PRESIDENT’S COLUMN

JOINING THE FIGHT AGAINST GLOBAL WARMING President’s column No-one should underestimate the desperate need to prevent global warming and the fight for a more environmentally and responsible approach to the future of our planet. This need is a fundamental part of this union’s political and industrial work, whether it is campaigning to move freight around on rail or encouraging people to get out of their cars and use public transport. RMT has consistently argued for the needs of people and safety over profit and cutbacks and that means opposing the environmental vandalism of capitalist greed. That is why hundreds of RMT members lobbied parliament earlier this year to demand a ‘people’s railway’ and carried placards insisting ‘rail jobs are green jobs’. The union presented MPs with a well- researched document containing a blueprint for an integrated, publicly- owned railway which could be run without the need to subsidise rail privateers to the tune of £6 billion a year. But RMT not only campaigns for a green railway, the union also supports green energy and that includes green offshore energy. That is why RMT had no hesitation to support the protests by 600 workers at the wind turbine plant at Vestas on the Isle of Wight after it was threatened with closure. RMT organises in the offshore energy sector where it has many members working on wind turbines and in the oil industry. Therefore it was only natural that Vestas workers turned to RMT for help and the union backed their struggle to the hilt. The union is still fighting for those who were sacked, to the eternal shame of the management, for trying to save the plant from closure. Two of those sacked members, the general secretary and myself met the minister responsible, Joan Ruddock MP. Despite a lot of apologies, the government said that it couldn’t take over the company and management actions were nothing to do with them. So banks get unimaginable amounts of public money, something like £1.3 trillion, and wind turbine workers and their industries get exactly nothing. That is a disgrace. If, as they say, the Vestas management declined to co-operate then the factory should have been nationalised. If it is good enough to bail-out and national banks, then why not productive factories which actually makes things for export? The fight to protect the environment and save and create green jobs must continue. That is why RMT places the issues of enviromentalism at the heart of our activity alongside the fight for justice for our members and their families and for workers’ rights. John Leach RMT helpline 0800 3763706 :: september 2009 :: RMTnews 21 THE PEOPLE’S CHARTER WE NEED CHANGE. WE NEED HOPE. WE NEED A FAIR BRITAIN. A fair economy for a fairer Britain Progressive taxes without loopholes or tax havens. We must own and control the main banks. Guarantee all pensions, mortgages and savings. Tie pensions and benefits to wages. Give Pensioners free transport and heating. Increase the minimum wage. MORE AND BETTER JOBS. Protect existing jobs. Make a massive investment in new jobs, particularly in green technology for our children’s sake. DECENT HOMES FOR ALL Create 3 million new publicly owned homes. Stop the repossessions. Control rents. SAVE AND IMPROVE OUR SERVICES Energy, Telecommunications, Water and Transport to be owned by all of us; keep the post in public ownership. Remove profit making from the NHS and education. Support our public service staff. FOR FAIRNESS AND JUSTICE Equality for all. Together against all racism and discrimination. Equal pay for women. End child poverty. Give young people a future. Free child and youth facilities, education and training for all. Repeal the anti-union laws to fight poverty and inequality. A BETTER FUTURE STARTS NOW No more blood and money for war. Bring the troops home. No more £billions for nuclear weapons. We want massive investment for a greener, safer world. Get rid of the debt economy in Britain and cancel the debts of the poor of the planet.