Dear Colleague

New Tory threat to jobs and conditions and RMT statement on General Election.

Today the Conservative Party have published their General Election manifesto with the promise of even more attacks on the jobs, pay and conditions of transport workers.

In their manifesto the Tories show which side they are on. They describe the terms and conditions of rail workers as “unaffordable…unfair and unjustifiable.”

In a deeply alarming development, the Tories say they will bring forward legislation to rip up terms and conditions. The manifesto promises that a future Conservative government will “look to include measures to reform outdated working practices in the rail industry in the Rail Reform Bill.”

The Tories are so furious that rail workers have fought back to defend their livelihoods they are now saying they will pass new laws to worsen rail workers' contracts of employment!

Make no mistake if they do this to rail workers, they will do it to other workers.

On top of this the Tory manifesto contains a renewed onslaught on the right to strike with a promise “to limit the impact of industrial action on public services and balance the ability of workers to strike with the rights of the public, we will continue implementing our Minimum Service Levels legislation.”

Your union has already warned in a press statement issued last week that “if the Tories are elected, they will come back with an even more vicious assault on workers' jobs and conditions, and trade union and employment rights.” I have reproduced the press statement below for your attention.

RMT press statement on General Election

“We are not affiliated to any political party and will back Labour and socialist candidates, it is clear the outcome of the general election will be a Tory-led Government or Labour-led government and that in order to defeat the Tories, Labour has to win.

Over the last fourteen years the Tories have undertaken a sustained attack on working people and our members through anti-union legislation and attacks on terms and conditions. The Tories have also presided over the P&O scandal where they did nothing to protect our members. It is our belief that if the Tories are elected, they will come back with an even more vicious assault on workers' jobs and conditions, and trade union and employment rights.

RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said: "It is objectively in the interests of working people to get the Tories out which means getting a Labour led government in, and our members will need to campaign and vote accordingly.

"Labour is supporting key policies, such as the New Deal for Working People, which includes repealing the 2016 Trade Union Act and Minimum Services legislation. Labour is also supporting public ownership and reintegration of large parts of the railway, removing the ban on publicly owned buses and improving seafarers' rights.

"However, there will be no blank cheques for Labour and we also challenge Labour to provide an alternative, coherent and credible economic strategy that radically challenges the current orthodoxy on spending and borrowing so that we can properly fund our industries and public services. And alongside the rest of the trade union movement, we are also appalled and condemn the approach the Labour leadership has taken to the conflict in Palestine.k

"Protections for our members and the delivery of progressive polices are delivered, as always, by our union and the wider trade union movement being prepared to fight for progressive change. We will continue to fight to protect our members' jobs and conditions. Our fighting political and industrial approach will continue before the election and after the election.

A Labour government increases our prospects of successfully fighting to improve our members' interests."

Your union will continue to fight to protect your jobs, terms and conditions and I will keep you advised of developments.

Yours sincerely,

Michael Lynch

General Secretary