PARLIAMENTRY COLUMN

Parliamentary column MP’S DEMAND TRADE UNION FREEDOMS AND SEAFARERS’ RIGHTS www.rmt.org.uk :: june 2008 :: RMTnews 9 In July Parliament saw the Second Reading (the debate stage) of the Employment Bill when MPs used pressed the case for the Trade Union Freedom Bill and for the minimum wage to apply to non-domicile seafarers working on UK ships and in UK waters. RMT Parliamentary group convenor John McDonnell MP argued: “we have fewer trade union rights now than we had in 1906, after the Taff Vale judgment. “We still do not have the right to strike embedded in law and we no longer have the right to solidarity action. As a result, the reality of work for many people is that they are exploited and feel unprotected,” he said. John said that the Employment Bill can be amended to reflect some aspects of the Trade Union Freedom Bill, namely the right to strike, preventing the use of agency staff as replacement labour in disputes and simplification of balloting procedures. Labour MP Katy Clark agreed that the Employment Bill should be amended arguing that Britain still had the most restrictive labour and employment laws in Europe. “We have to recognise the huge imbalance of power in society. In particular, we must recognise the huge imbalance of power in the workplace between the employer and employee. “I welcome the work that has led more than 100 MPs to sign early-day motion 1604, which calls for the Bill to be amended to include aspects of the Trade Union Rights and Freedoms Bill,” he said. John McDonnell also used the debate to press for amendments to the Employment Bill to improve seafarers’ rights. “Large numbers of seafarers are not being paid the minimum wage, even on ferries which we would usually consider to be within British waters. “As employers continue to discriminate on the basis of nationality, I hope that in the later stages of our consideration, we will be able to amend the Bill in order to secure fairness and equity for all workers, who should get the rate for the job, based on the nature of the job itself, not on their country of origin,” he said. Katy Clark Agreed pointing out that many lifeline ferry routes served communities, whether the Scottish islands, Hull or Rotterdam. “They are not operated by fly by night employers or industries, they provide services daily and subsidies like the the tonnage tax are, in effect, underwriting exploitation. “From the point of view of British resident workers, it is not acceptable that such mechanisms are being used to undercut their wages and conditions,” she said. The union and its Parliamentary Group will continue to press for Trade Union Freedoms and improved rights for seafarers. The full text of the debate can be found at . http://www.publications.parlia ment.uk/pa/cm200708/cmhans rd/cm080714/debtext/80714- 0006.htm S ian James MP invited RMT, together with ASLEF and TSSA, to speak to the All Party Wales Group to discuss problems in the rail industry. RMT Assistant General Secretary Pat Sikorski gave a wide-ranging presentation and in the subsequent debate Pat highlighted that the union’s campaign to return the railways to public ownership. Commenting on First Great Western services, Pat said that the union had for some time been engaged with Ministers and MPs on the issue. The company had been discussed at length at the union’s parliamentary rail seminar in May and Welsh MPs had been working with the members of the RMT Parliamentary group to lobby rail Minister Tom Harris. RMT Regional Organiser Brendan Kelly has also held constructive discussions with Wales First Minister Rhodri Morgan. Pat highlighted the RMT campaign to retain buffet cars on FGW services and the fact that the company still subcontracted catering and cleaning to companies who paid exploitative rates of pay to cleaners. He alerted MPs to the fact that cleaners at Swansea employed on a FGW contract to had not received a pay rise for over a year and ATW catering had been contracted out to Sea Catering that employed staff on far worse conditions than in-house catering. Pat alerted MPs to the problems of the lack of staffing at stations operated at ATW, pointing out 31 per cent of passengers were dissatisfied with the availability of staff at Arriva Trains Wales stations compared to a network wide average of 19 per cent. Representatives of a number of the rail companies, including ATW and FGW turned up to watch the presentation. He also bought the MPs up date on the union’s campaign against staff assaults which to date has been supported by around 80 MPs in Parliament. MPs welcomed the trade union presentations and Sian James MP confirmed a point raised by Pat that First Great Western and the government had yet to publish the programme of improvements that the company would have to deliver if it was not to lose its franchise. Martin Caton MP congratulated RMT for their campaign to save buffet cars and Mark Williams MP took the opportunity to sign up the RMTs Parliamentary motion on staff assaults. Unions and MPs agreed that it would be useful to have further such meetings in the future. . RMT GIVES WELSH MPS RAIL BRIEFING