AWARDS /LETTERS

RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: february 2019 :: RMTnews 28 C ardiff Rail and Cardiff 7 branches held a joint long membership awards evening at the Sandringham Hotel. RMT assistant general secretary Steve Hedley presented ten year awards to Trevor Keane, branch Vice chair Susan Wales, Bryan Wilkinson, Elaine Smith, Alun Wakefield, Malcolm Wills, health and safety rep Robert Rees, Denise Coleman and Marc Tudor. 25 year awards were presented to Colin Day, Clive Thomas and Mark Hassell. And 40 year awards were handed to Richard Price and Graham Davies. From left to right John Talbot (25 years), Kishore Sudha (40 years), AGS Mick Lynch, Vinod Patel (40 years), Arvin Patel (40 years) and Maria Evans (10 years). From left to right: Jac Ngadi, Mick Cash, Dave Harvey with a 40 year badge, Carol McNamara(10 years), Jamie Bell (10 years), Karen Gallagher (10 years), Daniel Quigley (10 years) and James Rolles (10 years). Dear editor, In our branch submission to the debate within the union on Labour Party affiliation we argued for the position of standing by our current rules. We stated “This important freedom within our rules allows our representatives (National Executive Committee, National Officers, Regional Organisers and others) acting on the members’ behalf not to be constrained when dealing with the government, devolved administrations, regional and local authorities. In effect the members’ interests are paramount and not compromised or subservient to any political party allegiance.” I have reflected on this as events unfolded in the equal pay dispute in Glasgow City Council. I wish the workers every success in obtaining their rightful entitlement. What is of concern is the role the unions representing the workers played in this long, sorry denial of the legitimate rights of their members. It is clear to me that the unions concerned failed their members throughout the process because they are far too close to the Labour Party. Labour was in power in Glasgow City Council throughout the majority of the 12 years of this protracted dispute. The workers themselves recognised this failure as the vast majority of the claimants are not represented by the unions but by a private lawyer. Also numbers of workers have taken out legal claims against their unions for failing to represent them properly. Yet these unions are supporters of the Labour Party which in power in Glasgow is reported to have spent £2.5 Million in legal fees in actions to suppress the workers legitimate demands. This self same Labour Party has the temerity to send messages of solidarity to the workers. Their representatives attempted to blame the SNP city government in Glasgow (in office since 2017) and the SNP Government in Holyrood. Shameless political opportunism and a hypocritical attempt to create a political situation which they think will win them support. They have fooled no-one As a believer in trade unionism and its core principles I do not make these comments with any satisfaction. However when something is done that reflects badly on trade unionism and what it should represent it must be called out for what it is. John Milligan (Retired Member) Dear editor, As an ex-rail worker I can see the absolute folly of removing guards and other grades from our stations and trains. Therefore please find enclosed a poem in support of your fight. I hope the action you are taking will make management see sense. All the best, John Grimmett, Bridlington No guard to call Many years ago in this country so fine, Towns and villages had a railway line, Stations were staffed from morning to night, Proud railman used to clean the brass bright, A ticket collector stood by the gate, Informing passengers if their train was late, Porters helped them to alight or board the train, The likes of which we will never see again, Now if your town has a station at all, There is no staff there to hear your call, The private firms that now run our trains, Are only doing it for private gain, As I said at the beginning of this little rhyme, These private firms have cut staff for a long time, Now they want to get rid of the train guards, For health and safety reasons it will be hard, Remember of there is no guard to call if you’re in distress, If you can remember Morse Code just send and SOS CARDIFF AWARDS WATERLOO AWARDS NEASDEN BRANCH HONOURS LONG SERVICE MEMBERS SHAMELESS OPPORTUNISM POEM FOR THE GUARD LETTERS