RMT Labour Party affiliation consultation – please be involved in the discussion
As you may be aware your union is consulting RMT Branches over whether the union should affiliate to the Labour party and I am writing to explain the current situation and to advise you that your NEC is asking for the widest possible involvement of members in this discussion by attending any meetings of your Branch where this will be discussed.
The decision to hold this consultation was made by a meeting of the RMT 2017 Annual General Meeting (AGM). The AGM is your union’s supreme governing body and is comprised of elected rank and file RMT delegates. Your AGM determined,
“Jeremy Corbyn has now twice been overwhelmingly elected leader of the Labour Party and the General Election saw the popular embrace of a left programme which is now officially Labour Party policy. Not only is the socialist leadership of the Labour Party now in a very strong position the left in the Labour Party in general is in its strongest position for over a generation.
Just as it was in the interests of our members to support Jeremy Corbyn being leader of the Labour Party and to support Labour at the election, it is now in the interests of our members for the union to do all it can to support, defend, and develop the socialist advances that have been made both within the Labour Party and the country as a whole.
How we do this however is a matter debate, with a number of strongly held and honourable views. It is also important that we seek the maximum possible involvement of Branches and Regional Councils. Therefore we recommend that there is a consultation with Branches and Regional Councils on whether the significant socialist advances within the Labour Party described above should be defended and advanced by the union affiliating to Labour, or not,with a report back to a Special General Meeting.
This is consistent with our existing AGM policy to create a mass party of Labour that fights in the interests of the working class as Labour arguably now has the potential at least to be that party. It is also consistent with our policy that any questions of affiliation are a matter for our union’s supreme governing body.”
Following union discussions with the Labour Party last year and your NEC’s subsequent decision to raise a series of issues with the Labour Party as requested by the 2017 AGM your union received a letter from the Labour Party inviting the union to affiliate to the Labour Party. The union also received from the Labour Party responses to the issues we have raised and these have been provided to Branches.
Your NEC is urging Branches and Regional Councils to respond to the consultation and hold special meetings as necessary and encourage the widest possible involvement of our members.
Your NEC has asked that Branches and Regional Councils respond by no later than Friday 18th May 2018 to enable a report back to a Special General Meeting which will take place no later than 1st June 2018.
Please contact your Branch if you wish to be involve in this important discussion.