What is a National Executive Committee decision?
This article is an 'executive decision' which has been written by the RMT National Executive Committee. The National Executive is the union's governing body in between AGMs. Its decisions set out what the union will do on a particular issue.
These decisions can often be brief, and may be one of several passed over a period of time. To get a better understanding or find out more information about what the RMT is doing, speak to your rep or attend your branch or Regional Council meeting.
RMT General Secretary Bob Crow sent this letter to the Embassy of the Arab Republic of Egypt
Dear Sir/Madam
SENTENCING OF KAMAL ABBAS
The RMT is a UK transport union representing 80,000 members in the UK.
We are also Great Britain’s largest rail union and are represented on the Executive Committee of the International Transport Workers Federation.
The RMT is appalled to learn that Kamal Abbas, CTUWS general coordinator has been sentenced in absentia to six months imprisonment.
It is of course the case that freedom of association, including the right to form independent trade unions and related freedoms of speech and assembly are absolutely valuable gains from last year’s events in Egypt and elsewhere across the globe and the reason there was global support for these developments, including in the UK.
We understand that Mr Abbas has been charged with “insulting a public officer", specifically Ismail Ibrahim Fahmy of the Egyptian Trade Union Federation (ETUF). This does not even seem to be a crime, never mind a matter for incarceration.
We would ask your government to ensure that the freedoms won by years of struggle – and especially the rights of trade unions – be respected in Egypt.
We would further demand that the threat of imprisonment be lifted immediately from Mr Abbas.
Yours sincerely
Bob Crow
General Secretary
What is a National Executive Committee decision?
This article is an 'executive decision' which has been written by the RMT National Executive Committee. The National Executive is the union's governing body in between AGMs. Its decisions set out what the union will do on a particular issue.
These decisions can often be brief, and may be one of several passed over a period of time. To get a better understanding or find out more information about what the RMT is doing, speak to your rep or attend your branch or Regional Council meeting.
- 3317 reads
