Labour must support the RMT
Keir Starmer issued an edict to his Shadow Cabinet not to attend RMT picket lines and declared that his and the Labour Party's position was that they were opposed to the strikes. In reality this means that he and the clique around him decided it, not what is supposed to be the ruling body of the Party in between conferences, the NEC.
Whilst a big majority of the Parliamentary Labour Party decided not to 'embarrass' Keir Starmer by attending a picket line, all across the country Labour Party members, councillors and MPs have recognised the significance of this struggle and shown their solidarity with the RMT regardless of Starmer's utterances. How could anybody take seriously Starmer saying on the morning of the Wakefield by-election “we are on the side of workers”?
The rationale for the refusal to support the RMT appears to be that it will enhance the chance of Labour winning a general election. “A serious party of government does not go on picket lines” said David Lammy, only to have pictures of the self-same man plastered across social media on...a UCU picket line. A picture of one Keir Starmer on a UCU picket line was also widely shared. Of course, he was after people's votes then, as indeed he was when attending a picket line of BFAWU, and telling them that he supported £15 an hour. Lammy went one step further declaring that he was opposed to strikes by airline workers who had the audacity to demand the reinstatement of a 10% wage cut.
The Labour leadership has avoided taking any position on the substantive issues behind the strike. It has little to do with 'modernisation' and new technology. Whilst the question of pay is important in the context of the 'cost of living crisis', at issue in the dispute is the intensification of work involved in changes to terms and conditions. Management wants to impose more work for less pay, and drive down wages. The changes in relation to the track maintenance, in particular, threaten the safety of the service, with a 50% reduction of inspections.
Keir Starmer has said that when businesses make a profit everybody gains. Real life experience shows this is nonsense. We have an economy in which exploitation is rampant. When privatised rail companies make a profit much of it is siphoned out of the country to tax havens. Privatisation, revered by New Labour, has been a failure, reflected in the worse service and increased exploitation of the workforce.
Underlying the financial crisis of the railways is not just the impact of the pandemic but the abject failure of privatisation. The collapse of Railtrack plc and the track maintenance companies meant that the state had to pick up the tab. Network Rail has more than £50 billion debt as a result.
Re-nationalisation of the railways is overwhelmingly popular, with even a majority of Tory voters supporting it, though the Labour leadership opposes it. Profit is literally a waste of money; money which should be used to invest in the railways, but is siphoned out of the industry to the shareholders and the owners in some tax haven.
When he was looking for members' votes none other than Keir Starmer himself, with his Pledge 5, said: “Public services should be in public hands, not making profits for shareholders. Support common ownership of rail, mail, energy and water; end outsourcing in our NHS, local government and justice system.”
Starmer's climbdown on disciplining miscreants makes him look weak, and Lammy's `apology' just makes him lookstupid. Tottenham CLP has shown the right approach to the leadership's craven capitulation to the right wing media.
They have passed a resolution (below) supporting the RMT strikes, condemning Starmer's instruction to Shadow cabinet members not to attend picket lines, and calling on their MP (David Lammy) to visit the picket lines. This should be replicated in CLPs elsewhere. The affiliated unions should demand that Labour abandons this stance and supports the RMT.
One of the reasons for the 89% strike vote of RMT members is the fact that their reward for their work during the pandemic is wage cuts and job losses. This is a pivotal dispute because there is a generalised crisis of public services. Other workers are reaching the end of their tether, with the possibility of strikes by the BMA (which sent a message of support for the RMT) and teachers; not just the NEU but maybe even NASWUT which has put in a 12% claim. Royal Mail and BT are balloting and there are pickets outside the Old Bailey.
If Labour places itself in opposition to this movement, which is about adequate staffing and service delivery as well as wages, how do they expect millions of trades unionists to vote for them?
This statement from the RMT makes clear why strike action was taken in the first place. https://www.rmt.org.uk/news/rmt-statement/
Tottenham CLP resolution:
"This CLP: Recalls that the Labour Party was founded by the trade unions to give a political voice to the interests of working class people.
Condemns the reported instruction from Sir Keir Starmer that all Labour MPs in shadow cabinet, ministerial or PPSs must not attend RMT picket lines during the rail and underground dispute.
Urges our MP David Lammy to show support for striking workers in Tottenham by attending a RMT picket line in the constituency.
Blames the Tory government for refusing to give Network Rail, the Train Operating Companies, TfL and other rail companies the scope to reach a negotiated settlement to the dispute.
Gives full support and solidarity to RMT members in taking strike action in the current dispute over jobs, pay, pensions and safety
and
Calls on the Labour leadership to back rail and underground workers and all other groups of workers taking industrial action to secure a fair deal from their employers."
LRC NEC
