Economic crisis / fighting public service cuts

This resolution, submitted by LU Engineering Branch, was passed unanimiously by RMT Women's Conference 2009.

This resolution, submitted by Camden No. 3 Branch, was passed unanimiously by RMT Women's Conference 2009.

That this Conference notes that the economic crisis will hit working class women hard.

We note that within our industry, redundancies are already planned in administrative grades, dominated by women and are likely in the subcontracted jobs like cleaning, also dominated by women.

Women predominantly occupy the lowest paid grades in our industry, and are therefore vulnerable to the poverty inflicted by the economic crisis.

This resolution, proposed by TfL no.1 branch, was passed unanimously at the February meeting of the Regional Council.

More than three million are expected to be unemployed by the end of 2009. Young people are among the first to be thrown on the scrapheap. Currently, 40% of those losing their jobs are between 18 and 24.

This resolution, proposed by LU Fleet branch, was passed unanimously by the February meeting of the Regional Council.

The leaders of the world’s most powerful nations will meet in London in April.

They come together against a backdrop of world slump, war and rising anger at the nightmare they have created.

The point of the G20 is meant to be to find solutions – but world leaders are running out of ideas. They aim to make workers pay for the crisis.

"But other workers are losing their jobs."

Yes, and those workers could be our partners, sons, daughters or other dependants. If they lose their jobs, they will rely on our incomes more than ever.

Workers within TfL face job losses too. If we accept an inadequate pay deal, this will not protect our jobs: rather it will encourage management to attack them.

"But LUL/TfL has no money."

Management will try to convince us that we should accept a low pay rise because of the economic crisis. In truth, the crisis makes it even more important that we get a decent rise. Here's why ...

1. We did not cause the economic crisis, so we should not have to pay for it. We and other workers create the wealth in society. If bankers gamble some of that wealth away, that is not our fault.

2. Our bills have gone up and are due to go up even more.

We need a decent pay rise to meet the rising bills that we have to pay. Here are some facts and figures, with sources in [square brackets]: