Dear colleagues

I am writing to you as your Regional Organiser to appeal to you to get behind the union's decision to strike for the reinstatement of train driver Arwyn Thomas

Arwyn Thomas is a driver at Morden depot who has been victimised for being a very effective trade union representative. Arwyn is a 30-year member of the RMT and during this time has played a key role in organising the union and representing members at all levels including as local representative, branch secretary and executive member of the RMT London Transport Regional Council. Arwyn has had an exemplary record with his employer LUL and has never had any previous disciplinary in his 30 years of service. There is not so much as a local disciplinary for attendance or lateness on his record.

The charges against Arwyn are that he swore at a strike-breaker who was a Tube Lines employee acting as a CSA at Morden depot, and that he called a strike-breaking station supervisor a ‘scab’ and a ‘strike-breaker’ at Kennington station. Contrary to unfounded rumours, there has been absolutely no suggestion even in management’s propaganda that any physical contact occurred. Following his dismissal by LU, the RMT won an ‘interim relief’ Employment Tribunal which clearly ruled that LU sacked Arwyn for his trade union activities, and the Tribunal ordered LUL to pay Arwyn’s wages until a full Tribunal was convened. The chair of the Tribunal took the very unusual step of asking LUL to take a fifteen-minute adjournment and consider reinstating Arwyn Thomas immediately. Unfortunately, LUL didn’t take advantage of this opportunity to set matters right.

Arwyn has recently attended a full Employment Tribunal in which he came across as a very straightforward and credible witness, in contrast to LUL managers who appeared disingenuous, contradicting themselves and each other and indeed were proven to be giving totally inaccurate information by the CCTV evidence produced. The CCTV showed that Arwyn was pursued across the station by the Tube Lines strike-breaker at Morden and physically blocked on at least two occasions (a CSA behaving like the strike-breaker did would normally face disciplinary action by LUL). Furthermore, at Kennington the CCTV again proved that management’s statements in which they claimed that Arwyn entered the supervisor’s office were untrue and showed that Arwyn was merely stood in the doorway. An independent witness, contrary to management’s claims, did not witness any aggression on the part of Arwyn.

We believe the real reason why Arwyn was dismissed is because he was instrumental in organising the most effective picketing on the Northern Line during the recent dispute about stations job cuts, and indeed it was during this strike that these incidents occurred.

There is a clear pattern emerging in London Underground’s behaviour towards RMT reps and activists, and during periods of industrial action in particular. Another driver, Eamonn Lynch, was sacked for following a line controller’s instructions and was reinstated only when industrial action dates were set. A station rep, Peter Hartshorn, was sacked for allegedly swearing at a manager. Peter was at the time carrying out his trade union duties. Again, Peter was reinstated when RMT members demanded a ballot for action.

We cannot stand idly by and wait for a full Employment Tribunal to decide Arwyn’s fate. Employers do not have to reinstate workers even when the Tribunal rules that they should. London Underground has set an incredibly high bar for Arwyn’s reinstatement; they have said that they will only consider reinstatement if Arwyn is found to have been sacked solely for his trade union activities. Tribunals do not make rulings like this - they always find that the person has contributed to their dismissal in some, however small, respect; Eamonn Lynch was found twenty five per cent responsible for his dismissal. It flies in the face of all reason that LUL should demand the impossible in order to reinstate Arwyn. This is particularly hypocritical when they made a guarantee to the RMT that they would try to reach an acceptable settlement of Arwyn’s case before the full Tribunal took place. In the event they were only prepared to offer him some money which he as a very principled trade unionist has rejected.

Arwyn has shown that he is not prepared to sell his job but instead is prepared to defend every other trade union rep and member out there. This is clearly a very principled stance and one which deserves our full support. As London Underground’s intransigence continues, the RMT has had no option but to reinstate the strike action which was suspended after reaching a deal which LU has now reneged on. We cannot allow union reps and activists to be victimised: they are the cement which holds the union together. If we allow LUL to sack and intimidate our reps, then no trade unionist is safe.

I’m appealing to you as your Regional Organiser to fully support the RMT’s position of calling dates for strike action. We must demand justice for Arwyn Thomas and send a clear message to LUL that victimisation of trade union reps and activists will not be tolerated by our members. An injury to one is an injury to all reinstate Arwyn Now.

Many thanks
Steve Hedley
Regional Organiser London Transport

=====

STRIKE DATES:

All London Underground Train Driver Members are instructed not to book on for any duty that commences: -

Between 21.01 hours on Sunday 19th June 2011 and 03.00 hours on Monday 20th June 2011.
Between 21.01 hours on Monday 27th June 2011 and 11.59 Hours on Tuesday 28th June 2011
Between 12.00 hours on Wednesday 29th June 2011 and 11.59 hours on Thursday 30th June 2011
Between 12.00 hours on Friday 1st July 2011 and 21.00 hours on Friday 1st July 2011