ATTENDANCE
From Becky Crocker, Regional Young Members' officer
Dear London Transport region
On Monday 3rd August, I visited the Vestas factory on the Isle of Wight, which its workers have occupied to stop its closure and save their 600 jobs.
Vestas is the only factory in Britain making blades for wind turbines.
Wind power is part of the government’s strategy for switching to 15% renewable energy by 2020. But the private company Vestas have calculated they can make more money by moving their factory elsewhere: profit comes first and jobs and the environment second.
OFFSHORE ENERGY UNION RMT today accused the owners of the Vestas wind turbine factory on the Isle of Wight of “kicking the legs” from under a rescue package that could have saved it from closure.
RMT officials Bob Crow and John Leach, along with representatives of the Vestas workforce, met with energy minister Joan Ruddock yesterday to discuss the future of the factory.
During the meeting it emerged that the government had offered a series of rescue options to the company but each one had been rejected.
The attachment on this article details the management's attempt to drive custom away from ticket office windows and therefore do away with ticket office jobs. Euston, Paddington, Brixton, Victoria and Kings Cross are the latest stations which are trialling the five pounds minimum top up of oyster cards.
Bob Crow, RMT general secretary, said
"Our members have shown again that they are solid,angry and determined to secure a fair deal on pay and conditions from a company that is obsessed with maximising profits at the expense of staff and the traveling public.
National express have provoked this action and have alienated their entire workforce across all three unions. Those workers have shown that they are not prepared to take a hit to prop up the profits of a company whose management have shown that they are not fit to run rail services."
BUS TO VESTAS: FRIDAY EVENING: STOP THE EVICTION
From Workers' Climate Action
Everyone down at Vestas is still standing strong in the face of the possession order. A bus of about 20 Londoners went down on Tuesday evening, but everyone is getting pretty tired and another boost is needed!
A minibus (or two!) will be leaving London on Friday evening from Clapham at 6pm heading for Vestas. The bus will return on Sunday. It will cost between £10-£15 a head (or a bit more if you can afford to subsidise others) and will deliver a boost in numbers and energy to the fight to save jobs and save the planet!
On Thursday 23rd July Brother Andy Melvin passed away from bronchopneumonia in Whipps Cross Hospital.
Andy was a fantastic guy, ready to help everyone and anyone. He was a long serving member of the RMT and an activist from day one.
Andy started out on the buses before joining TfL and becoming a Supervisor in the Liverpool Street Travel Information Centre.
Support Kevin
Ballot papers have now gone out with regard to Kevin Dobinson’s sacking. As you know Kevin was sacked for an aggravated SPAD that he owned up to. Drivers on the line were shocked at the severity of Kevin’s punishment, most thinking that at worse Kevin would have been dipped for what he did. This has led to rumours that Kevin’s past record most have been a factor in his sacking. This is not so. Kevin has never had an aggravated SPAD before, or indeed any other serious safety incident.
Press release from the United Campaign Against Police Violence
United Campaign Against Police Violence urges Crown Prosecution Service to prosecute officer involved
The United Campaign Against Police Violence (UCAPV) welcomes the step forward in the investigation into the death of newspaper vendor Ian Tomlinson. As the Independent Police Complaints Commission passes its files on the investigation into the police officer seen to strike Ian Tomlinson to the Crown Prosecution Service, we hope that this case will finally come to court and that justice is done.
Catch up with whats happening in the region, regarding pay, pensions and jobs.. items that affect everyone including our members in the Neasden Branch.