Category: Political

National Lobby of Parliament for Palestine

The National Lobby of Parliament for Palestine will take place on Tuesday 15 November, from 12-6pm, organised by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign.

As it gets closer, more and more people are contacting their MPs about the lobby. Informing and pressuring our representatives in Parliament is central to the campaign.

The details about the lobby are all online: www.palestinecampaign.org/2016lobby

The form for people to make appointments with their MPs: http://act.palestinecampaign.org/lobby/parliament2016

The form for people who can’t attend the lobby but want to ask their MP to support it is here: http://act.palestinecampaign.org/lobby/not-at-lobby2016

Please make every effort to attend and encourage family and friends to come along.

Yours sincerely,

Mick Cash

General Secretary

LU Engineering Branch would like to congratulate Jeremy Corbyn on his increased victory as Labour Leader. He is a member of the RMT Parliamentary Group and has always shown support for the union’s key policies such as Rail Nationalisation and Fighting the Austerity cuts.

We look forward to the Parliamentary Labour Party now getting behind their leader and start fighting for working people instead of among themselves.

It’s time for a strong and united Party to put the Government on the back foot. As the RMT say ‘Unity is Strength’

Dear Colleagues,

Commemorating 40 years since the Grunwick strike

The historic Grunwick strike was sparked by the dismissal of Devshi Bhudia on Friday 20 August 1976 for working too slowly. Three other young men walked out in support of him. At 6.55pm legendary Jayaben Desai put on her coat to leave and was called into the office where she was dismissed for doing so. Her son Sunil walked out in support of her. On 23 August 1976 the six began picketing outside Grunwick and more workers joined their side. On 2 September 1976 all 137 striking workers were dismissed from the company’s employ and the next two years saw a bitter struggle and huge displays of support for them, and in which many RMT activists played a memorable part.

The solidarity they and other trade unionists showed to the mainly Asian women striker’s was in the face of considerable police violence with the highest number of arrests (over 500) in the course of an industrial dispute since the great strike of 1926.

RMT is now supporting local activists in Willesden and Brent Trade Council who are planning to erect murals in commemoration of the strike, hold a major exhibition with associated learning events, as well as a day event later in the year which will commemorate the activists but also relate it to the struggles we face today.

Please support all these events both practically and financially by donating. Also encourage members to sign up to www.facebook.com/Grunwick40/ and register for e-mail updates. You can also invite speakers to future meetings linking this to a showing of one of the films produced about the strike.

Please bring this circular to all member’s attention, support the events in any way possible and please try and get along if you can.

Yours sincerely

Mick Cash

General Secretary

Transport union RMT ‎statement in support of Jeremy Corbyn.

Responding to the attacks on Jeremy Corbyn, RMT General Secretary Mick Cash said;

“By peddling the ludicrous notion that Jeremy is some how responsible for the EU referendum result, Jeremy’s critics are in fact insulting the intelligence of voters and in doing so further alienating millions of natural Labour supporters who are quite capable of making up their own minds and who voted for what they believed in.

“After a divisive referendum, and with the Tories on the ropes, working class people want the Labour Party to unite and address their concerns, instead those attacking Jeremy risk plunging the party into civil war and handing a gift to the Tories

“Jeremy has renewed the faith that many rank and file trade unionists have in the Labour Party which is vital in helping Labour assist in maintaining and increasing support amongst it’s base. Trying to force him from office will weaken not strengthen the Labour Party.”

NOMINATIONS FOR RMT POLITICAL SCHOOL

SUNDAY 16 OCTOBER – FRIDAY 21 OCTOBER 2016

Please nominate by Monday 11 July 2016

The next school will take place from Sunday 16 October to Friday 21 October 2016 at the National Education Centre at Doncaster. Participants will be expected to arrive by the early evening of 16 October to meet fellow students at an evening buffet and to ensure a prompt start on the Monday.

With the assistance of guest speakers and our parliamentary group the purpose of the school is for participants to be equipped with a sound understanding of the political role of trade unions, the RMT’s political activity, our international work and how Branches and Regions can effectively support RMT national campaigns and develop local campaigning initiatives.

Branches are invited to nominate one representative but in doing so please ensure that your nominee will definitely be able to attend the school. In the event of applications exceeding places available, the Council of Executives will determine the successful applicants.

Branches are actively encouraged to nominate for the school including, applications from women members. All applications from Branches will be placed before the NEC for consideration.

Please complete the attached form to nominate a representative and return to Head Office no later than Monday 11 July 2016.

TRANSPORT UNION REITERATES “VOTE LEAVE” MESSAGE ON EVE OF EU REFERENDUM

One of Britain’s most powerful unions today urged its members and trade unionists to vote for “hope not fear” in the EU referendum and support a leave vote.

In an email  to union members, RMT leader Mick Cash voted urged union members and their families to :

“….ignore the scare mongering of recent weeks and vote for hope over fear.”

In the letter RMT General Secretary Mick Cash says:

” Millions of trade unionists and working people will be voting leave because they want the hope of a better future at work and at home.”

“Hope that we can be free to develop our industries and public services free, from EU driven privatisation and deregulation.

“Hope that we can be free to pursue policies that promote jobs and prosperity, free from EU driven austerity.

“Hope for fair employment where all workers get the proper rate for the job, free from undercutting and a  EU race to the bottom.

“Hope that we can take back democracy so we can make laws that benefit  our communities  not corporations – and be free from laws and corporate carve ups that we have never voted for such as TTIP.”

“Hope for a better world and true international solidarity beyond fortress Europe.”

ASLEF, BFAWU, RMT

Joint Union Statement Supporting a Leave Vote

A united Labour Movement

Many great figures of the Labour moment such as Tony Benn, Michael Foot and Bob Crow were firmly against the EU.  Millions of Labour voters oppose the EU and we believe a similar number of trade unionists support withdrawal.

Whatever the result of the EU referendum the Labour and Trade Union movement will continue to fight against injustice and austerity.

The EU is anti-worker and cannot be reformed

We support a Leave vote in the forthcoming referendum because we believe the EU acts overwhelmingly in the interests of big business and against the interests of workers.

We note that David Cameron secured only very minor changes to EU rules and believe this demonstrates that there is little hope of reforming the EU.

The myth of the EU and workers’ rights

It’s a myth that the EU has won workers’ rights and protections for workers. Nearly all the laws that protect workers in Britain are UK laws which have been won by the struggles and campaigns of the British trade union and Labour movement.

In fact, the EU and its European Court of Justice have accelerated their policy agenda which attacks trade union rights, job protections and wages.

Defend our NHS and progressive legislation

The TTIP trade agreement being negotiated between the EU and the United States will promote big business at the expense of sovereign governments and their organisations including our NHS. Environmental regulations, employment rights, food safety, privacy laws and many other safeguards will also be secondary to the right of corporations to make even bigger profits.

The threat to democracy and from the far right

The majority of the laws which affect our lives are now made in the EU and not the UK. This is a major problem because a distant link between law makers and the electorate creates a vacuum which could be exploited by the far right. Big decisions such as TTIP are being made with very little regard for democratic oversight and cannot be reversed at the ballot box.

Internationalism not isolationism

We are internationalists. We believe workers throughout the world, in Britain, America and Asia, as well as Europe, have more in common with each other than the heads of big business in their own countries.  Out of the EU and into the world.

No fortress Britain. No Fortress Europe

Unlike UKIP and others we don’t believe Britain should be an island unto itself. Our country, and indeed many countries, are nations of immigrants. We want everyone to get a fair rate for the job and everyone to have the same rights at work.

We don’t support fortress Britain and so we don’t support fortress Europe. We profoundly regret that children and families fleeing poverty, persecution and war not being allowed in to Europe.

The challenge we need to address is not the distribution of people around the world it is the distribution of wealth and resources. There is enough wealth for everyone’s needs.