Public services not private profit

Demanding the return of the railways and other privatised indutstries to public ownership; opposing further privatisations

Message of support: UCU strike in London colleges

Submitted by Janine on 2 May, 2010 - 09:24

Staff at eleven London colleges are likely to strike over funding cuts on Wednesday, May 5. Higher education has been hit with a series of funding cuts that now total close to £1bn, while further education has been told to make savings of £340m in the next academic year. You can read more about the dispute here.

I have sent the following message of support on behalf of RMT's London Transport Region ...

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Dear brothers and sisters

RMT Condemns Takeover Of Arriva By Deutsche Bahn

Submitted by Peter on 22 April, 2010 - 20:02

THE £1.59 BILLION takeover of the Arriva transport group was condemned today by Britain’s biggest specialist transport union as another worrying step towards the creation of a pan-European private transport monopoly.

RMT will be seeking urgent meetings with DB and its newly acquired subsidiaries in order to safeguard the jobs and interests of its members.

Demo Against Crown Estate Sale of Key Worker Affordable Homes

Hundreds of angry Tenants in affordable and key worker housing owned by the Crown Estate across five London boroughs will hold a rally outside Crown Estate headquarters in central London to prevent the sell off of their homes. They will be joined by politicians of all political parties, trade unionists and representatives from the clergy. Confirmed speakers include Labour MP Frank Dobson and Conservative MP Mark Field as well as local councilors and trade unionists representing key workers. They will then march to Buckingham Palace petioning the Queen to intervene and stop the sale.

LU Calls In 'Forensic Accountants' On Tube Lines Payments To Shareholders

Submitted by Peter on 10 March, 2010 - 14:04

TUBE UNION RMT today demanded that London Mayor Boris Johnson take “urgent and decisive” action to terminate the Tube Lines contract on London Underground as it emerged that LU are calling in forensic accountants to “examine massive and secretive payments to Tube Lines’ shareholders” and after the company were branded as “ailing and failing” by TfL.

Defend the welfare state and public services, march and rally

Bob Crow writes ...

RMT is among many unions and other organisations supporting a major national demonstration to defend the welfare state and public services, initiated by the National Pensioners’ Convention.

The march will assemble from midday at Temple Place on London’s Embankment on Saturday April 10, with the rally beginning at 2pm in Trafalgar Square.

With a general election likely to take place soon after, this is an opportunity to speak out in favour of defending the National Health Service, improving pensions and defending public services against cuts.

RMT To Hand Dossier Of Rail Safety Failures To MP’s As Unions Lobby Parliament In Protest At 1500 Maintenance Job Losses

Submitted by Peter on 27 January, 2010 - 00:00

RAIL UNION RMT will today (Wednesday 27th January) hand a dossier of safety failures and maintenance cuts to MP’s as rail workers lobby parliament this lunchtime in protest at plans by Network Rail to axe a further 1500 safety-critical jobs.

Hundreds of rail workers have contacted a confidential RMT email line to say lives could be put at risk. The dossier highlights the worst examples of where the scaling back of work and changing standards in preparation for the job cuts are already leading to a serious deterioration in safety.

Tube Lines Claim for £327M Of Public Money Rejected

Submitted by Peter on 25 January, 2010 - 20:15

Tube Lines, whose late completion of upgrade work on the Jubilee Line has resulted in numerous weekend closures, has had a claim for £327m in compensation to complete the work rejected by an independent adjudicator. Tube Lines attempted to claim the money from London Underground. It felt LU was to blame for the work not being completed on time as access to the track was not sufficient.