Protests

On Sunday 23rd May the extended East London Line will re-open, as part of private company, LOROL (London Overground). Obviously we support the extension but not when part of the tube network has been privatised through the back door. The whole of LOROL should be integrated with London Underground and owned and run by the Greater London Authority, elected by Londoners, which is RMT policy.

The privatisation of railways has been a total mess, with one company after another getting in trouble, including Metronet and Tube Lines.

URGENT: Rail Cuts Cost Lives

Demonstration at Network Rail Office, Kings Place, 90 York Way, London

To coincide with the Network Rail maintenance ballot result and to publicise the massive amount of MPs who have signed the Early Day Motion condemning Network Rail’s proposed cuts and the threat to safety, the RMT has called a demonstration outside the Network Rail Offices in central London. I do appreciate the short notice, but we’d like you to be there as part of a loud and colourful demonstration.

URGENT MESSAGE FROM UNITE AGAINST FASCISM ________________________________________ UNITE AGAINST FASCISM Emergency protest against the EDL in London this Friday Assemble 11am, Friday 5 March Houses of Parliament, London

For more information please call 020 7801 2782 or visit the UAF website

on www.uaf.org.uk

The English Defence League (EDL) will be marching in London on Friday 5 March in support of the far right Dutch MP Geert Wilders who is visiting the House of Lords to whip up hatred against Muslims.

Bob Crow writes ...

RMT is among many unions and other organisations supporting a major national demonstration to defend the welfare state and public services, initiated by the National Pensioners’ Convention.

The march will assemble from midday at Temple Place on London’s Embankment on Saturday April 10, with the rally beginning at 2pm in Trafalgar Square.

With a general election likely to take place soon after, this is an opportunity to speak out in favour of defending the National Health Service, improving pensions and defending public services against cuts.

A rally and lobby of parliament will take place on Wednesday of 27th January 2010 in the fight to stop the axing of nearly 1500 safety-critical maintenance jobs by Network Rail. A timetable for a national ballot for industrial action by rail maintenance staff will be confirmed shortly.

The severe weather conditions this week have underlined the importance of having proper staffing levels on the rail network with reports that some of the transport problems have been worsened by a shortage of crew to de-freeze tracks and points – and that’s before Network Rail push through a further 1500 job cuts.

‘Fight for 1 million Green Jobs’

The Campaign Against Climate Change has called demonstrations in London and Edinburgh on Saturday 5th December to fight for one million green jobs and publicity flyers are attached. The RMT is affiliated to the Campaign and I would urge all members to participate in these demonstrations. Assembly at the larger London event will be from 12pm in Hyde Park.

With GBM's contract being transferred to Initial, who are to further sub-contract it to ICS, Tube cleaners are angry that they are being treated like parcels to be passed around. The only solution is to kick out the contractors and bring Tube cleaning back into an integrated, publicly-owned London Underground.

Join cleaners and their trade union, RMT, in protesting at the offices of LU Metronet, Templar House, 81-87 High Holborn (map here). Bring placards, banners and friends!

A protest against bullying and harassment of RMT bus members at London United will take place on Friday 2nd October at Hounslow Bus Garage, Kingsley Road, Hounslow, TW3 1PA. The nearest tube station is Hounslow East on the Piccadilly line ( 2 minutes walk).