The RMT

[lmsforever]

I realise that this is a touchy subject and have no wish to insult upset members but I do wonder just what they are doing for their members by constant strikes and an unchanged message.Maybe this will start an interesting conversation on the RMT as I genuinely want to know about them having seen so much on the news if the mods want to remove this post I fully understand.

[PaulRhB]

Why would you expect a message change? Even with inevitable compromises in negotiations the main message should stay the same. Unfortunately from a personal point of view we are increasingly seeing people being brought in from other fields to sort out all big industry and they often just apply what they did there without really understanding why things are done that way or the impact on people's lives. Working shifts is tiring and being signed up to an agreement where they can call you up the day before and say you're now starting two hours earlier can ruin a evening out or family event on your day off the evening before as you have to get sleep. Traincrew can have different start times from 02:00 on for commuter services with different times every day. The onus for making sure you get enough rest is firmly on the crew.

On our area there is a lot of dialogue between regional reps and management because they respect each other and both sides work to a compromise on their ideal. Once one side refuses to budge an inch and makes inflammatory remarks about breaking unions it inevitably gets backs up. Some people are forced to capitulate because they are the sole earner and cannot risk their house or relationship for a variety of reasons. Others don't believe in their unions stance so move out but then lose that support and experience if they get involved in an incident or suffer sickness. There are a lot of managers out there who don't know people's rights and knowingly or through ignorance infringe them with sometimes dire consequences if jobs are lost.

The culture of modern business where a lot want promotion and stay little time before moving on means those types just try to impress and don't worry about the mess left behind.

I'm lucky that I have a manager who though little time in the railway has worked out we are worth listening to. He doesn't always sway to our point of view but you will get a reason why. The proof of the system is that we haven't had to take anything to the Local District Council meetings because of local management only schemes from higher up. Those meetings are viewed as a place to discuss and head off issues before they get out of hand and get the company and union working together.

The RMT gets a lot of bad press for the top level rhetoric but then so does the government from the less biased press. I suggest the only people who can explain the full issue on Southern are their staff and they won't want to put it in public at present because media policy can be a minefield.

Don't let this dispute convince people the Union system is bad, it's there to protect staff and passengers from the capitalist extremes much as they stop the far left extreme.

[phil-b259]

I realise that this is a touchy subject and have no wish to insult upset members but I do wonder just what they are doing for their members by constant strikes and an unchanged message.Maybe this will start an interesting conversation on the RMT as I genuinely want to know about them having seen so much on the news if the mods want to remove this post I fully understand.

 

Right, this is a touchy subject at present but I will try and stick to the question you have asked.

 

The RMT stands for the "Rail Maritime & Transport Trade Union" and it was formed during the 1990s by the merger of the "National Union of Railwayman" (NUR) and the trade union that represent Maritime workers. Through mergers with other unions the RMT also represents staff working as bus drivers, Taxi drivers, some milincab drivers (I think) and commercial lorry drivers in the road freight sector.

 

With regard to the rail side of things the RMT (and the NUR before it) represents Guards, On board catering staff, Signallers and track workers plus Drivers on the London Underground.

 

On the national network the train drivers union is the "Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen" (ASLEF) who are a totally separate union to the RMT.

 

Managers (of all disciplines) and station staff usually belong to the "Transport Salaried Staffs' Association" (TSSA) who again are a totally separate union to the RMT.

 

The RMT are currently on the offensive as it were, because the grade of Guard is being watered down / removed. This has big implications for the RMTs ability to negotiate better deals for the Guards it represents as a key part of their strategy is to bring train services to a halt by calling the Guards out on strike. Previous experience with other grades - be it station cleaners, on track staff or in board catering, is that without the ability to bring the service to a halt, many of the private companies involved in the business of providing a decent service to passengers have taken advantage of that to progressively worsen staff pay, benefits and T&Cs with the lowest paid suffering worst (particularly cleaners).

 

Ultimately if the changes the Government want take place throughout all TOCs, the only two groups that will be able to halt train services in future are the drivers (ASLEF) or the signallers (RMT) - hence why the positions are so entrenched on either side.

 

The RMT is also very very left wing union - its core principles include the overthrow of capitalism and the implementation of a true socialist state. As such it seems to positively relish causing trouble, particularly when a Conservative Government is in charge - with its Guard and signaller members ideally placed to fight proxy battles (be it over DOO or shift duration). That said members of the RMT do have a lot to be thankful for as its militancy is what has protected them from the worst effects of the financial meltdown back in 2008 and ensured the decent final salary Railway pension scheme remains open to new entrants etc.