PRESIDENT’S COLUMN

I’m writing this article whilst travelling back from the TUC conference and over the last week we have heard many disturbing stories. The fact that in a poll of 3,287 workers recently carried out by TUC/GQR, one in eight workers say they are skipping meals to make ends meet, almost half say they are worried about meeting basic household expenses, such as food, transport and energy bills. There are workers that will be leaving their heating off this winter and pawning their possessions, so they can send their children to school with clothes on their backs and food in their bellies. This is wholly unacceptable in a country that is the fifth or sixth richest in the world. Unsecured debt per household was £13,200 in 2016 and is expected to exceed £15,000 before the end of the next parliament. So when we hear about austerity and the government paying off debt, it would appear the real story is the transferring of debt from the government to the people, again wholly unacceptable. So why am I less than confident that the TUC is going to lead the fight back? Well it wasn’t that long ago Bob Crow seconded a motion moved by POA General Secretary Steve Gillian, calling for consideration of a general strike with Bob saying: “Every delegate at this conference represented workers who had been affected by government austerity measures; every single person here today is representing someone who is under attack by this rotten government”, laying the ground for calling a series of co-ordinated disputes with employers across the UK for the first time since 1926. The result of this was zero! Then we have our previous president Peter Pinkney moving an RMT motion at 2015 TUC for a Generalised Strike, which was carried unanimously. The result of this was zero! Last year I moved a motion that was carried unanimously, calling for an urgent conference of affiliates to discuss how we collectively fight the new Anti-Trade Union Act. The result of this was also zero! So I must say the TUC is at least consistent. In July I had the privilege of attending the 133rd Durham Miners Gala on behalf of our union, I must admit it did feel strange not having the great Davey Hopper there as he sadly died just one week after last year’s Gala. Alan Cummings has taken over as secretary and is doing a fine job following in Davey’s footsteps. Marching with our members and fantastic band is always great and then hoping up to the County Hotel for the March Pass was a really proud experience for me, as was sharing the stage with the likes of Ken Loach and Jeremy Corbyn, which was made all the more special by the fact I had my wife Donna with me. One week later I marched with the band at the Tolpuddle Martyrs Festival, a weekend festival to rival all others as the birthplace of the movement. In 1834 six farm labourers from Tolpuddle were arrested on a charge of administering an illegal oath. The real offence was forming a trade union to defend their livelihoods. They were sentenced to seven years’ transportation to the penal colonies of Australia. The news provoked an immense outcry, leading to the first great mass trade union protest. The campaign won free pardons and the Martyrs returned home. It was an historic episode in the struggle for trade union rights in Britain and around the world. The story has been marked ever since with rallies and festivals to celebrate the rights of working people and the values of solidarity. Hope to see many of you next year. “It was once said that the moral test of government is how that government treats those who are in the dawn of life, the children: those who are in the twilight of life, the elderly: and those who are in the shadows of life, the sick, the needy and the disabled”. Hubert H Humphrey In Solidarity, Sean Hoyle President’s column TUC GET OFF YOUR KNEES! RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: september 2017 :: RMTnews 23 one particular boss. He was nothing but a bully. He set a trap for Sarah and when she made a small mistake he had her instantly sacked. This caused a big uproar and there were many protests in support of Sarah. Their anger was so great that they decided to march right into the station and stand right in the middle of the concourse right under the famous clock right in the middle of rush hour. Just weeks ago Susan was on a picket line in support of the Southern Rail guards strike. Susan was also involved in Solidarity with the Cuban revolution and people. She was an active member of the Cuba solidarity Campaign for 20 years or more. In 2000 she went to Cuba and visited schools and hospitals and saw for herself what even a poor country can achieve including totally free health care and free education from nursery to university and free from the miseries of capitalism. Two qualities that Susan had stand out for me, her loyalty to family, friends and workmates and her generosity there nothing more valuable. Wimbledon branch would like to specially thank Chris Doran and Nottingham and Derbyshire Bus Branch for being present with their banner at the service in her home town that meant so much to her.