EVERY worker in the country, not just every commuter, must support the five-day RMT strike action on Southern.
It is a fight for jobs, and a fight for rail safety against a vicious, profit-hungry employer, that is being bankrolled and encouraged by the anti-trade union May Tory government, to take on the RMT and the rail unions, in order to smash them.
They want to create the conditions for going forward to a new era on the rail, of privatised all-powerful rail bosses, able to treat the commuter like muck and, by trampling over the rail trade unions, able to degrade rail safety into an also-ran.
Then, with ticket offices closed, and station staff at the absolute minimum, as close to zero as possible, the plans for one-man trains can be developed, following on from the plans for road haulage, into no-man trains. Just think of the super profits that are to be made.
The prospect of super profits, provided they smash the trade unions, is what is driving the alliance of the rail privateers and the Tory government on – all that stands in their way to making the maximum possible profits is the rail trade unions,
This current battle is one that has been pre-planned, and is being driven forward by an alliance of the rail bosses and the Tory government.
Peter Wilkinson, director of Rail Passenger Services at the Department for Transport (DfT), revealed this situation at a public meeting in Croydon, south London on February 22, 2016. Wilkinson spoke about the three-year war plan. ‘Over the next three years we’re going to be having punch-ups and we will see industrial action and I want your support.’
He said of the train drivers: ‘We have got to break them. They have all borrowed money to buy cars and got credit cards. They can’t afford to spend too long on strike and I will push them into that place. They will have to decide if they want to give a good service or get the hell out of my industry.’
This ‘war plan’ is the reason why all the attempts by the RMT to make peace have been rebuffed. Southern was urged by the RMT last weekend to accept an offer that had been agreed with Abellio Scotrail last week, ‘an agreement that enabled us to suspend our industrial action,’ said the RMT.
The offer made last weekend was rejected out of hand. Yesterday morning, the first morning of the strike, the RMT slammed the ‘lies and smears’ over the Southern Rail guards ballot that have been recycled by a number of news outlets, including the BBC’s flagship Today programme.
Contrary to the BBC propaganda line, the turnout was 81% and 77% of the total membership voted ‘yes’. There was no breach of the anti-union laws. As the RMT observed: ‘These numbers easily outstrip the hurdles proposed for union ballots by the Tory right in terms of both turnout and the majority in favour of action.’
Mick Cash, RMT General Secretary, commented: ‘We are appalled that the BBC’s flagship radio news programme is recycling the lies and smears about our ballot. The turnout was over 80% and 77% of our total membership voted yes. That is a mandate the politicians could only dream of and to try and pretend that only a minority back the action as the BBC have this morning is disgraceful and shoddy journalism.
‘A complaint has been lodged. It’s interesting that no one ever challenges the mandate of the unelected and unaccountable GTR bosses who have unleashed havoc on their passengers for months.’
Unlike the RMT leader, News Line is neither appalled nor shocked at the way that the BBC is attempting to twist the truth about the strike action. It is merely carrying out its duty as a vital part of the capitalist state – in fact it is its propaganda arm!
We urge all workers and all commuters to support the RMT strike action. We urge the trade unions to give active support to the RMT, the first target of the current Tory war against the trade unions.
The crux of the matter is that if any further action is taken by Southern or the government against the RMT, the entire trade union movement must defend it with a general strike.
This strike must be to bring down the government and bring in a workers government and socialism. Its first action must be to renationalise the entire rail network and to put it under workers management.
