroutrageous decision. But itwants that opposition confinedto safe areas - the establishedpolitical processes that theycontrol. We can campaign andprotest as much as we like -providing we do it on theirterms.

So let’s think again. What

SAVEBOMBARDIERJOBS!

Bill Greenshields of Derby Trades Council calls for a massmobilisation in Derby on November 3 to save trainmanufacturing in Britain


15

WHAT’S NEW ON RMTv

CHANNEL 1 – RMT IN ACTIONSave Bombardier jobs – Rally atParliament October 12, 2011.

CHANNEL 2 – NEWS BULLETINSLatest News from RMT.

CHANNEL 3 – HISTORY C HANNELNot In My Name (2002) – Not In MyName is a powerful documentary whichtells the story of the US war on terr orismyou DIDN'T see on TV. Featuring TonyBenn, John Pilger, Paul Foot, Jon Snow,Salma Jaqoob, Tariq Ali, George Galloway,Bianca Jagger and many others.

Who Shot The Sheriff? (2008) - Anabridged version of the 2008 film 'WhoShot The Sheriff?' about the issuessurrounding racism and cultural politics.

The People’s Flag – The Enemy Within -Part five of the five-part documentaryseries on the history of the labourmovement, by Chris Reeves.

CHANNEL 4 – RMT EXTRAInternational Longshore and WarehouseUnion Dispute footage – Short film aboutthe Longview dockers’ dispute.

Cable Street 75th Anniversary –Highlights of the march and rally to markthe 75th anniversary of the Battle of CableStreet.

RMT – A union with pride – Memberstalk about the function and aims of theLesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgenderadvisory committee.

Catch the latest video updateson RMT’s own on-line stationat www.rmtv.org.uk

Rthe government is reallyconcerned about is thepossibility of ordinary peoplesaying, in the words of themovie, “We’re mad as hell andwe are not going to take itanymore!”

At the recent Trade UnionCongress union leaders -including the general secretariesof three of the four Bombardierunions - expressed theirfrustrations with the refusal ofthe self-appointed Coalitiongovernment to negotiate or tolisten to reason. In the face ofunparalleled attacks on publicservices, jobs and the right toprotest, they called for civildisobedience as a last resort.

Haven’t we in Derby reachedthat position? On top of thedestruction of many of ourindustries over the last fewdecades, on top of massivepublic services cuts with 1,500more jobs to go, on top ofattacks on pay and pensions, wenow have total governmentintransigence in the face ofmassive public support forBombardier workers. They thinkthat they are untouchable andcan ignore us.

All over Europe - andbeyond - ordinary people aredemanding an end to “austerity”

and unemployment. Despotic,tyrannical regimes have fallen.Surely we can handle a bunchof self-appointed, internallydivided, privileged toffs!

We are presented with anopportunity to really show ourfeelings on November 3 whenDerby and Derbyshire RailForum hosts a £250-a-ticketconference of “the largestcluster of rail companies in theworld”.

Rail Minister Theresa Villiers– who said of Bombardier,"With a very careful analysisand assessment of the numbers,and with officials from theDepartment of Transportworking closely with bothbidders, it was apparentSiemens offered the best valuefor money" – will deliver thekeynote speech.

In 2009, while in opposition,Ms Villiers backed the “ChangeTrack” campaign which insistedthat the then Labourgovernment “justify its decisionto award a major contract to aJapanese consortium rather thanBombardier”, and called forprotection for the UK railindustry. Perhaps she needs to“justify” her cynical change ofview.

The second speaker is Sir Roy

McNulty, whose “Rail Value ForMoney” report for thegovernment in May of this year,recommended slashing £1billion a year from our railways,massively cutting staffing andworkers’ wages in order to“compete”.

It proposes 30 per cent“efficiency savings” by 2018,and demands "due attention isgiven to conformance withEuropean Union and public lawrestrictions and European Uniondirectives”.

Sir Roy is also Chief of theOlympic Delivery Authorityoverseeing ODA Executivesalaries of £200,000 for part-time work, with the eightdirectors sharing a £1.5 millionbonus pot.

He has two more part time“jobs” to add to his income,Chair of Ilex URC where he ispaid £80,000 plus £15,000expenses for ten days’ work amonth and Chair of AdvantageWest Midlands where he takes£82,000 for a three-day week. Isthis “value for public money”?

Network Rail ExecutiveDirector David Higgins is thethird speaker. He too advocatesmassive cuts to the rail industrygenerally. "We are well on ourway to cutting the cost of

running the rail network byover £5bn in the current controlperiod 2009-2014,” he saidrecently. His personal pay andbonuses are just on £1 million ayear. Well, you have to pay toget the best.

These are three peopledirectly responsible for theproblems we are facing - andthey have the nerve to address aconference in Derby whileBombardier workers are thrownon the scrap heap.

Of course, their conference ison a working day - this sort ofcabal is what such people call“work”. It runs from 10am to2pm with Questions andAnswers at 11.55, followed by avery nice two and a quarterhour lunch. It’s a tough job, butsomeone has to do it.

I suggest that Derby peopleshould make every attempt toget to the conference at theDerby Conference Centre onNovember 3, though I don’tthink we necessarily have tofind the £250 for a ticket. Theirwebsite says that they arelooking forward to a “lively andinteresting conference anddebate”. Let’s make sure they getit.

ss


16

A member who was found notguilty of dangerous driving hashit out at the way local papersreported his trial.

Peter Huggett, a NationalExpress coach driver, was foundnot guilty by a unanimousverdict at Southampton CrownCourt.

He was charged with drivingwithout due care and attention,a charge that was later changedto dangerous driving, afterfalling asleep while driving aLondon to Poole coach on theM27 in August 2009.

There was no accidentalthough the coach did stray offthe motorway.

RMT lawyers Thompsonsproduced evidence that Peterhad a mild form of sleep apnoeawhich he did not and would nothave known about. This wasenough for the jury to find himnot guilty.

But the Southampton DailyEcho and the BournemouthEvening Echo, both of whichran a series of high profilereports about the trial includingon their front pages, buried thenews of the verdict deep insidetheir papers.

They reported at lengthcomments made by passengerson the coach and describedthem as having been terrifiedand that there was screaming.

Yet they failed to report the

reason he fell asleep and gavejust one paragraph to hisacquittal.

Peter, who opted for a CrownCourt trial and refused to agreeto a plea bargain because heknew he was not guilty, said:

“I am furious that the papersreported details of theprosecution case against me,day after day, but barelybothered with my defence andappeared to hide the not guiltyverdict on page 27.

“I’m just an ordinary workingman, I can’t afford super-injunctions and the like.

“It’s downright shoddyjournalism not to give theoutcome of the trial the sameprominence as the trial itself. Ifanyone does a search for myname on the internet they getall the coverage of the chargesagainst me and nothing at allabout the outcome as the papershaven’t even bothered to put thereport of it on their websites,”Peter said.

Peter’s RMT rep, Mark Dean,said a complaint to the PressComplaints Commission hadbeen submitted.

“I’m disgusted with thepapers for how they havetreated Peter. At a time whendiscussions with his employerare taking place, it’s not helpfulto give such one-sided accountsof the incident and of his

prosecution.”Mark praised Thompsons for

its determination to clear Peter’sname.

“Thompsons worked reallyhard to get the key evidencethat would ensure a not guiltyverdict. It demonstrates theimportance of the RMT’s legalservice and why members needexpert lawyers. I can’t imagine ahigh-street firm with littleexperience of representingmembers accused of work-related crimes bothering to getexpert medical reports in a caselike this.”

A submission to the Directorof Public Prosecutions, on thebasis that Peter should not havehad to stand trial, is now beingconsidered.

Clayton Williams ofThompsons, who represented themember, said: “Mr Huggett’scase should have been reviewed,by the CPS, once medicalevidence came to light that hesuffered with undiagnosed sleepapnoea.

“He was put through theordeal of a trial for an incidentthat was clearly not his fault. Iknow he is extremely relievedthat the case is behind him andvery grateful to RMT forsupporting him throughout,” hesaid.

IN BRIEF

• A member was injured whileworking on extending theplatforms at a Tube station. Ahose used for pouringconcrete from street level wasunsecured when the mixcame down, striking themember and causing facialinjuries.

The other side’s insurersrefused to negotiate asettlement and the unionbegan legal proceedingsresulting in the member beingawarded £2,048.

• A member won nearly£64,000 following an injurysustained when loading heavyrail track from a lorry.Lengths of rail had beendumped haphazardly in a carpark. Trackmen hadcomplained to managementthat track should be stackedin safe manner, to no avail.Whilst loading track anumber of lengths gave waytrapping the member’s foot,causing multiple fractures.

• A bus driver member wonover £2,200 in compensationand his employer receivedover £1,100 in respect of sickpay after he was injuredwhen his bus went down alarger pot hole whichaggravated a previouswhiplash injury.

LEGAL VICTORIES

SMEARED BYTHE MEDIA


17

Employees have a right to carryover annual leave in certaincircumstances, an employmenttribunal (ET) has ruled in a casepursued by RMT on behalf oftwo members.

It is an important judgmentand one of the first times an EThas agreed that the WorkingTime Regulations 1998 (“theRegulations”) provide this rightto people who are off sick andunable to take their leave as aresult.

Trevor Adams and GaryHunwick, who had both workedfor Harwich International Portfor several decades, were offsick for significant periodsbetween 2009 and 2010. Neitherof them asked for or took anyannual leave whilst of sick andtheir employer did not tell themthat they should.

But following a EuropeanCourt of Justice decision in thecase of Stringer v InlandRevenue in which it was heldthat the right to paid annualleave continues to accrue duringsick leave and, on terminationof the employment relationship,a worker who has been on sickleave and unable to take paidannual leave is entitled to apayment in lieu, RMT suggestedthat the Port’s holiday carry-over policy might needupdating. The union

subsequently referredspecifically to the Messrs Adamsand Hunwick.

The employer was unable togive an adequate response soRMT took legal advice andformal requests for annual leavewere made. By this time bothmen were back at work. ThePort refused the requests,although it did offer them sixdays leave as “goodwill”gestures.

The law is, as the tribunaljudge said in his judgment, inan “unsettled state”. The case ofStringer did not resolve itbecause although the ECJ saidthat workers on sick leave mustcontinue to accrue annual leave,it left it for member states todecide whether they couldactually take annual leaveduring sick leave.

And while the court said thatworkers prevented from takingannual leave during sick leavemust be able to take it followingtheir return to work, even if thismeans carrying the annual leaveover into the next holiday year,it was not clear what wouldhappen if the worker did notrequest leave while off sick. TheHouse of Lords, which wasasked to decide how the Stringerprinciples should apply to UKlaw, did not address this issue.

So the ET in the Harwich Port

case had to give effect to theEuropean law. The judge ruledthat the RMT membersundoubtedly had been preventedfrom taking leave whilst off sickand so should have been able tocarry it over. It was also foundthat the employer had refused topermit them to exercise thisright in its response to theirformal request.

Crucially, the delay in themembers making the formalrequest for the leave until theyhad returned to work was not aget-out for the employer as ithad failed to address the issuesraised by RMT before it namedthem. This, the ET said,amounted to a refusal to permitthe exercise of the workers’

rights and the Judge addedwording to the Regulations to asto make it consistent withEuropean law.

The Regulations and howthey apply to holidays and sickleave are a complex area of law.But really it should be commonsense for employers and thecourts.

If someone is on sick leavethey are not on holiday. Theright to paid leave exists as ahealth and safety measure toprovide workers with rest thatthey can enjoy. If they are illthey cannot “enjoy” theirenforced rest period. So whyshould they be penalised bylosing their holiday entitlementbecause they could not take it?

KNOW YOUR RIGHTSZillur Rahman of ThompsonsSolicitors explains an importantlegal ruling on rights to holidayleave for workers on sick leavein a case brought by the union


18

Reuniting the railways underpublic ownership could save thetaxpayer £1.2 billion a year,according to the Transport forQuality of Life think tank.

The interim report is part ofa project due to be completed inDecember to examine what thestructure of the railways to puta future Labour governmentfirmly on the side of thepassenger and taxpayer.

The report, commissioned byrail unions, insists that publicownership could be achievedthrough cheaper borrowingcosts, the removal of dividendsto shareholders and reducingfragmentation.

Over £300 million aloneannually could be saved bytaking the train operatingcompanies back into publicownership.

The briefing, released at afringe meeting at Labour Party

conference said the savingsfrom a re-integrated railwaycould lead to an across-the-board 18 per cent cut in railfares.

An ICM poll also found that71 per cent of those askedbelieved privatised traincompanies were more concernedwith making profits thanproviding affordable fares and adecent service for passengers.

The Transport for Quality ofLife report also said thatprivatisation had resulted insignificant social, environmentaland other costs to the UKincluding the destruction of aonce-successful trainmanufacturing industry.

RMT general secretary BobCrow said that the researchnailed the lie of the McNultyReview that the answer to theinefficiencies and over-chargingon Britain’s railways is more

cuts, more rip-off opportunitiesfor big business and higherfares.

“The solution is simple - stopthe greed, fragmentation andprofiteering of privatisation andwe can save more than a billionpounds that could be investedback into the system.

“If Labour fail to grasp thepopularity and economiccommon sense ofrenationalising the railways theywill be throwing away thepolitical opportunity of alifetime,” he said.

TSSA Assistant GeneralSecretary Manuel Cortes saidthat it was no longer possible tocontinue to tinker at the edgesof the problem.

“Privatisation has failedpassengers, workers, businessand the economy. We now needto open our minds to bold newalternatives that serve the

interests of passengers andtaxpayers rather than the god ofprofit," he said.

NO TO MCNULTY

The report was released as thecampaign against the ‘Value forMoney’ McNulty report isgathering pace before the massrally and lobby of parliament at12.30 and October 25 2011,Methodist Central Hall,Westminster, London.

The government is producinga Rail White Paper this autumn.If it decides to implement theMcNulty report, it would furtherfragment the railway and shifteven more power to privatetrain operators.

Train manufacturing isalready under huge pressureafter the government awardedtrain-building contracts toGerman giant Siemens ratherthan Derby-based Bombardier

NATIONALISATIONNOT MCNULTY

Report reveals public ownership of rail couldsave £1.2 billion and most people believetrain operators are fleecing the public


19

and there are proposals to breakup Network Rail.

Job cuts and pay freezes willbe the order of the day.Regional train services areunder threat and fares, alreadythe most expensive in Europe,would become even lessaffordable. The report representsthe biggest attack on passengersand rail workers’ jobs, pay andconditions since privatisation.

The Tyne Valley Rail UsersGroup is the latest passengerorganisation to join the fightagainst the government’sMcNulty rail carve-up byjoining a union protest againstMcNulty outside HexhamStation. Campaigners handedout leaflets and RMT briefingson the McNulty report to takethe campaign to the seat of oneof the few Tory MPs in NorthEast England - Guy Opperman.

Mass leafleting sessions havetaken place across the countryfrom Birmingham toScarborough.

Bob Crow said that the fightagainst the McNulty Rail Reviewcarve up of jobs and services,while fattening up the profits ofthe private companies, wasgaining pace all around thecountry.

“The government is due toreport back on McNulty next

month and we want MPs likeGuy Opperman to understandthat attacking the railways andbumping up fares and profits forthe private operators is politicalsuicide.

“The last thing our economyand environment need is a planthat will slash rail services andjobs, undermine safety and pricecommuters off the rails withmonstrous fare increases likethose just announced.

“If it is implemented, the

McNulty report will see evenmore taxpayers and passengers’cash drained from the industryby private interests that carenothing about services andeverything about profits anddividends.

“McNulty had to accept thatBritain’s railways are moreexpensive than the publiclyowned networks across Europe,but failed to consider theobvious answer of bringingthem back into public

ownership where they belong.“Instead, he wants to create a

network of unstaffed ghoststations, do away with guardson all trains, reducemaintenance and inspections,increase fares and reduce wages– and it adds up to a plan thatwill do more damage thanBeeching half a century ago.

“More than ever railpassengers and workers need towork together to defend vitalrail services,” he said.


20

Sometimes it is difficult tobelieve that many of Britain’spoliticians inhabit the sameworld as the rest of us.

The party political conferenceseason, for instance, was full ofpoliticians who wanted to doanything but talk about the realissues that face working peoplein this country.

This is partly because most of

today’s politicians have little orno understanding of what it isto be a nurse, a teacher, abuilding worker or indeed whatit is to work on the railways.

Instead many of them willstop at nothing to leap on boardthe anti-trade unionbandwagon.

Union bashing for them is away of life. They also seem to

expect that ordinary people willcarry the burden of a nationaldeficit created by the grotesquegreed of the bankers.

There are other issues thatmany politicians would rathernot talk about, or that are soserious they pretend that theydon’t exist. Take the EuropeanUnion and the single currencyfor instance.

The British political classwould rather pretend that thereis no problem with the euro andthat the majority of people arecontent with the onward marchof ‘European integration.’

They conveniently forget thatsome people at least – includingRMT general secretary Bob Crow– warned against joining thesingle currency in the first

SIGN THEPEOPLE’SPLEDGE As the Eurozone tears itselfapart, Mark Seddon arguesthat it is time for a referendumon Britain’s relationship withthe European Union


21

place.As the Eurozone falls apart,

those who urged us to joinhave, not surprisingly, fallensilent. It is up to those of uswho believe that ordinarypeople – rather than the Britishpolitical establishment – shoulddecide Britain’s future in theEuropean Union.

The People’s Pledgewww.peoplespledge.org is anew campaign which wants theBritish people to have thechance to vote in a referendumon Britain’s membership of theEuropean Union. It has supportfrom across the politicalspectrum, with trade unionists,business people, writers andMPs from both main parties.

By signing it, you will give apowerful message to your localMP or candidates that yourvote is conditional on themsupporting a referendum. Inresponse to the crisis being inthe Eurozone, the EU – with thefull support of David Cameron– is seeking to centralise a

further set of powers inBrussels.

This is designed to establish‘European economicgovernance’. This will mean,among other measures, electednational governments having topresent their proposed annualbudgets to the unelectedEuropean Commission for priorapproval before they can bedebated by nationalparliaments.

On Saturday October 22 thePeople’s Pledge will be holdinga major congress at theMethodist Central Hall,Westminster.

Bob Crow and RMTpresident Alex Gordon will bespeakers, together with LabourMPs John Cryer, Kate Hoey,Graham Stringer and KelvinHopkins among many othersfrom all parties and none.

In response to the terriblecrisis in the Euro-zone, the EU– with the full support of DavidCameron – is seeking tocentralise a further set of

powers in Brussels. This isdesigned to establish ‘Europeaneconomic governance’.

This will mean that nationalelected governments will haveto having to present theirbudgets to the unelected EUCommission for approval beforethey can be voted on by theirnational parliaments.

The EU Commission willthen be able to apply the typeof neo-liberal policies onmember governments that it iscurrently applying to the threeEuro-zone countries receivingbailouts. Greece, for example,has been told to privatise arange of state assets, includingits railways, in order tocontinue to receive loans.

We have reached a stagewhereby EU directives andregulations now account forapproximately half of nationallaw. Britain now has less thanten per cent of the votes in thekey decision-making bodies.

Some of the directivescoming out of Brussels have

huge implications for theownership and delivery ofpublic services. We have seenthe profitable parts of the RoyalMail handed over to big privatecompanies and our railwaysystem broken up underdirective 91/440. When I wason the Labour Party’s NationalExecutive Committee and usedto challenge Tony Blair overnew Labour’s plans for the PostOffice, he always used to blame‘Brussels’.

Nobody has ever voted onany of this. These are policiesthat are being foisted onEuropean countries includingBritain by an un-electedCommission, whose economicadvisers are accountable to no-one. Before this process goesany further, it is time for thepeople to decide. You can signup to the People’s Pledge atwww.peoplespledge.org

Mark Seddon is the People’sPledge director, former Tribuneeditor and a former member ofthe Labour Party executive.


22

Over 1,000 anti-fascists tookover the streets of east Londonearlier this month to mark 75years since the historic victoryover the blackshirts at CableStreet.

Veterans and campaigners leda march and rally to the sceneof the famous battle, fought byan alliance including the localJewish community, theCommunist Party and Londonworkers against Oswald Mosley'sBritish Union of Fascists.

Representatives from thelocal Jewish and Bengalicommunities were flanked bytrade unionists from across thelabour movement.

Cable Street veteran MaxLevitas emphasised the need forthe trade union movementtoday to fight "modern fascism".

"We know that they are not

really modern, they are nodifferent from 1936," he said.

Mr Levitas urged marchers to"join a union" and campaign tobring down the coalitiongovernment whose cuts allowfascism to thrive.

"We can only do it bycampaigning and organisation,"he told the Cable Street 75 rally.

RMT general secretary BobCrow warned the crowd that“fascists feed off scapegoats".

"But if you create a societywhere everyone has a job and ahouse then you have a societywhere the fascists cannot live.

"It's the ideological issues wehave to beat them on," he said.

He called for labourmovement unity when manyworkers go on strike onNovember 30 over pensions.

"We have to raise a

movement that can beat fascismand help us build a socialistsociety," he said.

The union also organised apacked book launch nearby forthe London Classics reprint ofthe classic East End novel Jewboy written around the time of

the battle of Cable Street.The book was written by

Simon Blumenfeld inspired byhis experiences growing up inWhitechapel amid appallingpoverty, sweat shops andvicious capitalist competition(see page 24).

REMEMBERINGCABLE STREET


23

The RMT-sponsoredEasington Colliery brass

band played for youngcampaigners as they began thelong 330-mile march fromJarrow to London to demandreal jobs earlier this month.

Great grandchildren of theoriginal Jarrow marchers aretaking part on its 75thanniversary, as well asunemployed young people,students and young tradeunionists.

The route is the same as the1936 marchers to Durham and

then on to London by way ofHarrogate, Sheffield, Leicester,Coventry, Northampton andLuton, and reaching the capitalin five weeks.

The march will finish with arally in Trafalgar Square,London, on November 5 toprotest against the high level ofyouth unemployment.

Seventeen MPs have so farsigned an Early Day Motion putforward by Labour MP JohnMcDonnell backing the YouthFight for Jobs Jarrow march.

The number of 16-24-year-

olds out of work and not ineducation has risen to over onemillion and the right tobenefits have been attacked bythe government.

The right to an educationhas been undermined by thisConDem government which hasmassively hiked up tuition feesdespite a solemn Lib Demelection promise not to do so.

At present there arecurrently one in five graduateson the dole and university is nolonger a path to a decent job .

Youth Fight for Jobs

organiser Claire Laker-Mansfield said: "We aremarching to demand that thegovernment does more toinvest in a decent future foryoung people".

RMT general secretary BobCrow warned: "If the unionmovement doesn't stand byyoung people in the front lineof the Con-Dem attacks we willwitness a rerun of the Thatchergovernment's cynical dumpingof a whole generation".

MARCHINGFOR JOBS


24

Jew Boy is a book about povertyand politics in the tumultuousworld of London’s Jewish EastEnd in the ’30s, where boxersmixed with anarchists andcommunists, and Yiddish actorsand poets rubbed shoulders withgamblers and gangsters.

All were united in theirhatred of fascism, and wereprepared to fight it whennecessary.

Yet of equal interest is thenovel’s exploration of thepersonal lives and thwartedaspirations of young people atthis time, both Jewish and non-Jewish.

Class means as much to themain protagonists of this bravebook as the older ties of religionand race.

Author Simon Blumenfeld –born and bred in Whitechapel,working its markets as a youngman – brings to life the realityof sweatshops and sweatedlabour, vividly portraying theexhaustion produced by longhours, unforgiving deadlines andcut-throat competition.

But this a story driven byhope and a desire for change,and his descriptions of theexciting culture that existedbeyond the workplace helpsproduce a testimony to a uniquetime and place that is nowfirmly embedded in London’svolatile history.

Jew Boy is nothing less thanthe founding work of what wenton to become a unique body offiction, autobiography anddrama – the literature of the20th-century Jewish East End.

In addition London Books is offering RMT members the samespecial offer on the five other titles in its Classics series –The Gilt Kid and They Drive By Night by James Curtis, NightAnd The City by Gerald Kersh, A Start In Life by AlanSillitoe, and Wide Boys Never Work by Robert Westerby.To take advantage of the RMT Special Offer please go to www.london-books.co.uk/RMToffer.asp.

For postal sales please write to PO Box 52849, LondonBooks, London SW11 1SE.

Name

Address

Titles required

Amount enclosed

THE WORKINGCLASS NOVELREBORNRMT has teamed up with London Booksto help bring one of the greatestworking-class novels of the 1930s JewBoy back into print.

President’s column

NO TO EUSOCIALDUMPING

Delegates at this year’s TUC Congressunanimously backed an RMT motionopposing European Union tradeagreements which pose a major threatto jobs and workers’ rights and woulddisplace local workers.Delegates agreed to fight a proposedEU/India trade deal which would handbig business the right to bring intemporary skilled Indian labour into theEU working on very low wages in theirrelentless drive for profits regardless ofthe consequences.The 2009 Lisbon Treaty handed the EUpowers to negotiate ‘free trade’ dealsunder its own name, in particularremoving national governments’ rightsto veto such agreements. The proposed ‘EU-India Free TradeAgreement’ – now being negotiated innear-total secrecy and could beimposed as early as December – wouldalso give UK and European banksrights to take over the huge Indianfinancial services market in return forletting transnational corporations(TNCs) control labour movementbetween India and the UK. This massive ideological shift dressedup as a ‘trade deal’, hands control oflabour migration to TNCs, and iseuphemistically described by the WorldTrade Organisation as ‘Mode 4 cross-border service supply’. The WTO neatly divides all trade inservices into 4 ‘Modes’:

• Mode 1- services sent (e.g.internet);

• Mode 2- where the consumercrosses borders (e.g. tourism,or foreign students);

• Mode 3 – where a companyestablishes itself acrossborders;

• Mode 4 – where workers arebrought across borders.

The disastrous policy of ‘freemovement’ of labour within the EU upto now has mainly affected lower-skilled workers. However, EU Mode 4commitments will cover ‘skilled’ and

‘highly skilled’ workers includingarchictects, teachers, lecturers,veterinary surgeons, IT specialists andcrucially for RMT members railwaysignalling and electrification engineers. The downward pressure on UK wagesthat resulted from EU ‘free movement’is due to be felt all the way up theskills ladder, where wage differentialsare considerably larger.

The only ‘safeguard’ for workers in theEU-India FTA is the minimum wage.However, most wage levels in the UKlabour market are maintainedessentially by limited labour supply.For skilled work this is ominous andthe UK already has a very highgraduate unemployment rate. Yet, the most shocking aspect of theEU-India FTA is the secrecy with whichit has been negotiated – the peoplewho will suffer its effects, have notbeen told the truth about any of this. In the UK there is now tremendouspressure on public services for budgetcuts involving widespread job lossesbecause labour costs are a major partof public services. Cost-cutting is used to force

‘outsourcing’ of work to sub-contractors and up to now that hasmeant ‘offshoring’ jobs to low-wageeconomies such as India, as happenedthis year to National Express CallCentre workers at Baron House inNewcastle.

‘Mode 4’ allows a shift to ‘onshoreoutsourcing’, to reduce labour costs.Work may be carried out by the sameworkers with a loss of security andbenefits, or cheaper migrant workers.The end result is the same: a lowerproportion of the service cost is spenton wages and a greater proportion onbonuses, dividends and profits. Public services are part of ‘publicprocurement’, which is howgovernments at all levels spend publicmoney. The pressure to liberalise publicservices (open them up to privatecompetition) and public procurementoverall is not just a UK phenomenon.EU rules and directives also demandthe liberalisation of ‘procurement’within the member states. When we hear media reports ofpoliticians promising investment inmajor infrastructure projects tostimulate growth in the UK economy,including High-speed Rail 2 and GreatWestern electrification, it is essentialthat this public investment is notallowed to be used to pump-primeprofits of private firms while dumpingworkers’ pay and conditions using

‘Mode 4’. Alex Gordon


25

Blumenfeld wrote three othernovels – Phineas Kahn (1937),Doctor Of The Lost (1938) andThey Won’t Let You Live (1939)– and all were well regarded,but it is Jew Boy which broughthim to public attention andmade his name.

He also drew praise for hisplays. As well as a drama aboutthe Aldgate-born boxer DanielMendoza, Blumenfeld scriptedThe Battle of Cable Street ,staged at the Edinburgh Festivalin 1987, as well as writing inhis early life one of the lastYiddish plays to beprofessionally performed inEurope, The Promised Land,premiered at the Grand Palais inCommercial Road.

When he died in 2005 at theage of 97, he was Britain’soldest working journalist,having written for Stagemagazine for more than 40years. The political and culturalmilieu of the East End in whichhe had grown up – a world oftheatres, public libraries,debating clubs, soapbox oratoryand political demonstrationsand confrontations withMosley’s fascists – never lefthim, and he retained his left-wing political ideals to the end.

This edition comes with anin-depth introduction by KenWorpole, author of many bookson architecture, landscape andsocial history. His 1984 bookDockers And Detectives (updatedfor a new edition in 2008) wasone of the first to re-awakeninterest in the work of SimonBlumenfeld and other Jewishwriters from the pre-war EastEnd. He is a Senior Professor inthe Cities Institute at LondonMetropolitan University.

Jew Boy is one of a series ofeight classic hardback novels,available to RMT members for£5.99 each, plus £1.85 p&p pertitle. To take advantage of theRMT special offer go towww.london-books.co.uk/RMToffer.asp

For postal sales write to:PO Box 52849London SW11 1SE

Email: [email protected]


26

Following the Nazi invasion ofthe Soviet Union on June 221941 Britain forged a new anti-fascist military alliance whichincluded the shipping ofessential materials to help thebeleaguered Soviets to resist.

British wartime leaderWinston Churchill launched thefirst Arctic convoy on August12 1941 as a vital demonstrationof solidarity and support, even ifthe material contribution wasinsufficient to meet Sovietneeds.

The first convoy of merchantships marked the beginning of adangerous and difficultcampaign that would continueuntil the end of the war with thelast convoy arriving atMurmansk on May 22 1945 withno losses.

However 104 merchant ships,19 Royal Navy warships andover 2,700 British seamen hadbeen lost in the fight to supplythe Soviet war effort.

Initially, the primary

contributors of merchant andnaval shipping were the British.But the entry of the UnitedStates into the war in December1941 led to a steady increase inAllied contributions.

By the end of 1943, Allieddominance of the Mediterraneanmade possible the opening of anew supply route through theMiddle East. Although thislonger route ultimately becamethe dominant source of Anglo-US supply to the embattledSoviets, the Arctic convoyscontinued to run.

By the end of the war theyhad accounted for about 25 percent of all the supplies shippedto the USSR, and accomplishedthis in the face of appallingweather conditions and heavyenemy opposition.

While shipments of tanks,aircraft and other supplies werestandard fare, the convoysoccasionally bore other forms ofsupport in the form of a tradeunion delegation.

The German assault on theSoviet Union provoked a waveof sympathetic feeling amongBritish workers. Within weeks ofthe invasion, the TUC had set upthe ‘Help for Russia’ fund andestablished the Anglo-RussianTrade Union Council to maintaincontact with their Sovietcounterparts.

On October 6 1941, the firstTUC delegation sailed for Russiaaboard the destroyers HMSAnthony and HMS Norman. Thiswas the first of a number ofsuch visits which continuedthroughout the war and playedan important part in improvingunderstanding and relationsbetween British and Sovietworkers.

Since the war, the Arcticconvoys have received lessattention than other campaigns.Perhaps the best-knowncommemoration of the wartimeArctic experience in modernfiction is Alistair MacLean’sHMS Ulysses, whose harrowing

description of conditions greatlyinfluenced perceptions of theArctic convoys when it waspublished.

Formal recognition of theachievements and endurance ofArctic veterans has been slow,the theatre originally beingcovered by the Atlantic Starmedal. However British veteranswere awarded the Soviet-issuedRussian Convoy Medal in 1994.

In the last ten years there hasbeen a notable escalation in theefforts to achieve greaterrecognition for Arctic veterans,resulting in the creation of theArctic Star emblem. The firstStars were presented to veteransin March 2005, and to dateseveral thousand have beenissued to veterans or theirdescendants. Pressure from somequarters for the introduction ofa separate campaign medal ofequal status to the Atlantic Starcontinues.

To commemorate thedespatching of the first Arctic

REMEMBERING THEARCTIC CONVOYS

National Maritime Museum launches exhibitionwhich includes the opportunity to meet veteransof the Arctic convoys to the Soviet Unionundertaken during the war, described as ‘the worstjourney in the world’

Convoys, the NationalMaritime Museum, GreenwichLondon has opened atemporary exhibition whichbegins on October 21 2011 tohighlight the experiences ofthe seamen who served in thistheatre.

Along with photographicmaterial, the gallery willinclude paintings by warartists, ship models and articlesof clothing. The nature of thevoyages will be exploredthematically in terms of theefforts to protect the convoysfrom the hazards of extremeweather conditions and enemyattacks from the air and sea.

The achievement of theArctic convoys is examinedwith specific reference to vitalwar material successfullydelivered to a hard-pressed allyand the role they played inforging a working partnershipto defeat Nazism.

VETERANS OF THE ARCTICCONVOYSNovember 19, 2011 – 11.30-16.30FREEMeet veterans of the ArcticConvoys and hear about theirexperiences on what WinstonChurchill called ‘the worstjourney in the world’.

Veterans from the MerchantNavy and the Navy will be inthe gallery to meet visitors onthis special day. This will be aunique opportunity to hearfirst-hand their memories ofsurviving extremetemperatures, attacks at seaand day to day life on boardthese dangerous voyages.

IN WHICH WE SERVEINTRODUCED BY KEVINBROWNLOWNovember 20, 14.00-16.00£7.00David Lean’s directorial debutis a stirring wartime drama ofperil at sea shown to mark theopening of the exhibition onthe Arctic Convoys. The filmwill be introduced by the UK’sleading film historian and Leanbiographer Kevin Brownlow.

To find out more pleasevisit www.nmm.ac.uk


27

SOLIDARITY: Soviet seaman entertain British merchant and Royal Navy seaman

ICE: A seaman clears ice on the a King George V class battleship in Arctic waters while another is manning a searchlight for vi sualsignalling while the third is on lookout duty. Such conditions were all-too-familiar to naval and merchant seamen on the Arcticconvoys. Clearing ice was a constant routine to prevent mechanical failure or making the ship top heavy .

T-shirt offerto RMTmembers Philosophy Football hasproduced a T-Shirt tocommemorate the first Arcticconvoy, 'Dervish', which left fromIceland on August 21 1941. RMTmembers can get a £3 discountplus postage-free, a total savingof £5.95 by ordering by phone01273 472 721. All credit cardsaccepted. You need to quote'RMT Offer'. Available fromwww.philosophyfootball.com


28

We have audited the accounts of theNational Union of Rail, Maritimeand Transport Workers for the yearended 31 December 2010, set out onpages 15 to 39. The financialreporting framework that has beenapplied in their preparation isapplicable law and United KingdomAccounting Standards (UnitedKingdom Generally AcceptedAccounting Practice).

This report is made solely to theUnion’s members, as a body. Ouraudit work has been undertaken sothat we might state to the Union’smembers those matters we arerequired to state to them in anauditor’s report and for no otherpurpose. To the fullest extentpermitted by law, we do not acceptor assume responsibility to anyoneother than the Union and theUnion’s members as a body, for ouraudit work, for this report, or for theopinions we have formed.

RESPECTIVE RESPONSIBILITIES OFTHE UNION’S COUNCIL OF EXECUTIVESAND AUDITORS

As explained more fully in theStatement of Responsibilities of theCouncil of Executives on page 13,the Union’s Council of Executives isresponsible for the preparation ofaccounts which give a true and fairview. Our responsibility is to auditand express an opinion on theaccounts in accordance withapplicable law and InternationalStandards on Auditing (UK andIreland). Those standards require usto comply with the AuditingPractices Board’s Ethical Standardsfor Auditors.

SCOPE OF THE AUDIT OF THEACCOUNTS

An audit involves obtainingevidence about the amounts anddisclosures in the accounts sufficientto give reasonable assurance that theaccounts are free from material

misstatement, whether caused byfraud or error. This includes anassessment of: whether theaccounting policies are appropriateto the Union’s circumstances andhave been consistently applied andadequately disclosed; thereasonableness of significantaccounting estimates made by theUnion’s Council of Executives; andthe overall presentation of theaccounts.

OPINION ON ACCOUNTS

In our opinion the accounts give atrue and fair view of the state of theUnion’s affairs as at 31 December2010 and of its income andexpenditure for the year then ended.

MATTERS ON WHICH WE AREREQUIRED TO REPORT BY EXCEPTION

We are required by the Trade Unionand Labour Relations (Consolidation)Act 1992 (Amended) to report to youby exception in respect of thefollowing matters if, in our opinion:

- A satisfactory system of controlover transactions has not beenmaintained.

- The Union has not kept properaccounting records.

- The accounts are not inagreement with the books ofaccount.

- We have not received all theinformation and explanations weneed for our audit.

We have nothing to report to youin respect of the above matters.

H W FISHER & COMPANYChartered AccountantsStatutory Auditor

Acre House, 11 – 15 William Road,London NW1 3ER, United Kingdom

Dated: 6 May 2011

REPORT OF THE INDEPENDENT AUDITORSSet out below is the report of the independent auditors to the members ascontained in the accounts of the Union for the year ended 31 December 2010:

SUMMARY FINANCIAL INFORMATIONEXTRACTED FROM THE FULL ACCOUNTS

Summary income and expenditure accounts for theyear ended 31 December 2010:

General Fund and Orphan Fund2010 2009£'000 £'000

Subscription income 13,046 12,836Operating expenditure (13,695) (14,031)Operating deficit before investment operations (649) (1,195)Income from investment operations and donations 2,206 3,351Operating surplus after investment operations 1,557 2,156Other non-operating income/(expenditure) 134 (357)Surplus for the year 1,691 1,799

Political Fund2010 2009£'000 £'000

Subscription income 235 223Investment income 4 4 Other income - -Total income 239 227 Total expenditure (227) (238)Surplus/(Deficit) for the year 12 (11)

SUMMARY OF SALARIES AND BENEFITS PROVIDED

Name Position Details AmountR Crow General Secretary Salary £84,006

Pension Contribution £34,095

A Gordon President Attendance, Lodging allowance and expenses £42,259

The members of the Council of Executives do not receive an y benefits but doreceive attendance and lodging allowances, which are set out below. The GeneralSecretary, the President and the members of the Council of Executives arereimbursed for any expenditure incurred by them in the performance of theirduties on behalf of the Union.

Summary of Attendance and Lodging Allowances paid to the Council of

Executives

General GradesName Amount Name AmountG Ashcroft* £ 37,513 M Lynch £ 37,388P Collins* £ 43,927 P March* £ 42,966G Hassell £ 39,185 G McCann* £ 52,848O Herbert * £ 43,516 O New £ 37,784C Johnston* £ 52,229 M Thompson* £ 49,404D Letcher* £ 50,278 A Tyrrell* £ 48,491

Shipping GradesName Amount Name AmountM Carden* £ 8,298 A Lloyd* £ 8,775M Dunning* £ 10,530 N Rothnie* £ 2,326

(commenced 11.9.2010)A Gordon* £ 15,829

* In addition, the Union provides accommodation while on Union business

We are required by the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) A ct 1992 (amended) to include the following declaration in this statement to allmembers. The wording is as prescribed by the A ct. "A member who is concerned that some irregularity may be occurring, or have occurred, in the conduct of the financial affairs o f the union may take stepswith a view to investigating further, obtaining clarification and, if necessary, securing regularisation of that conduct.The member may raise any such concerns with such one or more of t he following as it seems appropriate to raise it with: the off icials of the union, thetrustees of the property of the union, the auditor or auditors of the union, the Certification Officer (who is an independent o fficer appointed by theSecretary of State) and the police.Where a member believes that the financial affairs of the union have been or are being conducted in breach of the law or in bre ach of rules of the unionand contemplates bringing civil proceedings against the union or responsible officials or trustees, he should consider obtainin g independent legal advice.”


29

or call the helpline on freephone0800 376 3706

Visit www.rmt.org.uk to join online

JOIN RMTBRITAIN’S SPECIALISTTRANSPORT UNION

Problems at work? Call the helpline(Now with two operators)

Keep your RMT membership details up-to-dateIn the light of draconian anti-trade union laws that have been used against the union, membersshould keep their personal data up to date. It also important to note that in or der to keepmembers informed your union requires your mobile telephone number and email address. Members can do this via the RMT website, telephone the RMT helpline above, or writing to themembership department at RMT head office, Chalton Street, London NW1 1JD.


31

Birmingham Engineeringbranch marked over 200

years of service to the unionearlier this year as assistantgeneral secretary Mick Cashpresented long service awardsto long standing members.

Five 40-year badges were

presented to Alan Rogers,Tony Radcliffe, Colin Waters,Keith Mason, and Stan Curtis.A 25-year badge was handedout to Keith Waters and 10-year badges were given toKamaljit Naglu and FrankSmith

Dear editor,I recently received and readthe union publication ‘PullingTogether’ – a popular historyof RMT. It should be mandatoryreading in my opinion so thatpeople appreciate the pastsacrifices made in the workingclass struggle particularly intransport which concerns usand others. Unions don’t always get itright but they are the onlything working men and womenhave got. Solidarity is our onlydefence when things get unfairas they often do. Cooperationis always best and I don’t haveany axe to grind with NetworkRail personally but sometimesaction is necessary especiallywhen hard-won rights areunder threat.

For me, the struggle goesbeyond any concerns I mayhave with my own job and thisindustry. It is about morality,the bigger picture and what isfair in society. We have onlyto look around us to realisethat as a movement overall thestruggle continues. Thanksagain.Yours Richard J TaylorPulling Together is availablefrom Unity House or [email protected]

For many RMT membersretirement often means the

end of their trade unioninvolvement. However,retirement from work doesn’tmean not being activelyinvolved in the union.

Moreover we are constantlyreminded that it is essential tokeep physically and mentallyactive in retirement. What betterway to keep the old grey matterticking over then joining yourlocal RMT retired members’branch?

The retired members sectionis presently made up of elevenbranches stretching from Bristolto the North East of England.The main objectives of thesebranches is to campaigntowards maintaining andimproving the level ofoccupational and state pensions

to ensure that all pensionershave dignity and financialindependence in old age.

The retired members’parliament, the annual nationalretired members’ advisoryconference, aims to organiseretired men and womenmembers, regardless of theirformer grades, to meet theseobjectives. Each branch canelect up to four delegates toattend the conference. Wherethere is no retired members’branch a regional council maywish to nominate up to fourdelegates to attend theconference.

The conference acts in anadvisory capacity to the unionand liaises with otherorganisations representing theinterests of pensioners in thewider community. These

organisations include theNational Pensioners Convention,Trades Union Congress, Help theAged and Age Concern. RMThas representatives elected byconference on committees ofthese organisations.

Retired Members Branchesalso contribute to union policyin regards to resolutions carriedat conference. Resolutions frombranches are debated and up totwo are submitted to the RMT’sannual general meeting (AGM)for debate. Issues such as therecent change in indexationmethod used by the RailwaysPension Scheme, which waschanged from RPI to CPI, weredebated at the AGM in responseto a resolution carried at theretired members’ advisoryconference.

So that the retired member

section continues to grow andparticipate fully in the union ithas been agreed to supplybranches with informationpacks, giving details of unionbenefits in retirement, andsupply contact details of retiredmember branches so thatinterested members can play anactive role in the union.

However, we need membersto come forward and participatein the activities of retiredmember branches so that thissection of the union cancontinue to defend andcampaign on the behalf ofworking class people.

If you are interested incontacting your local retiredmembers’ branch secretaryplease call 020 7529 8806 oremail [email protected]

RETIRED MEMBERSYOUR UNION NEEDS YOU

BIRMINGHAM CELEBRATES200 YEARS’ SERVICE


32

Great Unrest100 Years Since the First National Railway StrikeFighting Unions 1911 and TodayPublic Meeting - panel discussion followed by debate

Speakers: RMT general secretary Bob Crow, RMT president Alex Gordon,

authors David Howell and Sam Davies

Saturday November 12 201116.00-19.30

People’s History Museum, Left Bank, Spinningfields, Manchester, M3 3ER

Tel: 0161 838 9190

GLASGOW 5

NOMINATES

DENIS CONNORFOR COUNCIL OF EXECUTIVES

AND SEEKS SUPPORT FOR THISEXPERIENCED CANDIDATE

KINGS CROSS BRANCH

NOMINATES AND SUPPORTS

BRANCH SECRETARY

RAY KNIGHTFOR COUNCIL OF EXECUTIVESLONDON AND ANGLIA REGION

MATURITY THAT COMES WITHEXPERIENCE

LU ENGINEERING BRANCH

NOMINATES

BOB CROWFOR GENERAL SECRETARY

AND THANKS ALL THEBRANCHES THAT NOMINATED

HIM

GLASGOW SHIPPING

NOMINATES

GRAHAM WALLACEFOR COUNCIL OF EXECUTIVES

EUROPEAN PASSENGERSERVICES BRANCH

NOMINATES

DERRICK MARRAND URGES SUPPORT FOR THIS

DEDICATED ACTIVIST

FOR COUNCIL OF EXECUTIVESLONDON AND ANGLIA REGION

EAST LONDON RAIL BRANCH

HAS NOMINATED

DERRICK MARRFOR COUNCIL OF EXECUTIVESLONDON AND ANGLIA REGION

AND URGES SUPPORT FOR THISFEISTY NEGOTIATOR

ST PANCRAS BRANCH

NOMINATES

DERRICK MARRAND CALLS ON MEMBERS TOVOTE FOR THIS EXCELLENT

CANDIDATE

FOR COUNCIL OF EXECUTIVESLONDON AND ANGLIA REGION

SOUTH EAST ESSEX BRANCH

NOMINATE

DERRICK MARRFOR COUNCIL OF EXECUTIVESLONDON AND ANGLIA REGION

AN EXPERIENCED ANDDEDICATED ACTIVIST


33

The winner of prizecrossword no. 72 is Peter Ross, Glasgow.

Send entries to PrizeCrossword, RMT, Unity House,39 Chalton Street, London NWIIJD by November 15 with yourname and address.

Winner and solution in nextissue.

ACROSS

7 Public road (7)

8 intolerantly hostile to others- like 5 (7)

10 What you can get atuniversity (6)

11 Anonymous; without a title(8)

12 See 22

13 Educational establishment’splayground, US style (10)

14 Where thousands battled 5’sthugs in 1936 (5, 6)

19 The third bits of three-piecesuits (10)

22, 23,12 Anti-fascistslogan at 14 (4,5,3,4)

24 Semitic language spokenwidely across the MiddleEast and North Africa (6)

25 Enraged (7)

26 It’s opposite the floor (7)

DOWN

1 Places frequented by 4s (7)

2 Compelling magnetism - ‘thegift of grace’ (8)

3 Animals with the hump! (6)

4 One who goes to the pictures(8)

5 Fascist leader humiliated at14 (6)

6 Pud (7)

9 Fans; keen amateurs (11)

15 With the necessarypermission to do something(8)

16 Guts (8)

17 Seaside pastime - wet or dry!(7)

18 Throws in the towel (7)

20 Vendor (6)

21 Frightened (6)

£50 PRIZECROSSWORDNo. 73. Set by Elk

No. 72 solution...

RMT national secretarySteve Todd led a

delegation of trade unionsunder the auspices of the Isleof Man TUC to meet locallyparliamentary candidatesknown as Members of theHouse of Keys (MHKs) prior tothe Manx general election.

The purpose of that meetingwas to impress on current andprospective candidates theneed for the future Manx

government to adopt andembrace TUPE legislation aspart of a wider improvement toworkers employments rights.

About 20 in total turned upand listened to what unionshad to say and received a verypositive response.

Steve Todd said thatcandidates were left under noillusion that unions are notprepared to let this issue gounchecked and RMT proposed

to come back when the newgovernment was in situ with aview to pressing the argument.

“Why should workers in theIsle of Man or whoseemployers are in the Isle ofMan be treated differentlyfrom workers either side ofthem on the Irish Sea whoenjoy the benefits of suchlegislation as TUPE?” he said.

ISLE OF MAN MEETING

Bob Crow and nationalsecretary Steve Todd

presented retiring Glasgowshipping branch member JoeQuinn with some tokens ofappreciation after serving theunion for 50 years.

Joe was at sea for 50 yearsand in that time he was a longstanding member of theNUS/RMT.

“This is a rare achievementand we all wish Joe a long andhealthy retirement,” said BobCrow.

GLASGOWVETERAN SHIPPER

Here at RMT Credit Union weknow how important it is forfamily members to understandmoney even at an early age. Wealso recognise that parents andgrandparents often want to setaside some money or build up alump sum for their children orgrandchildren to provide themwith a good start in life.

It is never too early to startand the longer the savings areheld, even when saving smallamounts, with a regulardividend they soon mount up.With this in mind RMT CreditUnion has developed a JuniorSavings Account which can betailored to suit your needs.

WHO CAN OPEN AN ACCOUNT?

The account needs to be openedby an existing RMT CreditUnion adult member but it can

be opened for any child livingat the same address. Accountscan be opened from birth, rightup to the age of 16. The juniorsaver must be living at theirparent or guardian's address andan original birth certificate mustbe produced to be able to join.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

The account is opened by themember on behalf of the juniorsaver. The account will be in thechild’s name but control of theaccount will remain with theadult.

HOW DO I OPERATE THEACCOUNT?

Unlike full members, juniors donot have a regular income sothe parent / guardian openingthe account for the juniormember will have to set up theaccount to save a minimum of£5.00 every month / 4 weekly orweekly. The savings is collectedby Direct Debit from a bankaccount

HOW DO I KEEP UP TO DATE WITHTHE ACCOUNT?

A statement is sent out to thejunior members once a yeararound Christmas time and ofcourse you are able to keep intouch via the usual methodssuch as phone and email. Yourchild will be able to view theirown account online to see howmuch they have saved.Additional statements can berequested at no extra charge atany time.

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THEYREACH 16?

At the age of 16, the junioraccount must change to adultstatus. At this point, the juniorwill now be considered an adultmember and will automaticallygain full control of the account.They will therefore have fullaccess to any funds you havedeposited in their accounthowever, at this stage they mayneed to provide identificationprior to withdrawing any funds.

ONCE 16, DO THEY HAVE TO SAVEREGULARLY EVERY MONTH TOKEEP THE ACCOUNT OPEN?

We recognise that they might begoing on to higher education ormay not even have left school atthat stage. We do not want tolose them as a member,particularly as they may not beeligible to join again shouldthey leave, so we are happy tomaintain the account while theyare in full time education. Don’tforget that once they are 18they gain all the benefits ofbeing a full member and abilityto use all the Credit Union’sproducts.

HOW SAFE IS IT?

Just like all savings held withthe Credit union they are fullyguaranteed by the FinancialServices Compensation Schemeup to £85,000.00.

You can apply for amembership form to join theCredit Union by writing to RMTCredit Union Ltd, Unity House39 Chalton Street, London NW11JD or downloading a formfrom the RMT website.

OPEN A JUNIORDEPOSIT ACCOUNT!RMT Credit Union offers membersthe opportunity to open anaccount for their children to allowthem to save for the future


34

Time to fight back - join the rally!

Sir Roy McNulty has reported to the government on how the cost of Britain's railways might be reduced. He wants to protect multi-million pound dividends to private shareholders and instead attacks you, the rail worker. McNulty proposes:

Massive job losses : Pay freezes : Reduced standards of safe working

issue number 9, volume 13 october 2011 g ypg p stop bus … · government that bean counters were...

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