RMT press releases

Suspend cuts and we will halt strikes, say RMT and TSSA

STRIKE ACTION by more than 11,000 members of RMT and TSSA, the two biggest unions on London Underground, will go ahead tomorrow evening after Tube bosses again failed to suspend their “dangerous and unnecessary” plan to axe 800 safety critical station staff.

Engineering staff will start their third 24-hour strike at 19.00 tomorrow (November 2), while operational staff will not book on for shifts scheduled to start from 21.00. A fourth 24-hour stoppage is scheduled for November 28 and 29.

THE TUBE’S biggest union, RMT, today welcomed condemnation of the London Mayor’s plans to cut 2,000 Underground jobs, put down in parliament by London MPs.

A motion tabled by John McDonnell (Hayes and Harlington) and Jeremy Corbyn (Islington North), calls on the mayor to drop proposals that have already been denounced by the Greater London Assembly and have raised “severe concerns” from London TravelWatch.

THE TUBE’S biggest union today slammed as “savagery” another huge tranche of up to 800 job cuts announced by London Underground

As LUL today revealed that it intends to sack another 400 staff and to leave a “similar number” of vacancies unfilled, on top of the 800 station staff already earmarked for the axe, RMT said its stand for jobs and safety had been completely vindicated.

RMT general secretary Bob Crow said:

RMT motion at TUC calls for co-ordinated strike action, national demonstration and link up with community groups in fight against the cuts

TRANSPORT UNION RMT has tabled a motion for the TUC Congress in Manchester next week which sets out a blueprint for a co-ordinated trade union and community fight back against the cuts programme and the “class warfare” of the ConDem Government.

TUBE UNION RMT today saluted the solid support of members for the joint action with sister union TSSA on London Underground that successfully turned the spotlight on cuts to safe staffing levels and which has ratcheted up the pressure on Boris Johnson and his transport officials to drop their plans and start talking seriously about a safe and secure future for the tube network.

TUBE UNION RMT will be leafleting members of the public at Euston station tomorrow (September 7) morning at 8am, in the middle of 24 hours of strike action, to explain the core safety issues at the heart of the current dispute.

RMT will be making the case that the current 800 job losses, amongst station and platform based staff, are the thin end of the wedge as Mayor Boris Johnson and his officials look to slash billions from transport spending in the Capital to pay off the costs of the failed tube privatisation experiment and to meet ConDem government spending targets.

Tube union RMT said this morning that a strike of Alstom tube maintenance staff on the Jubilee and Northern Line's that began at 19.00 last night is rock solid. Pickets have been out in force at all three Alstom tube maintenance depots.

RMT has received reports this morning of disruption and delays to south bound Northern Line services on the northern section of the Edgware branch during rush hour.

RMT General Secretary Bob Crow said:

Talks at conciliation service ACAS broke up today following a failure on the part of London Underground to remove the threat of cuts to safety and safe staffing levels that would have allowed meaningful discussions to take place.

SOME 10,000 members London Underground’s two biggest unions will begin a rolling series of strikes on September 6 against plans to axe 800 station and other staff and close ticket-offices, after RMT and TSSA members voted overwhelmingly for action to defend jobs and safety.

Ex-Metronet (maintenance and engineering) staff will begin their first 24-hour strike at 17:00 on September 6, with similar action also scheduled to begin at the same time on Sunday October 3; Tuesday November 2, and Sunday November 28.

As the ConDem Government marks its first 100 days in office this week transport union RMT warned that jobs, quality and safety have been lined up for an all-out assault this autumn with the travelling public expected to take a massive hit on fares to use battered and under-resourced services.

RMT General Secretary Bob Crow said "We know that transport is being lined up for further, massive cuts this autumn that threaten jobs, infra-structure projects, safety and the quality of service to the travelling public. It will take co-ordinated trade union and community action on a scale unseen since the Poll Tax resistance to stop the ConDem’s cuts juggernaut."