STRIKING RMT railway workers were boosted by the leader of the US Amazon Labour Union joining their picket line at Euston Station yesterday morning.
ALU president Chris Smalls told News Line: ‘As a trade unionist, I bring solidarity to the rail strike from New York Amazon workers.
‘We are fighting for the first ever contracts for 8,300 Amazon workers in New York, the first ever in the USA.
‘I absolutely support workers in the UK to kick out the government. We need a general strike in the US too. I am in an independent trade union and we are not with the democrats.
‘I agree with an independent Labour Party in the US. I recently met the Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel to help lift the US blockade of the country. Capitalism is not working and we need a system for the working class.’
John, an RMT dispatch worker on the picket line said, ‘The strike is not just about pay, it’s about working conditions.
‘The rail companies want to make us multi-functional, which means more tasks, more work, and more hours with no pay increase.
‘I am a dispatcher which is a safety-critical role. But they also want us to sell tickets, man customer services, and sell tea and coffee in the first class lounge.
‘Any pay increase does not cover all the extra work. They don’t care about people or workers, they only care about profits for the bosses and their friends. A general strike would be great.’
James Lynch, RMT striker said: ‘The rail companies want to amalgamate posts and offer voluntary severance to off-load people using natural wastage. They want to close down all 948 ticket offices in the country.’
Antoine Galea, RMT, said, ‘I am retiring soon. I am striking for the youngsters to keep their jobs and careers. We should be more like the French: with everyone out on strike, it might bring the government down. I agree with a general strike.’
On a lively picket line at Ramsgate, Avi, the rep for conductors, told News Line: ‘This dispute has gone on for too long, we thought we had a deal, but they reneged, as the Tories do. I think it’s time for the Tories to go.’
On the RMT picket line at Surbiton Station in south west London, Hans Stakelbeck told News Line: ‘We haven’t got an improved offer on pay and I completely agree with our union that the changes in terms and conditions that the government is attaching to any offer are intolerable.
‘We’d have less leave, they want to make bank holidays a normal working day, new starters would be joining on worse terms and conditions, they want to bring in multi-skilling which will not work, and the wholesale closure of ticket offices.
‘Plus they want to trigger attendance sickness procedure much earlier.’
Beverley Hall said: ‘We are getting stronger, not weaker. We are still fighting for pay of course. We haven’t had a pay rise for four years, whereas inflation is 10% and food inflation is 20%.
‘Kick the Tories out. General strike now!’
