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RAIL WORKERS on First North Western trains (FNW) have won a victory. They called off a series of strikes planned for this week after the 1,000 workers won a pay rise of 3.5 percent. RMT members also won a 35-hour week by September 2003 as part of a three-year deal. These issues have been the subject of negotiations since 1999. The threat of strikes made the difference.

A HUGELY successful strike by London's tube workers last week has shown they have the power to stop New Labour's crazy PPP privatisation scheme. Members of the RMT union struck for 24 hours from 8pm on Wednesday. The same day hundreds of thousands of council workers walked out. The strike hit London Underground management hard.

TWO MAJOR trade unions will cut their funding to New Labour after overwhelming votes from union conference delegates. The rail workers' RMT has 57,000 members. Delegates at its conference voted unanimously for an 80 percent cut in the money the union gives to the Labour Party. It is the biggest percentage cut in Labour affiliation payments made by any union so far.

CRAIG JOHNSON from the Arriva trains strike committee received a standing ovation when he addressed the RMT union's national conference two weeks ago. He spoke the day before the train company was brought to a halt by a one-day strike.

THE FIGHT against privatisation of London Underground reaches a crucial stage next week. Ballot papers are going out to build strike action among the RMT tube workers' union. London Underground is on the point of forcing workers, including maintenance staff from the Jubilee, Northern and Piccadilly lines, into the private sector. Blair and London Underground have two aims-massive profits on the one hand and to weaken workers and trade unionists.

WORKERS ON Arriva trains have announced ten more strike days in their ongoing fight for decent pay. RMT members are setting the agenda with selected strike action. The 690 conductors will strike on 28 June, 13 July, 25 August, 21 September, 19 October, 9 November, 14 December, Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve. Their next strike day is on Friday 28 June. Supporters are invited to their mass picket at Leeds station.

TUBE WORKERS took their fight against the privatisation of London Underground onto the streets last Tuesday. The RMT union's campaign for a yes vote in the ballot for strike action was kicked off by Bob Crow.

NINE THOUSAND London Underground workers are to vote on industrial action. The RMT union ordered a strike ballot over safety and privatisation as the Labour government's moves to sell off London Underground suddenly moved forward last week. Despite earlier talk of the process being tangled up in legal manoeuvres till next year, maintenance workers now face privatisation at the end of this month. RMT members are to be balloted from 14 June. Voting will end on 24 June.

WORKERS on Arriva Trains Northern were due to strike this week in their ongoing battle over pay. Conductors in the RMT union were to strike on Saturday. Retail staff in the RMT and supervisors in the TSSA union were to strike for 48 hours from Wednesday. Workers are furious that Arriva management is trying to blame them for disruption.

MAINSTREAM POLITICIANS and media commentators have had a field day exploiting the tragedy of Damilola Taylor. Much of the coverage has been an excuse to parade pet prejudices and political gimmicks, and to generate a panic over crime. The Sun's bigoted columnist Richard Littlejohn tried to blame the failure of the police investigation into the death of the black ten year old on "the stormtroopers of the race industry".

A CONFERENCE of the RMT rail workers' union has voted unanimously to stop paying money to New Labour nationally. It was one of a string of resolutions attacking the government passed by delegates at the RMT's train crews section at a conference in Portsmouth last week.

Strike action by ScotRail train drivers has forced the company to make an improved pay offer. The drivers' RMT and Aslef unions have suspended strikes to ballot over the new deal.