PRESIDENT’S COLUMN

RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: march 2020 :: RMTnews 25 I really can't believe it's March already and what a busy year it's been so far. I'll start this month by offering solidarity not just to members but to the communities recently ravaged by the floods all across the UK . At a time where this seems to be a reoccurring theme those Tory B@&!@£*!s have ignored the warnings and allowed whole families to be decimated. Back in February I was honoured to chair a meeting around the fight back across the trade union movement on Minimum service levels. I was also lucky enough to be with assistant general secretary Steve Headley to welcome good comrades Matthieu & Axel from CGT Versailles and listen to how our french comrades have recently took the fight to Macron and won! Our local battles continue with our Bakerloo line members recently out on strike and our LU members being balloted on pay which has the potential to shut down the underground prior to the London Mayoral election ( we did warn you Sadiq). So please let's smash the thresholds on that and send the message WE SHALL NOT BE DEFEATED. Good luck to our Rail Gourmet members at Paddington who are also out again on strike. I've read a couple of interesting articles this month on something that's going to effect some members big style and to be honest I'm no tax expert so take the time out and find the written articles by two regional organisers Jake Molloy and Eddie Dempsey as they both offer an interesting insight into IR35. The union is already briefing our members on the potential of this so have a read. I'll keep it a bit shorter this month as conference season is upon us and no doubt there will be loads more to write on. Before I go I would like to offer the equality groups an opportunity to take my column over this year by writing an opinion piece to be published. Please limit submissions to no more than 400 words and have them emailed to me P3@rmt.org.uk Solidarity Michelle President’s column A BUSY YEAR SO FAR FEW injured him again and he returned to East Grinstead. Years later, Geoffrey realised to his astonishment that there was no memorial to his comrades who had flown with him in Fighter Command in 1940. His determination that The Few should be remembered found a focus at “Hellfire Corner”, the area of Dover and Folkestone over which so much of the fighting had taken place in 1940. The Battle of Britain Memorial Trust was established and fund raising began. On July 9 1993, the National Memorial at Capel-le- Ferne was opened and Geoffrey’s dream realised. He died in August 2000, shortly after attending the Memorial Day marking the 60th anniversary of the Battle. The starboard wing of the Wing building, a dedicated interactive education resource for schools, is now named the Geoffrey Page Centre in honour of the man who was the inspiration for the site. It is well worth a visit. https://www.battleofbritainme morial.org/