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SOLIDARITY WITH THE RMT: PROTECT JOBS, PAY, PENSIONS, AND WORKING CONDITIONS!
LGBT+ Socialists in action supporting striking RMT members (Image: Paul McGowan)
Published 12 October 2022
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In June 2022, the rail union RMT announced 3 days of national strike action across the railway network. This action seen over 50,000 railway workers walk out, making this the biggest dispute on the network since 1989.
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This historic national strike action is testament to the bravery and determination of rail workers everywhere. The action comes after RMT members voted 9:1 on a 71% turnout for action against the outrageous plan to slash 2,500 jobs at Network Rail, alongside further attacks on pay and conditions across 15 different train operators.
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With the inspirational leadership shown by the RMT’s membership and their general secretary Mick Lynch who has also spent the last week one-by-one effortlessly demolishing the UK’s leading TV “journalists” and talk-show hosts in their pathetic attempts to demonise and belittle workers and trade unions. This dispute and the fight being shown will have the potential to inspire other workers from other sectors facing pay freezes or pitiful pay rises (especially during this energy and cost of living crisis) to demand action from their own trade union leaderships, organise and take action.
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That original action in June, and the action that has taken since which has resulted in the shutting down of the country's railway is completely down to Network Rail and train operating companies themselves, they have subjected their staff to multiyear pay freezes and also plan to cut thousands of jobs which will make the railways unsafe. In a separate dispute over pensions and job losses.
This dispute is over three issues; it's over pay, it's over job security, and it's over having no detrimental changes to terms and conditions of employment. Despite intense talks with the rail bosses, RMT has not been able to secure a pay proposal nor a guarantee of no compulsory redundancies.
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RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said: "Railway workers have been treated appallingly and despite our best efforts in negotiations, the rail industry with the support of the government has failed to take their concerns seriously. We have a cost-of-living crisis, and it is unacceptable for railway workers to either lose their jobs or face another year of a pay freeze when inflation is at 11.1% and rising. Our union will now embark on a sustained campaign of industrial action which will shut down the railway system.
Rail companies are making at least £500m a year in profits, whilst fat cat rail bosses have been paid millions during the Covid-19 pandemic. This unfairness is fuelling our members' anger and their determination to win a fair settlement. RMT is open to meaningful negotiations with rail bosses and ministers, but they will need to come up with new proposals to prevent months of disruption on our railways."
Mick Lynch, General Secretary of the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (Image: Paul McGowan)
The Tories are terrified by the scale of the ongoing strike action, we know this because they are hastily planning yet more laws on top of all the anti-trade union legislation that already exists, to now legally require that a minimum level of staffing be maintained during a strike. This bill would essentially mean that significant proportions of those workers who have voted to strike, would now be banned from striking.
Trade Union leaders have attacked these threats, Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Unite will confront head-on, and by whatever means necessary, any further attacks on the right to strike. In Britain we already operate under the most restrictive labour laws in western Europe. A workers’ right to withdraw their labour is inalienable in any democracy worth its name. This is a cynical, authoritarian move designed to protect corporate profits and has been wheeled out to satisfy the needs of short-term factional politics. While corporations make billions and ordinary working people suffer, this Government chooses to attack the rights of British workers.
When P&O, a billion-dollar company owned by a foreign dictatorship, brutally sacked 800 British workers, they broke the law. The Government’s response was a fine. When British workers threaten to defend their living standards in the face of a cost-of-living crisis not of their making, this Government threatens to take away their democratic rights. We are now forced to put the Government on notice. Unite will not sacrifice the protection of our members’ jobs, pay and conditions on the altar of ‘partygate’. If you force our legitimate activities outside of the law, then don’t expect us to play by the rules."
LGBT+ Socialists member Paul McGowan speaking alongside Eddie Dempsey at the RMT Enough Is Enough rally in Liverpool (Image: William Phillips)
LGBT+ Socialists with RMT Liverpool no.5 Branch members raising money for the RMT strike fund (Image: Audrey White)
Mick Lynch and LGSM co-founder Mick Jackson wearing a LGBT+ Socialists shirt on the London Euston picket line (Image: LGSM)
These strong words need to be turned into action to resist any attempts at imposing or using new anti-union laws. The Tories will be keen to attack the RMT, TSSA, GMB, ASLEF, UCU, PCS, BFAWU, CWU, Unite, and any others threatening, or those already taking action.
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With the extremely successful launch of the Enough is Enough campaign with over 700,000 people signing up in a matter of weeks, and rallies across the country attracting thousands, the entire trade union movement must now use that momentum to come together and coordinate solidarity pickets, and if necessary escalate it into widespread industrial action for maximum effect to defend any group of workers singled out by this callous Tory government.
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Whatever our backgrounds or levels of pay, all working class people must continue and redouble our collective efforts to stand in one another's struggles to bring about equality at work and in society at large, ensuring people from all backgrounds have equal life chances. As our banner says "Standing against ALL forms of oppression is not an optional extra in the class struggle but a core part of it".
LGBT+ Socialists have along with a number of other LGBT+ activist groups around the country, such as Lesbian and Gays Support the Miners (LGSM), have been taking part in countless solidarity actions in support of ongoing strike action. For example, in solidarity with the RMT Union, LGBT+ Socialists have been doing fundraising through bucket collections, and have also sold a limited edition 'Victory To The RMT: LGBT+ Socialists Support The Rail Workers' t-shirt, the latter alone raised £1000 for the RMT Strike fund in just a matter of weeks, and our chairperson Paul McGowan spoke at the RMT Enough Is Enough rally in Liverpool in front of a 3000+ strong crowd.
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LGBT+ Socialists will always stand in complete solidarity with our comrades in the RMT and with all those involved in this working class struggle.
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The 5 key demands of the Enough Is Enough campaign are:
1. A Real Pay Rise
2. Slash Energy Bills
3. End Food Poverty
4. Decent Homes for All
5. Tax the Rich