Solidarity with RMT in their strike for decent pay and against cuts to the rail network

 

Aberdeen Trades Union Council sends our solidarity to the members of RMT in their strike action to demand a decent pay rise.

See statement from RMT below.

RMT statement on the forthcoming Rail and Tube strikes

In the past few weeks, discussions have been taking place at senior level with Network Rail, Train Operators and London Underground.

Despite the best efforts of our negotiators no viable settlements to the disputes have been created.

It has to be re-stated that the source of these disputes is the decision by the Tory Government to cut £4bn of funding from our transport systems - £2bn from national rail and £2bn from Transport for London.

As a result of this transport austerity imposed by the Government, the employing companies have taken decisions to:

• Savage the Railway Pension Scheme and the TFL scheme, cutting benefits, making staff work longer, and poorer in retirement, while paying increased contributions.
• Thousands of job cuts across the rail networks.
• Attacking terms, conditions and working practices in a form of internal fire and re-hire.
• Cutting real pay for most of our members through lengthy pay freezes and below RPI inflation pay proposals.

In the face of this massive attack on our people the RMT cannot be passive.

ATUC protests cost of living crisis and demands rich pay their fair share

Aberdeen Trades Union Council delegates were out on the streets protesting cost of living rises that are crippling working people and forcing the poorest to choose between eating and heating their homes.

Whilst president Graeme Farquhar took the ATUC banner to London and joined Kate Ramsden, Kathleen Kennedy, Andrew Burns and 100,000 other marchers on the TUC "We demand better" march and rally, other delegates were at a stall in St Nicholas Square, Aberdeen, making the arguments locally for action to deal with the crisis.

Graeme said, "It was an uplifting event and great to march with so many like minded people.

"It was also great to see so many women in the leadership of our union movement."

Solidarity with CWU in their strike action for decent pay

Aberdeen Trades Union Council sends solidarity to our comrades in the Communications Workers' Union who are taking strike action on Monday 6th June to demand a decent pay rise.

The strike is an absolute last resort and is necessary as a consequence of Post Office’s ill-conceived policy on pay. CWU members delivered a 97.3% YES vote for strike action on a turnout of 70.2% due to the pay freeze. This means there is a clear mandate for strike action.

Post Office has a significant group of workers (Postal Assistants) earning less than £24k per annum and if they were strictly following Government’s Public Sector pay policy, these workers should have received at least a £250 pay rise – they have not.

On top of the pay freeze for 2021/22, Post Office has offered an insulting 2.5% pay increase plus a £500 one-off payment (pro-rata for part-timers) for 2022/23.

Despite repeated attempts by the Union to instigate meaningful negotiations since the YES vote was declared on 28th March, Post Office has steadfastly refused to get around the bargaining table. They are putting their heads in the sand hoping this dispute will go away.