Merseyrail members strike for 35-hour week

RMT News – Essential reading for today ’s transport worker 5 RMT members Bill Rawcliffe and Joe Sheridan will embark on the Cuba cycle challenge next month to raise funds for a Cuban school for disabled blind and partially sighted children and have drinking contest, with a donkey! Bill of York branch and Joe of Merseyside branch, both nudging the grand age of 50, will attempt a grueling 220 miles marathon across the socialist island in aid of the Abel Santa Maria school, organised by the Cuba Solidarity Campaign. Joe said that enough money had been raised already to buy the children speaking watches and speaking calculators for the children and he was looking forward to delivering them. “We have been in training doing around 35 miles but the real thing will be harder and hotter,” he said. Bill said that the US government had imposed a blockade on Cuba since the overthrow of the fascist dictator Batista in 1959. “These spiteful actions have led to enormous suffering especially from those that need help like these children,” he said. He said that response from RMT branches had been Cycling for Cuba and to meet a donkey! “brilliant” so far and the recent Engineering grades conference in Sheffield raised a further £100 for the cause. And the donkey? Bill has had heard tales of a donkey in a place called Mayabe in Cuba that drinks up to 30 beers a day. Bill says after his Trojan efforts, he plans to challenge this beast of burden to a drinking competition. RMT wishes him all the best in all his challenges to come. G If you or your branch wishes to sponsor Bill and Joe please make cheques out to RMT North East Region and send to RMT York office, 2nd floor, Prudential House, 28/40 Blossom Street, York YO24 1GJ. G For more information on the work of the Cuba Solidarity Campaign Tel: 020 7263 6452 web: www.cuba- solidarity.org.uk Merseyrail strike for 35-hour week STRIKE ACTION by 170 RMT guards seeking a 35-hour week brought rail traffic on the network to a complete standstill earlier this month. The strike, the second in the dispute, comes after the company scuppered an attempt to resolve it through mediation by setting preconditions on the outcome. This strike was even more effective than the first, and Merseyrail appear to have given up all attempts at running any sort of service. “Our members have once more given a magnificent show of solidarity on the picket-line,” RMT general secretary Bob Crow said. “The company pretended that it wanted to find a resolution but brazenly told the mediator that it would only accept an outcome that went in its favour. “The time has come to drop the silly games and get round the table and reach an agreement,” Bob Crow said. During talks at Acas the company told the mediator that it would not accept any recommen- dation that did not include its proposed withdrawal of compen- sation for rest days falling during leave breaks. RMT also declared its abhorrence of the victimisation of 47 drivers who had refused to cross picket lines. The RMT train crew conference in Edinburgh sent solidarity greetings to members at Merseyrail and applauded the refusal of many ASLEF members to cross picket lines. Freightliner strike bites ROAD MOTOR RMT drivers at Freightliner depots in England, Scotland and Wales took strike action earlier this month in a dispute over chronic low pay. Over 100 drivers are involved in depots at Birmingham, Cardiff, Cleveland, Coatbridge, Leeds, Liverpool and Manchester. An overtime ban has been in place since March after members voted by 69 to 1 for action. Reports from the picket lines indicate that the strike is biting deeply and shows the determination of members to win a realistic pay structure. RMT general secretary Bob Crow said members had voted by a huge majority to take action, and instead of putting about misinformation about the value of their latest pay offer and issuing threats the company should be getting round the table and hammer out a sensible solution. “Freightliner bosses made £30 million between them out of selling off the company, but members still have to work long hours to make anything like a living wage. “The huge mandate for this action should tell the company that the time has come to end low pay at Freightliner,” Bob Crow said.