Tube unions & politics

Tube trade unions and political representation

Labour and the railways

Labour's Shadow Transport Secretary Michael Dugher seems to have come round to the idea of renationalisation on the railways. He stated recently that he would like to "put the current franchising system in the bin" and that under a Labour Government "the public sector will be running sections of our...

The Answer To Austerity? Expropriate The Banks!

Tubeworker reported recently on management's tiny-violin-playing, tear-jerking claim that, due to our austere economic times, workers shouldn't expect a pay rise out of the talks which began recently (see here for more).

But in fact, we live in a society of immense wealth, where there's enough...

Yes, unions should be political!

The RMT's political fund ballot returned a massive 96.5% majority in favour of keeping the fund, on a 31% turnout. Substantially more union members voted in this ballot than voted in the recent General Secretary election.

Unions' political funds are pots of money which the union can spend on...

BoJo MP - Is there A Silver Lining?

So, Boris wants to be an MP. Horrible thought, of course, but is there a silver lining for us - could his Parliamentary ambition give us more clout in fighting the job cuts and ticket office closures?

BoJo had planned that the ticket office closures would be done and dusted by the time London got...

Step up the political pressure!

In recent weeks, RMT has made the demand for a public consultation on ticket office closures and job cuts. The London Assembly has voted for a public consultation too.

Now it is time for unions and the London Assembly to mobilise a groundswell of passenger opposition to LU and Tory attacks on...

Don't vote Ukip!

The anti-Europe, anti-immigration United Kingdom Independence Party (Ukip) seems to have conned some working-class people that it offers an alternative to the political establishment. It does not. Its policies are based on the racist scapegoating of migrants, and would benefit the rich at the...

Welcome Baby George?

You can't escape the media frenzy surrounding the arrival of the Royal Baby....even on the Tube!

Baby blue posters, depicting tiny footprints, a pram and a TfL roundel inset with the name 'George' have been displayed all over our stations.

Strange that workers would be disciplined for writing...

Public Transport Not Private Profit!

Tory Chancellor George Osborne has hit public transport in yet another spending review, announced on June 26th.

He pledged money for Tube upgrades; £2 billion for research into Crossrail 2 and £90 million for the electrification of the Gospel Oak to Barking Line.

But he axed TfL’s budget for...

Solidarity Scares the Bosses

Ex-New York transport boss, Joe Lhota, advised Boris to copy New York by banning Tube strikes and throwing leaders in jail.

But he also let slip: ‘Nothing scared me more than when the head of the transit workers’ union in New York said he was going to London to meet his counterpart…knowing how...

Sponsored Stations?

Another jolly good wheeze from those excitable Hooray Henries in the GLA Tory group. They want London Underground to sell its station names to corporate sponsorship.

Yes, if they get their way, you could soon be working at Barclays Baker Street, McDonald's Marble Arch or Golders Phillip Green...

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