RMT Follow

SOME 450 RMT union members working for ferry operator Caledonian MacBrayne's Clyde and Western Isles divisions started balloting this week for strike action over pay and hours.

THE DRIVERS and support staff, all members of the RMT union, escalated action with a four-day strike beginning on Friday of last week. On the day the strike started over 400 Stagecoach workers staged a lively and very noisy march through the streets of Exeter to a mass rally addressed by Bob Crow, RMT general secretary.

THOUSANDS OF people attended the biggest Durham Miners Gala in over a decade on Saturday of last week. The event was co-sponsored by the National Union of Mineworkers and the Unison union. It attracted the support of many other trade unions, including the RMT, Aslef and Usdaw.

AROUND 700 bus workers in Exeter and south and east Devon struck for two days last week. This followed a 93 percent vote in favour of industrial action. Strikers, members of the RMT union, want £6.50 per hour minimum and one hour off the 41-hour week. Stagecoach bosses are offering £7 per hour but that's tied to the loss of paid meal breaks, reduction of holiday entitlement from five to four weeks per year and unpaid work time for daily vehicle checks, walking time from the depot and cashing up.

THE THREAT of strike action by bus workers on Wiltshire and Dorset buses has forced the company to withdraw its plan to shut the final salary pension scheme. The 460 workers, members of the RMT union, were due to strike last month. The workers will keep the final salary pension scheme and their contributions will increase by 1 percent to a total of 6 percent. The company's contribution to the scheme is 10.5 percent.

SEVEN HUNDRED Stagecoach bus drivers in Exeter and east Devon struck on Tuesday of this week after a 93 percent vote for action over pay. The drivers, who are almost all members of the RMT union, are currently on between £5.50 and £5.93 an hour for a 41-hour week. They are calling for a minimum £6.50 an hour and a one-hour reduction in the working week. This is the first strike by bus drivers in Exeter for 30 years.

THE RMT rail union delegates at their conference on Monday signalled an uncompromising struggle against the British National Party (BNP) and other Nazis.

THE RMT rail union took a historic step this week towards building a mass left wing challenge to New Labour. The union which moved the resolution setting up the Labour Party 103 years ago voted overwhelmingly at its conference in Glasgow to allow funding for socialist candidates standing against New Labour.

THE RMT London Region held its first political day school last Thursday. About 70 people took part in debates and discussions on issues from the war to our links with Labour. Tony Benn and Lindsey German from the Stop the War Coalition kicked the day off with a history of the labour movement.

RMT UNION activist Glenroy Watson has won his appeal and has been reinstated as a tube driver. This is a major climbdown for London Underground management. Glenroy suffered a clear case of victimisation when he was demoted to a station assistant. Management have backed down. But, as Glenroy rightly states, "We must continue to fight against this injustice." He still has a two-year warning, leaving him open to attack.

THE STRENGTHS and weaknesses of the Transport Salaried Staff Associations (TSSA) were highlighted at this year's annual conference. TSSA has historically relied on the militancy of the RMT to win pay claims in the past.

SOME 75 tube union activists attended an impressive meeting last week to defend victimised RMT union rep Glenroy Watson. Among the platform speakers were RMT general secretary Bob Crow, London organiser Booby Law and Brian Munro, secretary of the London Transport Regional Council of the union.