Solidarity 513, 17 July 2019

RMT halts ballot

Tube union RMT has halted a ballot of around 2,000 workers on London Underground, mainly in engineering grades. The workers were being balloted for strikes to stop job cuts proposed as part of Transport for London’s “Transformation” scheme. The scheme also includes a proposal to outsource a section of waste disposal staff currently employed directly by London Underground. The ballot had been due for return on 16 July. The union says it plans to rerun the ballot with an expanded electorate, as it believes the cuts may be more extensive than first thought.

NEU “maybe” on ballots for boycott

At the NEU (National Education Union) Executive on 13 July, the decisive amendment, passed with just one vote against, proposed that the union consider formal ballots to boycott the tests in selected areas. The consideration is to be in consultation with the branches, and for areas which achieved the required 40% yes vote of eligible members and those who were close to it. The Executive report on the ballot had included some recommendations to take the campaign forward, but none had involved any further consideration of action to boycott. An amendment from supporters of the Education...

Labour and antisemitism: yes, it’s a real problem

The BBC Panorama programme (10 July) about Labour’s antisemitism problem has intensified the Party’s internal row. Unfortunately, because the programme was not well done, and because Labour’s response has been to “shoot the messenger” as Emily Thornberry rightly put it when criticising that reaction, the renewed row has brought very little light so far. Thornberry said: “I think that we shouldn’t be going for the messengers, we should be looking at the message. I think that is what is important. “Nobody can pretend that there isn’t an ongoing problem within the Labour Party about antisemitism...

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