Ever wondered what the General Secretary does and how they are elected?
What is the role of the RMT General Secretary? How is it elected? – YouTube
What does the the General Secretary do? How is it elected?
Category: News
What is an RMT Branch – YouTube
Cross Rail speculation
RMT demands Government stop using TFL and its workers as a political football
Responding to reports that the Capital’s Crossrail line could be mothballed without immediate funding transport union RMT today called on the Government to stop using TFL as a political football.
RMT General Secretary Mick Cash said:
“What’s happening between the Government and TFL is nothing short of a disgrace. As we approach next year’s London Mayoral Election it’s clear the Government are using TFL and our members as a political football and rather than stick to their pledge of “Building Back Better” they’re starving TFL of vital funds and playing games with worker’s livelihoods.
“London transport and its workforce are vital to the economic recovery from Covid-19 and RMT will not be afraid to do whatever is necessary to protect our member’s jobs and livelihoods”
Undercover Policing Inquiry: Outrage at “Brick Wall of Silence”
Undercover Policing Inquiry: Outrage at “Brick Wall of Silence”
Outrage at wall of silence, watch video here
Last week, on the first day of the Undercover Policing Inquiry hearings, The Campaign Opposing Police Surveillance demonstrated over the “brick wall of silence”.
The “public” Inquiry is hearing evidence behind closed doors, with no access to the public – thousands of whom will have been spied on by the members of a political secret police unit that infiltrated over 2,000 left wing organisations and campaigns (but only 3 far-right ones) between 1968 and 2010.Join the growing pressure for activists to see the files held on them, for undercover police’s cover names to be revealed, and for a complete list of groups spied on – and get daily reports on the proceedings at the
Campaign Opposing Police Surveillance’s website.
Dave Smith from the Blacklist Support Group gave evidence to the inquiry this morning. In a blistering performance he:
- accused SpyCop Mark Jenner of interfering with the internal democratic process of trade union UCATT accused SpyCop Carlo Neri of deliberately attempting to entrap union members by inciting them to commit arson called on the Inquiry to force the police to publish the names of Special Branch ‘key industry contacts’
- called on the Inquiry to force the police to publish names of any trade union officials who supplied information to the police
- slammed the Inquiry for lacking transparency and being unaccessible
- accused the police of protecting big business and capitalism, not democracy
Click here to read Dave’s full statement
LUEngineering APP – ‘My APP’ nears launch
The new LUEngineering APP and website is nearing its official launch and will be a replacement to our existing app and website.
We are in BETA testing and also updating text (hence why there is still some text filler, ‘Lorum Ipsum’) and content but thought people might like a quick look at the work we are doing.
We are looking to improve functionality to our APP and website and also introduce anonymous and confidential incident reporting that we believe will be beneficial to all our members especially those that are classified as vulnerable.
We want to engage and talk to our members and we hope that once working, that you will see it as an essential part of your trade union membership.
We also hope that it becomes a platform for other branches and grades to also produce further and more diverse ways to communicate with you all.
Blacklist Support Group opening statement to public inquiry Tuesday 17th November
The Blacklist Support Group opening statement at the public inquiry to be delivered by Dave Smith has been rescheduled to take place at 10am Tuesday 17th November. Smith’s original statement was postponed due to a legal challenge to the content of his speech and the inquiry chair has now made a ruling on what is permitted to be said in the rescheduled opening statement.
The BSG opening statement will be live streamed and can be viewed via this link:
Meet the General Secretary Candidates: John Leach
Meet the General Secretary Candidates: Steve Hedley
Dear colleagues,
I am standing for the position of General Secretary and would ask that your branch considers supporting my nomination.
I am the current Senior Assistant General Secretary of our great union and have done this job for 6 years.Before that I was a
assistant General Secretary for over two years a regional organiser for four years ,a regional council and branch secretary, a tier two and local rep. All in all I’ve spent 32 years in the service of our members in the RMT/NUR and have represented all grades in some capacity in that time.
In Standing for RMT General Secretary I wish to make it clear from the outset that I will be fighting my campaign on policies not personalities.
I will not attack my opponents and would ask all my supporters to refrain from destructive personal attacks.
When this is all over we need to rebuild unity with everyone in our great union to fight the massive attacks coming our way .
I’m standing for a members led union where as General Secretary (servant of the members)I will work closely with the NEC, officers and reps to defend jobs, safety, terms and conditions and pay.
I want the RMT leading the trade union movement industrially and politically.
I want our union free from influences in the TUC and Labour Party who want to stifle action and instead promote partnership with the very bosses who are attacking us. The Covid crisis has provided the government with a smokescreen to attack us and the whole union movement,we must build the largest possible coalition of unions ,trades councils, community, disabled and passenger groups to defend ourselves against this.
I know the right wing establishment hate me and I see this as a badge of honour. I also know they fear me as someone who will fight to the end to defend our members and our class.I am expecting them to attack and slander me during the General Secretary campaign and whilst this won’t be pleasant with your support we will prevail.
Since becoming Senior Assistant General Secretary I have not taken a pay rise but have donated around £15,000 pounds a year to our RMT fighting fund instead.If elected General Secretary I again will not take a pay rise and will keep donating to our strike fund .In my opinion if a Union leader takes a huge pay cheque they forget what it’s like for our members and this is why I don’t now and never will do that .
We as workers are in an unprecedented situation we need a clear militant industrial strategy to beat off the forthcoming government attacks .We need to call on all forces friendly to the workers movement to fight by our side .Most of all we need unity in our own union and someone able to inspire our members and make them believe they can win.
I have a track record of 32 years union activity always at the forefront of the struggle.The bosses will fear me as General Secretary as they know I cannot be bought or intimidated.
I am not motivated by money or ego but by love of the working class and a burning desire to better the lives of all our members. For these reasons I humbly ask that you support me in the General Secretary’s election.
Yours sincerely
Steve Hedley
Senior Assistant General Secretary
Spycops public inquiry finally starts
After a five and a half year delay, the public inquiry into the abuses carried out by the UK’s undercover political police has finally started.
The Blacklist Support Group plus the three unions in the inquiry; UNITE, FBU and NUM will be making their opening statements on Friday 6th November. Watch all the union strand opening statements via this link: https://www.ucpi.org.uk/hearing/opening-statements-5/
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10:00 AM
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James Scobie QC (Core Participants represented by Paul Heron)
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12:15 PM
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Ruth Brander (Non-Police, Non-State Core Participant Group)
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2:00 PM
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Lord Hendy QC (Fire Brigades Union and Unite [Category E Core Participants])
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3:45 PM
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Gareth Pierce (National Union of Mineworkers [Category E Core Participant])
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4:15 PM
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Dave Smith (Blacklist Support Group [Category E Core Participant])
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Some of the press coverage so far:
TfL Pension Consultative Committee: VOTE Jane Gwyn and Eddie Darroch
Your branch is supporting Jane Gwyn and Eddie Darroch
Please use your vote if you are a member of the LUL Section of the TfL Pension Fund
RMT research reveals high productivity levels of TFL staff
RMT research reveals high productivity levels of TFL staff as Government threaten savage cuts and attacks on workforce as part of finance deal
TRANSPORT UNION RMT has revealed today that the Government proposes savage cuts on London Underground and Overground in spite of the high productivity levels of its workers.
The proposed cuts are part of an austerity package being demanded by the Government in exchange for a 6 month period of ‘workplace reform’ including a return to the idea of ‘driverless trains’ and an attack on workers’ pension schemes.
However, RMT’s research shows that the amount of passenger revenue generated per member of staff has grown significantly across London Underground and Overground and that London’s Transport workers have delivered significant productivity growth in the last 10 years. Far from being a cost to be managed, staff should be at the heart of ‘building back better’ and the real financial problem at TfL is its growing debt burden.
The report shows that on both London Underground and Overground the amount of passenger revenue generated per member of staff has grown significantly:
• Over the last 10 years, staff costs as a percentage of both income and passenger revenue (often called ‘labour’s share’) have fallen on London Underground and Overground networks.
• On London Underground, which accounts for 52% of TfL’s income, labour’s share of income has fallen by 23% and its share of passenger revenue by 24%. The amount of passenger revenue generated per member of staff has grown by 56%.
• On London Overground, labour’s share of income has fallen by 14% and its share of passenger revenue fell by 37%. The amount of passenger revenue generated per member of staff grew by 130% up to 2016/17.
The research also reveals that London’s Transport workers have delivered significant productivity growth in the last 10 years:
• London Underground workers have delivered a 45% growth in productivity in the last 10 years
• London Overground workers’ productivity has grown by 77% in the same time
RMT General Secretary Mick Cash said;
“We’re hearing a lot of nonsense about staff costs in TfL at the moment, but the truth is that however you cut it our members have consistently delivered more bang for the public’s buck, year on year.
“Our members on the Underground have delivered a 45% growth in productivity in the last 10 years, while the amount of passenger revenue generated per member of staff has grown by 56% .
“This is a workforce that’s delivered during the times of growth, put their lives on the line in the crisis and now they’re being targeted by a government that’s addicted to driving down the living standards of ordinary people.”
COVID 19 – RMT STRATEGY FOR DEFENDING JOBS, PAY AND CONDITIONS
COVID 19 – RMT STRATEGY FOR DEFENDING JOBS, PAY AND
CONDITIONS
RMT is fighting for the future of work in public transport and the maritime and offshore sectors. The Coronavirus pandemic has exposed the importance of every worker in key services like public transport. It’s exposed the folly of attempting to run critical public services like commercial enterprises, the bankruptcy of privatisation and the outdated dogma of outsourcing.
Yet under the cover of the pandemic and with the support of government, employers across our industry are once again attacking jobs.
RMT is committed to fighting for jobs. We will fight redundancies using every tactic at our disposal, as we’ve always done. But we also know we’re not alone.
Across the UK employers are looking to impose a new round of austerity on working people. We must also support and link up with the campaigns and struggles of other unions, workers and communities who are seeking to protect and improve their jobs and communities. We will seek to build a united campaign that fights for a new deal for public transport and our members.
At the September statutory meeting the NEC gave further consideration this matter and adopted a “NEC policy statement” report and “a policy report” with the following decision: “That we note and adopt the documents on file titles, “NEC Policy Statement” and “Policy report”.
The NEC is alarmed by media reports this morning that UK firms have already started consultation on 300K redundancies. This threat faces many RMT members at this time and will affect more in the coming months. It is crucial that our union stands together to defend jobs and conditions.
The General secretary is therefore instructed to:
Distribute this decision and the NEC Policy Statement to all branches and regions and to inform all members of the statement by email and text.
Instruct all branches and regional councils to hold a meeting (in line with current NEC advice on meetings) to launch the policy as soon as possible.
To promote the policy in any way possible at the forthcoming TUC congress.
To promote the policy throughout the trade union movement wherever and however possible
To conduct a press campaign to launch the policy
To carry an article on the policy in the next edition of RMT News
The progress of this policy is to be monitored at regular meetings of the relevant special subcommittee, which will report to the NEC.”
I can advise you that our policies were pursued at the TUC and continue to be so in the wider movement and with the press and politicians and there will be further press work and campaigning to promote the policy.
As set out above, the NEC has instructed me to circulate the NEC policy statement and I encourage all branches to read, promote it among your members in their workplaces and more widely. This can be found here: