SUPPORT MARTIN ZEE!

RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: june 2016 :: RMTnews 9 The union is organising a show of solidarity with Merseyrail guard Martin Zee and the legal process he finds himself in. The next court date is on July 25 2016 and members are encouraged to show solidarity with Martin by attending The Queen Elizabeth II Law Courts, Derby Square, Liverpool Merseyside L2 1XA with other RMT members. Attendance would be a legitimate expenditure from branch and regional council branch management fund. Martin was involved in an incident at Hamilton Square last year in which an 89-year old woman was injured when she tried to board the train after the door closure procedure had commenced when the door closing alarm was sounding. The individual concerned received a number of injuries after falling between the train and the platform. By following the training Martin received from the company, he was instrumental in assisting the train driver in isolating the electrical supply to the third rail by placing the short circuit bar on the running and conductor rail. Martin then lowered himself between the platform edge and the train and offered assistance and reassurance to the woman until the emergency services arrived. Merseyrail’s investigation into the incident and the company’s response to the findings of that report is exemplary. The company has taken no action against the RMT member and all of the recommendations in the report are addressed to system risk issues rather than individual failings. This is in line with RMT’s campaign of fair culture programme in the investigation of incidents. However the Crown Prosecution Service commenced a prosecution of Martin under Section 34 of the Offences Against the Person Act of 1861. This statute allows for the prosecution of staff on the railway who endangered the safety of any person conveyed or being in or upon a railway. The maximum penalty under the Act is two years imprisonment. RMT general secretary Mick Cash said that if the CPS did not withdraw these charges it could result in grave consequences for the rail Industry in general, leaving staff with no level of protection regardless if they even follow agreed company training procedures whilst carrying out door operating procedures. “This could ultimately result in police prosecutions should a member of the travelling public choose to ignore warnings not to board a service whilst Train doors are closing, potentially resulting in injury,” he said. The union has raised the matter directly with the ORR, seeking clarification on approved power operated door training standards requesting information as to who is protected in circumstances such as these and whether the wider rail industry is aware that police charges may be brought against rail workers even in circumstances when procedures are carried out as per the agreed company standard. The union has also raised the issue through the RMT Parliamentary group members to build a high profile political awareness around the case and to place pressure on the CPS to do the decent thing and withdraw the charges. undercover policing. RMT general secretary Mick Cash said that the union had been aware for some time that there was a destroyed "rail file" at the heart of the black listing conspiracy that has never been properly investigated. “These photographs show clearly that rail union activists were being targeted as part of the police operation and it time for the truth to be dragged out. "Both of RMT's assistant general secretaries, Steve Hedley and Mick Lynch, were blacklisted and the union is demanding to know how many others were being spied on by the police and the employers organisations. “The fight for truth and justice goes on," he said. The GMB union recently won a £75 million legal settlement in the High Court over blacklisting and announced it would write to all councils demanding they blacklist the blacklisters. When a blacklist of construction workers was uncovered in 2009, activists said some files contained information that could only have been supplied by the police. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has paid tribute to the Blacklist Support Group’s “brilliant and brave fight” against building firms. He called for all levels of government to use public procurement policies to ensure contracts are given to companies “who don’t blacklist workers, who don’t discriminate against trade unionists.” The blacklist firms, which include Carillion, Sir Robert McAlpine and Skanska, still dominate public-sector contracts. Shadow home secretary Andy Burnham has said that he would move an amendment to the Investigatory Powers Bill to outlaw police and security services monitoring of legitimate trade union activity. SUPPORT MARTIN ZEE! Show solidarity with the Merseyrail guard outside the court on Monday July 25