PRESIDENT’S COLUMN

RMT helpline 0800 3763706 :: june 2010 :: RMTnews The legal maxim that "Justice delayed is justice denied" was demonstrated this month by two events which illustrate the institutional rottenness and absence of justice at the core of rail privatisation. On the night of Sunday 6 June Scotrail's Glasgow Queen St- Oban service derailed on the West Highland line. RMT member Angus MacColl, the Guard of the train, carried out protection as he had been trained to do by walking back to the nearest phone to contact emergency services, then returning to ensure the safety of his passengers and fellow workers. The train driver, Willie Dickson said: "My colleagues were brilliant - as were some passengers who helped others on board. It was a real team effort". Scotrail Managing Director Steve Montgomery paid tribute to the train crew saying: "This incident could have been more serious but for their actions. They did a tremendous job in difficult circumstances and are a credit to the company". Breathtaking hypocrisy from a man who drafted in a "scab army" to undermine Guards fighting the extension of Driver Only Operation on Scotrail's new Airdrie-Bathgate service. A week earlier on June 1, Judge Michael Findlay Baker QC opened the official inquest into the Potter's Bar train crash, where eight (yes, eight) years earlier on 10 May, 2002 a Driver Only Operated train derailed killing seven people. Judge Baker said: ''The delay in holding an inquest has been extreme and will have protracted to an exceptional degree the distress of those who have been bereaved''. James Clappison, the local Tory MP told the inquest: "I think the Department of Transport have used every excuse to delay an inquiry. I think there should have been a public inquiry. It is not satisfactory that relatives have had to wait eight years to hear the facts aired in public". It is a shame Clappison did not support the calls made consistently by this union for a full public enquiry into Potter's Bar, reiterated as recently as 2007 by Ian Davidson, Glasgow South West MP following the derailment of the high-speed train at Grayrigg and for railway activity to come under the control of one organisation to ensure safety of the public and railway workers. The Potter's Bar inquest will now consider the failings of Railtrack, Jarvis and train operator WAGN - private companies, which conveniently no longer exist. Companies may dissolve themselves to evade responsibility for eroding safety standards. Individuals cannot. That is why RMT calls for legal protection to prevent trade union health and safety representatives being victimised for whistleblowing while corporate criminals walk free. Privatisation has been responsible for a tawdry series of avoidable accidents on Britain's railways at Southall, Ladbroke Grove, Hatfield, Potter's Bar, Grayrigg and elsewhere during the last 15 years. Rail safety and liberalised competition go together like drinking and driving. Finally, a reminder to all RMT members to bring your branch banners out next month and attend one of the great summer events of the trade union calendar. The Durham Miners' Gala is on Saturday July 10 and Tolpuddle Martyrs Festival is on Friday July 16 to Sunday July 18. When those Dorset farm workers gathered under a tree in 1834 and swore an oath not to accept wage cuts, did they imagine a labour movement would be fighting for justice for working people nearly 200 years later? If you need to recharge your batteries, or just get the kids out of the house and into the countryside, come and join us. I hope to see you there! Alex Gordon President’s column JUSTICE DENIED I have just been an RMT delegate to the TUC Black Workers Conference in April 2010 with approximately 300 delegates and visitors, which proved to be a smooth and professional event. This was matched by the preparation done by our RMT delegation. This being new to me appeared to be very complicated, but then all the conference papers sent to me began to make sense and I started to understand the order of things like the voting, conference reports and the general the proceedings. The delegation decided which motions can be supported in line with our union’s policy, who we would vote for, who is going to speak on what and we looked at ways of networking with other unions to find out their views. We found that the Race Relation Committee attendance register which came with the conference materials useful as it lists the attendance of all the officers so that delegates can see who attended committee meetings regularly and vote accordingly. What is blatant is that reserve seats for the TUC General Council on the Race Relation Committee of which there 10 are not being taken up by the delegates nominated and there is an appalling attendance; showing a 60 per cent non- attendance. This part is not working and needs to be looked at. RMT’s fringe meeting on Haiti coincided with an emergency motion from the FBU on Haiti. Our delegation formally questioned the bland tone of the conference report on the issue and its lack of historical significance on the plight of the people Haiti. Our fringe meeting covered all the aspects that the RRC report on Haiti left out. The RMT delegation made representations that the keynote speaker at our fringe, Bro Omowale, address conference in order to fill in some of the missing aspects of the report. As a result of our fringe and input into the conference the motion was voted to go to the TUC Congress this year from the Black Workers Conference. As I looked around the conference hall I saw a wealth of knowledge and experience that made me proud to be a part of it. I thank RMT for giving me the opportunity to attend this conference. TUC BLACK WORKERS CONFERENCE Peter Lewis of Waterloo branch reports on the TUC black workers conference in Liverpool