PRESIDENT’S COLUMN

RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: february 2020 :: RMTnews 25 I would like to start this month by giving my personal congratulations to all traincrew at South Western Railways for returning another magnificent ballot result for the sixth consecutive time. In the face of the anti-trade union laws this will go down in history, 64 days strike action including 27 consecutive day during December/January. Now it’s time for us all to help burden the cost a donation of £5 per member will generate around 400,000 pounds a month if we do this for a year we have a strike fund fit to fight and keep the great name of RMT as a militant fighting trade union leading from the front! We all need to be signing up and digging deep into our pockets as many more fights come our way we need to be prepared as this government rip up agreements, we will be defending our work and conditions. Let’s not have our proud members starved back to work by greedy bosses lining their own pockets at our losses. We know this government will want to bring in a two-tier workforce to weaken what we have and we must be prepared to fight to protect our Industry to keep safe working and conditions with a pay packet that provides a wage to support our families, and keep the travelling public safe, with access for disabled passengers and a safe network for workers and passengers alike. Just like rail workers before us built an industry to be proud of we must fight to protect the future. The threat of minimal service levels from this rotten government means workers right to withdraw their labour becomes more difficult not because it affects other workers but because it threatens their greedy capitalist chums. We need to organise and increase membership across all our sectors so no-one, no matter grade, will be left to suffer. We must organise industrially to defend each other as an attack on one is an attack on all. ‘Proud to be RMT’ defending from the front for the members! I’m also proud we held our first national industrial meeting to defend station staff from the on-slaughter of cuts by stealth and the greed of employers to provide shareholders bonuses to undermine the importance of such roles and down grade staffing levels to meet their own agenda. Solidarity with all those in attendance to engage with other on an industrial agenda and build a movement with a multitude of grades campaigning together with ideas of how we address the imbalance. I was also honoured to be invited to give Bro Mick Tosh his 40-year membership award and to join him at his retirement to wish him and Alison all the very best for a long happy retirement. Solidarity Michelle Rodgers President’s column SOLIDARITY complaint, for example by giving a witness statement, are also protected from discrimination. DENIED YOUR RIGHTS? You have the right to join RMT and be represented by your union. And you have the right to confidentiality. Not surprisingly, employers have some ‘get-out clauses’ and will try to argue their way out of upholding your rights. So it is even more important that you get the support of the union in fighting your corner. BREAKING DOWN BARRIERS RMT supports the social model of disability. We understand that society disables people by creating barriers to people with impairments or differences. So we support individual members who are denied their rights. We also fight for more equal and accessible workplaces and working conditions. We do this by organising together. Get involved. You may like to come to our Disabled Members’ Conference, learn more about disability in the workplace by attending a training course, or campaign against disability discrimination in your workplace. To contact the Disabled Members’ Advisory Committee, email Janine Booth j.booth@rmt.org.uk