Blogs

The RMT had a strong presence at this years World Pride, held in London for the first time. It was also the fortieth anniversary of the first Pride parade held in London, and veterans from what would have been a very different protest for gay rights led what has largely become a celebration of LGBT liberation and values. The RMT group was attended by Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual members as well other members who wanted to demonstrate their and the unions support for equality. This including General Secretary Bob Crow whose attendance was filmed for BBC News. Continue reading to watch the RMTv video

Each year the RMT hold an Annual General Meeting, this is where delegates from each region act as the supreme governing body of the union, alongside this event the RMT also runs a young members AGM educational course.

I joined a group of young members from all over the country who work in a variety of grades, there were cleaners on London underground, supervisors, train operators, p-way, and station assistants- almost half of the group came from London. Most young members there had little to do with the union before this and were curious to see what it was all about.

The course itself was funded by the union in recognition that the union needs to regularly involve as well as educate its young members as they are the future (and the present.) My employer did not pay me for the week away but the union covered my loss of earnings as well as travel, accommodation and food expenses so I had nothing to lose by attending.

Picket at Westham by 'Busworker' Blog

Thousands of London bus workers are taking industrial action today in a dispute over a fair bonus for the extra workload during the Olympics.

Around 85% of the bus workforce from 17 companies are involved in the action today, with TfL listing scores of bus routes as affected, were they say cycling or walking would be the better option. Presumably they don't suggest using the tube as there is a risk of services being dangerously overcrowded.

Click on the attachment for the latest RMTplatform edition.
In this issue we highlight the future LUL have for supervisor grades with regards to mobile supervision, the cleaner’s campaign for a fair and decent living wage as well as an Olympic bonus.
Other articles include the deal reached by RMT for an Olympic bonus for its members that requires no framework breaches.
Please download and print and feel free to distribute in your workplace.

In its recent budget, the government raised the minimum wage for over 21 year olds in line with inflation, but froze the minimum wage for under 21 year olds. The minimum wage is currently at £6.19 an hour for people aged over 21, compared to £4.98 for under 21 year olds.

There is no evidence to support the government’s argument that this will help to get young people into work. Instead, this unjust measure will only serve to widen the increasing intergenerational inequality that we are seeing in Britain, and force hundreds of thousands of young people further into poverty.

At the end of March RMT young members travelled to Brussels to take part in a rally for nationalisation and against privatisation on the first anniversary of the European Commission's Transport White Paper, which orders states to surrender transport networks to corporate interests

We brought along our handmade banner which we worked really hard creating from scratch. It took a lot of hard work especially as we had underestimated how long it would take. Young members met up at Martine House in Clapham Common the day before to design and create the banner. It was great laugh, we each did small shifts and were powered by liquid nourishment and fish & chips.

It was shorts and t-shirt weather in Brussels and after the rally we enjoyed the many things that Brussels had to offer.

The campaign to overturn this cruel injustice handed out to Dayna by LUL gathers pace.
The GGC has decided to enact the following to secure Dayna`s reinstatement;
•pursue this case through the full procedure agreed last year, including a meeting between Bob Crow and Mike Brown before proceeding to industrial action if necessary
•raise this issue with our Parliamentary group
•arrange a meeting with Dayna's GLA member, Navin Shah

A major incident on the Bakerloo Line last week a shut don for several hours. A defect of the tunnel wall was struck by the first trains of the morning. Once the cause was established a large section of the line was closed.

On the same day Tube Lines were on strike for equal pensions with colleagues at London Underground.

Here is the latest edition of RMTPlatform, articles include support for our comrades in the Tubelines dispute and LUL`s disgraceful renege on the casualisation dispute resolution on the Bakerloo line
Support Tube Lines
Workers’
Fight for
Pensions
and Passes