RMT AT TUC 2022

RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: november/december 2022 :: RMTnews 12 R MT delegates join others in setting out a fighting trade union agenda at the annual TUC Congress in Brighton in the face of an escalating cost of living crisis engulfing the country. A strong agenda passed motions on the unlawful P&O sackings, repealing the anti- trade union laws and putting contracted out cleaners’ centre stage. Moving an unanimously backed motion on the P&O scandal, RMT general secretary Mick Lynch thanked the entire movement for its support of maritime members mercilessly sacked by DP world bosses. “I want thank the entire movement for the support you gave us and that includes Keir Starmer and the Labour front bench, the work they did in the Commons and the campaign work done in the media”. He went on to call for the scrapping of all anti-trade union legislation and for a shift in balance of the economy in favour of workers. “We had everyone on our side on that dispute, but we didn’t win it because the laws in this country are anti worker, anti-trade union and pro-boss. That’s what they are designed to be. “Workers’ rights are human rights and we will not allow them to be supressed,” he said. Invoking the memory of the Tolpuddle Martyrs, Chartists and the Suffragettes, Mr Lynch added: “We demand freedom. “We demand it of every politician, that workers are free to bargain collectively on our own rules and our own constitution, not laws laid down by the Tories. “We demand our right to campaign and our right to strike. We will strike no matter what the hurdles they put in front of us. And we will get out on to the streets,” he said RMT has launched a national ballot of contracted out cleaning grades across the country and the union was keen to highlight the issue at TUC. Taking on the contractors In a packed fringe meeting with speakers from GMB and RMT lay reps, assistant general secretary Eddie Dempsey talked about how the union would take on the contractors. “We think employers who are making millions in profit off the back of people’s work, we believe you have responsibilities to that person and they have to right to demand a decent standard of living, safe workplaces, a sick pay scheme, travel benefits and anything else, directly employed workers enjoy.” But hehighlighted problems in dealing with these contracting out companies who would often “pass the book” on to overarching economic employer who uses their services. “When we get into negotiations with these companies, what they say is we can’t give you any money. That is down to our client. And when you go to see the client company, they say – ‘I don’t know why you have come to us we do not employ these people. They are employed by the contractor’. “Our RMT strategy is to target people at the top of the food chain and it is the people sitting on top of those supply chains who are responsible”. Mr Dempsey warned that the union would use strike action as well as “occupations and demonstrations”. Looking ahead to the ballot of all contracted out cleaners, Mr Dempsey added: “We have to bring as many workers who are sub-contracted out in strike together at once, to prevent them shifting workers around and making them scab on each other. “We need to expose them for what they are doing which is robbing the workers, robbing the taxpayers and robbing the clients and there is a corrupt few people in these frameworks making an awful lot of money which we need to expose,” he said. Churchill cleaning rep Bella Fashola who has been a leading activist in taking strike action against the company said: “No one can live on the wages we make and that's only getting worse now. Outsourcing has no place on our railways, and it’s got to go,” she said to applause. The cost-of-living crisis has been affecting RMT members along with all workers this last year and the TUC unanimously backed a composite motion calling for inflation pay rises, an end to zero hours contracts and coordinated strike action between unions. Mick Lynch told Congress: “We are the organised working class. And we must MT delegates join others in setting out a fighting trade union agenda at the annual TUC Congress in Brighton in the face of an escalating cost of living crisis engulfing the country. A strong agenda passed motions on the unlawful P&O anti-trade union and pro-boss. That’s what they are designed to be. “Workers’ rights are human rights and we will not allow them to be supressed,” he said. Invoking the memory of the Tolpuddle Martyrs Chartists the back of people’s work, we believe you have responsibilities to that person and they have to right to demand a decent standard of living, safe workplaces, a sick pay scheme, travel benefits and anything else, directly employed workers enjoy ” Mr Dempsey added: “We have to bring as many workers who are sub-contracted out in strike together at once, to prevent them shifting workers around and making them scab on each other. “We need to expose them for what they are doing which RMT AT TUC 2022