PRESIDENT’S COLUMN

RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: january 2011 :: RMTnews 21 New year is a time to take stock of the enormous changes over the last 12 months and to look forward to challenges to come. A year ago, when I was elected as your president I wrote: "If trade union leaders bow the knee to the demands of bankers and politicians for belt-tightening by working class people and collude in appeasement of the super-rich, we will fail." That fundamental choice still confronts us. By standing up for jobs, pay and conditions through the worst economic recession for 70 years, RMT has helped keep a fighting spirit alive in the trade union movement. Last year together with TSSA, our members employed by London Underground took four days of strike action to defend station staff and to protect safety of the travelling public on the Tube. We certainly haven't failed, but the choice before the trade union movement remains the same as it was in 2010 - fight or flight. Since the May 2010 general election, an illegitimate 'ConDem' coalition without a mandate, has embarked on the most severe 'austerity cuts' since the 1920s, while continuing to privatise our public services. RMT members are at the forefront of the fightback. In towns and cities across Britain, RMT members through their branches, trades councils and community organisations are building 'Anti- Cuts Alliances' to defend schools, hospitals, libraries and community services as well of course as supporting students fighting 'ConDem' cuts to higher education. From Edinburgh where RMT members turned out with banners to join 20,000 others determined to show 'There is A Better Way' on the Scottish TUC demonstration in October, to Wales where our Newport, Cardiff and Swansea branches are campaigning with the PCS union and the National Shop Stewards Network against cuts, to Bristol, Brighton and Liverpool where RMT branches supported the tremendous turnout - RMT members are getting stuck in. We will all be coming together on Saturday March 26 for the National TUC Demonstration for Jobs, Growth and Justice in London. It promises to be the biggest working class political demonstration of our generation. Make sure your branch attends and bring your work colleagues and families along. This will be a day not to forget. But don't wait until March to kick off the New Year's trade union activities. On Monday 31 January 2011 RMT is hosting an international conference for trade unionists in maritime and railway transport industries at London University's School of Oriental and African Studies, a short walk from Unity House. 'Future Public Transport - Nationalisation NOT Privatisation' will bring together representatives from key transport trade unions across Europe to discuss the disastrous neoliberal transport model promoted by the European Union and recent trade union campaigns in the ferries and railways in various European countries to defend jobs and collective agreements against EU social dumping and privatisation. If you want to discuss opposition to ferry privatisation with Greek seafarers, or renationalising railways with Portuguese railway workers, come to London and join us. All RMT members are welcome to attend, but places are limited so please reserve your place now by emailing m.carty@rmt.org.uk. The following day Tuesday February 1, 2011 RMT is hosting our parliamentary bus seminar at the House of Commons. This will be an extremely important opportunity for bus workers and users to question politicians about the threatened ten per cent cuts to our local bus services from the ConDems cuts to the transport budget. As we enter a new year RMT members should heed the motto of our union 'Unity is Strength' and remember the motto of our predecessors in the National Union of Railwaymen 'Workers of the World Unite'. Alex Gordon President’s column SHIFTING GEARS wages here and fill a high proportion of the jobs Labour has created over thirteen years in power. Capital migration allows firms to export jobs to Eastern Europe where costs of production are lower and profits greater. As usual in Europe it`s heads we lose tails we lose. Consider the consequences of EU descision-making. I don`t know the exact contribution made by EU requirements in breaking up the railways, forcing ‘competition’ into the Post Office to eat away its markets and compelling the clumsy system of charging by size. But I do know that it was the EU decision that brewers should divest themselves of pubs that began the rot which led to the closures now going on. As for the consequences for regional aid and aid to industry of any kind, it`s a complicated story but my impression is that here and everywhere else we meekly obey, even gold plating, damaging regulations but they don`t seem to have much effect on the French. On balance we have lost out massively from EU membership and though the scale is obscured by the outpourings of Europe propaganda, much of which we pay for, to tell us lies at our expense. But I do know that we will never be able to manage our destinies for our purposes and that whinging decline into a pathetic European periphery is no destiny for this country. It is time to think it through and we would be better off out. No contributions to pay, the ability to import food from wherever it is cheapest and to control our own fishing grounds. That`s not going to happen immediately as the issue isn`t salient at the moment. But let`s recognise realities, realise our real power and stop accepting everything forced on us, particularly more contributions to pay to prop up the disastrous Euro. A pick and mix EU might be acceptable but the present unquestioning deference isn`t. Let`s stop listening to the Euro- guff and start thinking.