On track with the RMT

 Down the Tube

 

By New Worker correspondent

The RMT is stepping up preparations for ballots for strike action by its 10,000 London Underground members after the tube union accused London Underground bosses of stringing staff along and playing fast and loose after eight days of pay talks failed to secure any kind of meaningful offer out of the management side.

The union is both angry and frustrated at what it sees as blatant delaying tactics. General Secretary Mick Cash warned: “Our negotiators are angry and frustrated at what they see as blatant delaying tactics by London Underground throughout eight rounds of pay talks. RMT is not in the business of being strung along by anyone and the company should wake up, recognise how angry staff are becoming at this cavalier attitude from their top brass and come up with an offer that meets our expectations.”

Death by Contracting Out

By New Worker correspondent

The same union (RMT) has demanded an absolute ban on contracting out and an end to the cuts culture on the railways, along with the replacement of the Office of Rail and Road, a non-ministerial Government Department, with a genuinely independent safety regulator, after the death of a track worker death at Purley, near Croydon.

The Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) report criticised “Victorian” methods of protection and the fatigue amongst zero-hours contract staff. RAIB’s report revealed the man was on a zero-hours contract. He was on his own because another worker failed to turn up, and was “probably fatigued and possibly distracted by personal and financial issues”, thus concluding that “the terms of his employment was an ‘underlying factor’ in the incident”.

The Chief Inspector of Rail Accidents continued: “When workers are employed on a casual basis on zero-hours contracts, there can be great pressure for them to try and juggle multiple jobs to make ends meet.

"We are therefore recommending that the railway industry reviews the way it manages the use of staff on zero-hours contracts, to minimise the risk associated with this pattern of work.”

He added: “I believe that the industry should continue to explore ways of eliminating the need for Victorian methods of protection on the twenty-first century railway.”

The RAIB recommended that Network Rail should ensure its labour suppliers improve the way they manage the risks associated with such contracts, particularly lifestyle and fatigue. Network Rail merely said it will “review our standards and our supplier practices”.

RMT general secretary Mick Cash was more specific: “Warning after warning from this trade union on fatigue, zero-hours and casualisation has not been properly addressed by Network Rail or the safety regulator the ORR. As a result, lives are at a risk and that is a scandal. For all the talk of a modern, digital railway those in charge can't even guarantee basic levels of safety for track records.

“If those responsible for protecting the safety of rail workers are not doing their job then we need a genuinely independent safety inspectorate with real teeth not linked to budget controls and the cosy world of the industry players which is the reality of the failed ORR model.”

Protest Picnic for Struggling Workers!

by Theo Russell

A GMB union ‘Protest Picnic’ was held outside Charing Cross hospital in West London on 4th July, in support of low-paid, privatised Sodexo support workers. Several members of the new Hammersmith, Fulham, Kensington & Chelsea Trades Council joined the protest, and the trades council banner was on display along with the local National Education Union (NEU) banner.

Over 1,100 cleaners and porters working for French multinational Sodexo at St Mary's, Charing Cross and Hammersmith Hospitals are being paid the National Living Wage of £8.21 per hour, whilst a minority of staff on the old contracts are paid £11.00. The GMB says that if you do the same work you should be paid the same wages.

In June the GMB organised three hospital protests at the NHS Imperial Trust; at Charing Cross in Fulham, St Marys in Paddington and Hammersmith Hospital workers were all involved in protests over wages.

The picnic protests include soft drinks, low music, pizza and cakes for the workers and their supporters.

Michael Dooley, the local GMB Union officer, told the protesters: "The general public will be surprised to hear that the staff in Charing Cross are paid only the minimum wage. Porters who care for patients and the deceased, cleaners who clean the blood, sick and other waste and the staff who keep the hospital moving 24 hours a day deserve more than the minimum wage.

"A picnic protest is a novel way of drawing attention to the plight of the staff working in Charing Cross Hospital, many staff are new to Britain and will appreciate the efforts by the union to get them involved in this after work protest.

"The protests are hoped to draw attention to the poor wages and obtain increases in pay rather than to go on strike at the hospitals, but the workers understand they may have to go on strike if their wages are not increased."

A landmark for the movement

by New Worker correspondent

Andy Brooks speaking

 Last weekend comrades gathered to celebrate the 42^nd anniversary of the foundation of the New Communist Party at the Party Centre in London. Friends and comrades, including three founder members, joined NCP leader Andy Brooks in celebrating the anniversary of the Party that was established by Sid French in July 1977 to challenge the ‘Eurocommunism’ and revisionism that was the dominant trend within the British communist movement at the time.

Some friends, such as our comrades in the RCPB(ML), were absent because they were taking part in the great Durham Miners’ Gala but their greetings, along with others that included the Workers Party of Korea and the Korean Friendship Association, were read out during the formal part of proceedings.

Comrades paused to remember two comrades who had recently passed away – former New Worker editor Ann Rogers and Ernie Hunt, an RCPB (ML) comrade who regularly supported our events, along with all the others whose support and sacrifice has kept the NCP going for over 40 years.

In these troubled times the Party needs to raise even more money to keep the New Worker going and comrades responded to the appeal of NCP Chair Alex Kempshall with the collection raised a stomping £2,240 for the fighting fund to ensure the continued production of the {New Worker}.