Striking RMT members today received backing from Labour Movement legend Tony Benn.
Following earlier support from MPs and GLA members, Mr Benn, one of the most best known and respected politicians of modern times paid tribute to Tube workers and urged others to do the same, Mr Benn said simply:
“LONDON DEPENDS ON THE TUBE WORKERS AND THE TUBE WORKERS ARE ENTITLED TO GET SUPPORT FROM LONDON.”
RMT members were strongly supported in Parliament today when the Labour MP for Hendon, Andrew Dismore MP, used questions to the Leader of the House of Commons to wade into the Mayor and London Underground. Mr Dismore accused them of pulling the rug on the deal reached with RMT negotiators on Tuesday night which would have allowed for the tube strike to be suspended.
The MP's intervention follows the intervention by several London Labour MPs today, former Mayor Ken Livingstone and Assembly members calling for Boris Johnson to agree with direct talks with the RMT.
Former London Mayor Ken Livingstone today launched a furious broadside against Boris Johnson and his tube chiefs for their failure to meet with RMT at an early stage to address the issues at the heart of the tube dispute.
Livingstone has also made it clear that the union is right over the key issue of compulsory redundancies.
Writing in The Times, and speaking on radio this morning, Livingstone said:
By Emily Ashton, Press Association
Thursday, 11 June 2009
A Labour MP today said there was a "real suspicion" that Boris Johnson's fingers were "all over" the provocation of the strike on London Underground (LU)
Andrew Dismore (Hendon) said Mr Johnson, the Mayor of London, had "interfered" and caused a planned suspension of the strike to be lifted.
He told the Commons that the Rail Maritime and Transport (RMT) union had signed an agreement on Tuesday evening to stop the strike going ahead.
Circular number: NP/92/09/AG
Dear Colleague,
RMT members recently showed solidarity with foreign rail workers by demonstrating in support of 40 Israeli Arab citizens sacked by Israel Railways following the Company’s decision to impose discriminatory conditions of employment [pictured].
BRITAIN’S BIGGEST trade union, Unite, which is also one of the four unions on London Underground, has pledged its full support and solidarity with the RMT in its current dispute over jobs, pay and bullying on the Tube.
Unite have also joined a growing call for Mayor Boris Johnson to enter into direct talks with RMT which has been supported today by London Labour MPs, GLA members and former London Mayor Ken Livingstone.
Peter Kavanagh, Unite regional industrial organiser, said:
I am writing this in a personal capacity but I believe this is the feeling of a lot of TfL members of RMT. We have given 100% to the build up of this dispute/campaign since day one. We have only 4 'recognised' Reps in the whole of TfL unlike other areas of membership. We are part of this dispute because of the possible 3000 job cuts in our area, no pay offer whatsoever from TfL and members being denied the representatives of their choice plus we already have to suffer the disgraceful 'OCP' scenario where we can be made compulsory redundant.
RMT General Secretary Bob Crow sent the following message to all union members:
"Dear Colleague,
A PERSONAL MESSAGE FROM THE GENERAL SECRETARY
THE TRUTH (AND IF NOT SUE US FOR LIBEL)
This is my 31st year as a member of this Union and a worker on London Underground and in all that time I have never experienced such dishonesty from any management that I have dealt with. Let me explain to you what really happened at the talks.
The Facts
Comrades, brothers, and sisters.
Fraternal greetings.
East London Rail Branch RMT salutes the stand being taken by you, our comrades, across the London Transport network tonight in your struggle against bullying management, pay cuts, and job-losses.
This Branch notes that in these times of recession, all workers are being told we must ‘tighten our belts’; we also note the stark - and frankly stinking - hypocrisy of your management, who like so many others, believe this does not apply to them.
Dear Colleagues
Please find below a letter I have today sent to the London Mayor.
In response the Mayor has refused face to face negotiations and London Underground are trying to deny an agreement was reached.
The Mayor even walked out of a TV debate today rather than deal with me directly. City Hall and TfL seem to be in disarray.