Assemble 12.30 hours, opposite the House of Commons

Bob Crow, RMT General Secretary, writes ...

RMT Parliamentary Convenor John McDonnell MP has introduced a Bill to prevent employers blocking the democratic wishes of trade union members who have voted overwhelmingly in favour of industrial action. The union movement has called a mass lobby of Parliament in support of John’s Bill on Wednesday 13th October; we want to ensure that the RMT has a massive presence on the day. Please put this date in your diary now and make every effort to attend.

RMT members have first-hand experience of how lawyers for anti-union employers use the most ludicrous of technicalities to try and outlaw the right to strike by the back door. John’s Bill would amend current legislation to prevent minor technical errors in a trade union ballot and in notices to employers about the result, from being used to invalidate the whole ballot.

This Bill is focused and fair. It will mean that working people, who may be struggling to protect their pay and conditions and who have voted overwhelmingly in favour of industrial action, will not have their democratic will overruled on technical legal grounds. We have a duty to be present to lend John our support and solidarity.

For the Bill to progress to the next stage, 100 MPs need to attend Parliament for its "Second Reading” on Friday 22nd October. MPs are usually in their constituencies on Fridays so the purpose of Lobby is to persuade MPs that they should be in Parliament instead. Please click the link below and take a couple of minutes following the basic prompts which automatically generate an email to your MP asking them to support John McDonnell’s Lawful Industrial Action (Minor Errors) Bill on 22nd October: http://www.unitedcampaign.org.uk/bill.php or complete the model letter attached.

If you’re not sure who your MP is, you can check by entering your postal code at the following website: http://findyourmp.parliament.uk/

The Bill has been co-signed by Kate Hoey MP, Tony Lloyd MP, Dave Anderson MP, Michael Connarty MP, Austin Mitchell MP, Frank Doran MP, Kelvin Hopkins MP, Jim Sheridan MP, David Crausby MP, Ian Lavery MP and John Cryer MP.

Let’s do everything we possibly can to get behind John McDonnell’s Bill. Please lobby your MP now and I hope to see you on 13th October.