PADSTOW BUS WIN

RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: january/february 2025 :: RMTnews 6 U nipart Rail Crewe workers took further strike action in response to the company’s de- recognition of the union and its campaign of intimidation. The action follows weeks of escalating hostility from Unipart Rail management, who have sought to undermine union representation through bullying and harassment. Despite these tactics, workers remain united and determined to fight back. Management’s actions to undermine lawful strike action include: • Forcing workers to attend anti-strike briefings, where they were pressured to sign attendance sheets. • Offering unpaid leave or college days to deter participation in industrial action. • Issuing threats of disciplinary action and monitoring picket lines for hours at a time. RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said that Unipart Rail’s decision to de-recognise the RMT is an outrageous attack on workers’ rights and an attempt to silence their collective voice. “This strike action demonstrates the strength and determination of our members to resist these attacks and defend their rights in the workplace. “Our action is lawful, and our members are fully entitled to take part. Unipart Rail has no legal basis to challenge us, so instead, they resort to harassment and intimidation —a strategy that will not succeed. “RMT will continue to stand by our members and hold this anti-union employer to account,” he said. Community campaigners in Padstow, Cornwall were celebrating recently after forcing the council to halt plans to close a bus terminus and remove a bus stop that would have forced passengers to walk up-hill to a new one. The closure would have made bus transport less accessible for many users, particularly those with mobility issues. RMT regional organiser Barry West organised a community campaign, including a petition of 1,250 signatures in seven days, against plans to remove the bus stop at a car park in Padstow and replace it with a new one about half-a-mile away. Campaigners celebrated after a packed meeting of Padstow Town Council, which was addressed by members of the public, was forced to extend the deadline for a decision on the issue to April 5. Barry said that there was overwhelming support for retaining the Bus terminus in Padstow and for improvements to be made. “We should create a fully accessible inclusive transport hub fit for purpose that would enable people of all abilities to use and benefit from. “I believe there is room to accommodate all modes of transport at this important location and for everyone to work safely and ensure that the future for this beautiful Harbourside town and the surrounding areas,” he said. PADSTOW BUS WIN STRIKE ACTION AT UNIPART RAIL CREWE Union organises petition against closure of crucial bus stop in popular Cornish town