PRESIDENTS COLUMN

www.rmt.org.uk :: september 2006 :: RMTnews I have just returned from the 41st International Transport Workers Federation Congress held in Durban, South Africa. Over 1,200 delegates from all over the world attended the first ever ITF Congress to be held in Africa. Congress consisted of preliminary sessions and also section meetings on seafaring, railways, docks, road transport, urban transport and aviation and our delegation participated in all except of aviation. The RMT delegation consisted of myself, the general secretary, Neil Keith from our Annual General Meeting, Mark Carden and Peter Trend of the union’s Executive. Congress started with an emotional rendition of the country’s national anthem – Nkosi Sikeleli Afrika (God Bless Africa) sung by the workers choir of the South African Transport and Allied Workers Union (Satawu). This was an appropriate way to open the congress, showing the solidarity of international transport workers during the long struggle to end apartheid and call for renewed campaigning for social justice for workers worldwide. What a breath of fresh air to hear the Minister of Transport for South Africa Mpumi Mpofu offering her strong support to congress and stating that “any threat to the rights of workers anywhere in the world is a threat to workers everywhere”. She outlined how public transport improvements could bring better access to essential services for the rural poor and how the South African government wanted to keep transport in public hands. That is a lesson for our New Labour government. The theme of the Congress was Organising globally – fighting for our rights. Delegates from country after country from all continents complained bitterly about the adverse affect on transport workers caused by deregulation, sectorisation and the privatisation of all modes of transport. Coming from Britain, of course, we illustrated the disaster of privatisation here as we were first to experience it. It was emphasised by delegates that whilst stating international solidarity is important; expressing it in practice is vital, as ‘globalisation’ is being inflicted by multinational companies attacking workers internationally, playing off one country against another. Therefore, the ITF needs to do more by recognising and, more importantly, explaining that these huge companies are politically-motivated and profit- hungry organisations. Their aim is to turn back the clock to remove hard-won improvements made by workers over a long period. It must be also recognised that that The World Bank, the International Monetry Fund and the World Trade Organisation are the power engines of ‘globalisation’ and neo-liberalism worldwide and must be combated head-on rather than the “we must work with them” approach. Congress condemned terrorism that was causing death and injury to transport workers and a minutes silence was held for rail workers who lost their lives in Mumbai, Madrid and London over the last year. RMT submitted an emergency motion calling for an immediate ceasefire in Lebanon which was carried unanimously, and there was a call also for the Iran government to immediately release bus workers imprisoned for going on strike. I came away from this congress with renewed inspiration that despite the worldwide problems being experienced by transport workers – workers of the world united will win in the end. Tony Donaghey President’s column Inspiration from Africa ELECTION OF NATIONAL PRESIDENT SOUTHAMPTON NO 5 BRANCH NOMINATES RAY KNIGHT AND RESPECTFULLY SEEKS SUPPORTING NOMINATIONS FOR THIS PROVEN AND EXPERIENCED CANDIDATE ELECTION OF RELIEF REGIONAL ORGANISER (SOUTH) SOUTHAMPTON NO 5 BRANCH HAS NOMINATED PAUL COX AND SEEKS SUPPORTING NOMINATIONS FOR THIS EXPERIENCED CANDIDATE PICCADILLY & DISTRICT WEST BRANCH NOMINATES PETER SKELLY FOR RELIEF REGIONAL ORGANISER - SOUTH PICCADILLY & DISTRICT WEST BRANCH NOMINATES JOHN LEACH FOR PRESIDENT TRANSPORT FOR LONDON BRANCH NOMINATES JOHN LEACH FOR PRESIDENT FINSBURY PARK BRANCH NOMINATES JOHN LEACH FOR PRESIDENT JOHN HAS INTEGRITY, RESOLVE AND PRINCIPLES AND DESERVES YOUR SUPPORT.