Rail unions

By a Central Trains driver Following three days of action, the strikes by the rail union RMT to restore train guards' safety role were due to be stepped up to 48-hour stoppages on 6/7 May. But on 1 May the planned 48-hour strikes were called off. Members got a letter from the union (dated 1 May) saying that the 12 Train Operating Companies (TOCs) in dispute had moved their position in our favour. But behind the calling-off were reports that the union committee which had called the 48 hour actions without consultation was being told that it wasn't a popular move - and talk of some previously...

by Pablo Velasco South Korean trade unions have forced President Roh Moo-hyun to scrap part-privatisation of the railways after threatening strike action. The Korean Railway Workers' Union argued that privatisation would result in mass layoffs, fare increases and cancellation of routes. Korean National Railroad (KORAIL) reported 219.5bn won (£116.6m) in net losses in 2002, blamed on poor management. The union organises 24,000 of KORAIL's 30,000-strong workforce. The government agreed at the end of April to retreat from its privatisation plan and made other concessions. It agreed not to operate...

You can't kill the spirit 23% with no strings Average pay rises go up What planet? Dublin Rail stikes Pensions You can't kill the spirit Commentators have been predicting the end of the class struggle for over a hundred years. First it was the distraction of football matches, pigeon fancying and whippets. Then, in the Sixties, a washing machine and two weeks in Mablethorpe. In 1987 Labour leader Neil Kinnock was telling Ron Todd of the TGWU that his members-"dockers with holiday homes in Marbella"-weren't interested in the class struggle. Two years later there was a national dock strike...

For more than twenty years, Glenroy Watson has been a train driver on London Underground. In that time, he has also been an RMT representative, and the most persistent champion of black workers on the Tube. London Underground Ltd (LUL) would love to get rid of him - or, at least, to undermine him and what he stands for. When an incident occurred on the Victoria Line involving Glenroy, LUL saw its chance. Although it was the sort of incident that would usually result in a manager having a quiet word with the driver concerned, the company has disciplined Glenroy and reduced him to the grade of...

Tubeworker of 25 April 2003 looks at the final introduction of PPP (Public-Private Partnership) on 8 April 2003 in the context of Workers' Memorial Day, 28 April, the day of commemoration for the two million people killed at work around the world each year. It calls for action against the victimisation of union activist Glenroy Watson. Download here as pdf (36K).

By a Central Trains driver The RMT strikes to restore the guards'' safety role are set to continue this week. The action is mainly being taken by senior conductors and guards but has led to most services being cancelled in the those companies that have been balloted. The impact of the strikes should start to increase now as ballot results for action have now been returned from Midland Mainline (St Pancras, Notts, Derby, Sheffield, Leeds), Wales and Borders and Wessex Trains. The RMT now has to step up the action. Midland Mainline makes the profits for the National Express Group's clutch of...

The 11 April 2003 issue of the Tubeworker bulletin calls for solidarity with a fight for democracy in Iraq. It condemns the London Underground bosses' move to charge union activist Glenroy Watson with "gross misconduct" for a routine mishap. And it reviews proposals which the bosses are discussing for the Tube now that PPP is fully installed. Download as two pdfs, front page (30K) and back page (423K).

When I look at where the firefighters stand now, it reminds me of where Tube workers stood two years ago. I think that what happened to us next is a useful warning to you. In Spring 2001, we were battling against privatisation, had a huge ballot mandate, and had held a series of effective stoppages. Then our leadership attempted to foist a poor 'settlement' on us, but a reps' meeting voted to reject it and to call more strikes. Sound familiar? After that reps' meeting (in early April), we were angry with Bob Crow for trying to sell us short, but delighted with our success in knocking him back...

by a train driver RMT traincrew (the vast majority of them senior conductors or guards) at twelve Train Operating Companies have voted for strike action. Strikes will take place on 28 March, 30 March and 17 April. This is the fourth ballot on the issue of the safety role of the guard since 1995 when changes to the rule book were introduced which virtually wiped out any such role. The last dispute on this issue fizzled out because the union accepted legal advice saying that traincrew could not go on strike against their employers on this issue because the dispute was not with their employer but...

The RMT rail union has accepted a rotten offer of a 4% wage increase from Arriva Trains Northern for conductors and guards, and the 13 month dispute in the company is now over. The workers had taken a series of one day actions. A ballot on Arriva's pay offer rejected it, 295 to 165, though the biggest depot, Leeds, voted to accept. Union reps say that the deal will still mean workers are some of the lowest paid in the industry. Arriva Trains are now planning cuts in the service - specifically an express route from Glasgow to Leeds.