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of attempting to run critical public services like commercial enterprises, the bankruptcy of privatisation and the outdated dogma of outsourcing.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: