Prepare to strike again for jobs, pay and justice

RMT’s strike action last month has won some steps forward in our fight for jobs, pay and justice – but these steps are not enough, and we may well need to strike again.

On Monday 6 July, around 200 RMT reps and members met to discuss the dispute. They unanimously to reject LUL's stance, and to renew our efforts to explain the issues to staff. A new, special issue of ‘RMT London Calling’ aims to do that.

THE ISSUES

RMT is campaigning for:

• Jobs – not just those currently under threat, but the job security of everyone who works on London Underground and TfL – see page 2 for details
• Pay – for a better deal than the real-terms pay cut currently on offer; and for improvements in working conditions – see page 3 for details
• Justice – an end to the regime of management bullying of staff which is blighting our working lives – see page 3 for details

OUR STRIKE

RMT’s 2-day strike in June was very effective – despite management propaganda otherwise. Not only did the strike cause massive disruption to services, it also forced concessions from management:

• The original 5-year pay offer is down to 2 years
• The money on offer has gone up a little
• LUL has agreed to stick by one particular aspect of its Attendance policy and give maximum 26-week warnings for first breaches of the policy.

But we still have a way to go. As this issue of ‘RMT London Calling’ explains, your job security is still under threat, the pay offer still falls short of what you deserve, and managers’ mistreatment of staff continues.

WE ARE NOT ALONE

The media would have you believe that everyone hates us for striking. But we have received hundreds of messages of support (read them here: www.rmtlondoncalling.org.uk/messagesofsupport). A recent Metro opinion poll found that 60% of the public supports the right of Tube workers to strike.

The Unite union is now balloting its members on London Underground over pay.

Other workers are battling over similar issues. Oil refinery workers have won an important fight to defend their jobs and the agreement which sets out their conditions of work. CWU postal workers have forced the government to withdraw its plan to privatise Royal Mail, and are taking strike action over pay and conditions.

TALKING IS NOT ENOUGH

RMT wants to settle, not to strike. We want to resolve these issues through talking, but LUL and TfL management are stalling talks and refusing to discuss the issues at all seriously.

LUL allowed months to pass between pay talks; TfL did not even make a pay offer until after our strike. As we write, no new talks are scheduled, although RMT is ready to talk at any time.

For months before our strike, the employers either refused to talk, or came to talks empty-handed. Then just before our strike, and just after, management made concessions. Since then, nothing again.

Management have proved to us that they only take our demands seriously when they know we intend to strike. So if they do not start negotiating seriously, we will call more strikes.

We do not do so lightly, but because we know that everything our members have, we have won through RMT taking action. Many reps report that strike action will be even stronger next time as the issues become clearer and organisation better.

You may feel that you can’t afford to strike – but if you read RMT's case, you will realise that you can’t afford not to.

“This dispute is about jobs, pay and justice. It is also about whether we allow management to walk all over us.” Oliver New, RMT National Executive