Rail workers fight back over outsourcing

Station staff on London Underground have voted by 1,225 to 212 in a ballot to accept a new deal on staffing at tube stations.

This is essentially the same deal that people rejected by five to one in December and struck over twice at the beginning of January.

Though the vote looks like a vindication of the union’s position it indicates two other things. First, members on the ground have accepted this deal after the union has failed to develop a strategy to take the dispute forward.

In the absence of a strategy from the union they have said, “We’ll have to let this one go.”

Second, when this framework was first put to workers a year ago only 39 people voted against it. Now a sizeable minority have recognised what the deal means and the need to organise for other fights that are coming up.

They also recognise that Ken Livingstone, the mayor of London, has a political strategy to weaken our trade union.

Tube drivers are currently being balloted for strike action on issues such as the new sickness and disciplinary proceedures. All of the fights need to be brought together, involving all tube workers, to oppose the drive to destroy the RMT union.