POLITICAL SCHOOL SUCCESS

RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: january 2014 :: RMTnews 23 T he RMT political school is not a place where members are told which party to vote or which policies we should believe in. The political school brings politics down to earth and relates it to what goes on in our everyday lives. It demonstrates that it is not some abstract thing that happens far away, it's happening all around us everyday, in our homes, workplaces, and our streets. Our first speaker was the inspirational Geoff Revell: as a member of this union for 50 years he is in a great position to give us a brief history of the union. He said there was a need for unions to not only deal with employers but also politicians with the power to govern. "We want justice in society, we want equality, we want to change the world," he said. RMT Parliamentary group member Ian Davidson MP was happy to answer questions and gave some insight into the work of his parliamentary committee. Since the scandalous revelation that companies in the construction trade were colluding to "black list" health and safety reps, the Scottish Affairs Committee - which he chairs - has been investigating this issue and attempting to hold these business to account. RMT Political Officer James Croy made sure that things were going in the right direction and delivered some parts of the course. He was able to give us insight into the union's political fund and national policy and got us all to think about the future. We practiced founding our political opinion on basic principles (like fairness and equality), combined with an evidence based argument, to develop our own solutions and approach to politics. After this, we split into groups and were challenged to develop our own manifesto. Councillor Darren Rodwell give us a real life example of strategies used to defeat the BNP in Barking and Dagenham. Trade unions were a part of this fight and it's a great example of RMT supporting the fight for justice in society. RMT also fights for justice abroad as well as at home. Union activists and leaders are frequently victims of character assassinations in this country but Victor Figuerou from the Justice for Colombia campaign explained how trade unionists are literally assassinated in Columbia. Columbia is a rich country, but inequality is a major problem. 80 per cent of useful land is owned by just three per cent of the population and about 45 per cent are living below the national poverty line. It is "the most dangerous place to be a trade unionist". One organisation Patriotic March campaigns for political reform in favour of the poor, 12 of its leaders have been assassinated. There are shocking but enlightening videos available on the Justice for Colombia youtube channel. The No2EU campaign, www.no2eu.com, is an electoral platform for 2014 European Parliament elections. The campaign wants Britain to leave the EU. It makes this argument without a hint of xenophobia -- we stand united with workers all over the world. The EU is about centralising corporate power and has little benefit for working people but major benefits for big business. One of the most memorable experiences was the tour of Parliament and meeting some MPs from the Parliamentary Trade Union Co-ordinating group and the RMT Parliamentary group who we work with to achieve shared goals. They told us about the types of work they do as part of the group and were happy to discuss topics such as Labour Party policy, socialism, nationalisation and any other topic that we raised. Another memorable part of the course was the eminently thought-provoking Professor Roger Seifert. He was able to give us an intellectual basis for our politics, teaching us about the fundamentals of economics and the labour market. He was also good at challenging us in debate, preparing us for any political adversary. This course was rich with information and all the speakers were of a high quality. If you are interested at all in the field of politics and how it can affect the changes on behalf of our members and the working class, contact your branch secretary to find out how you can apply. POLITICAL SCHOOL SUCCESS Members of the political school at the House of Commons