By a London Underground train driver THE PLANNED all-out strike by RMT rail union members on London Underground was suddenly called off on Monday last week. What went wrong?
Readers of Socialist Worker or the London Evening Standard Probaby Deteve the magent was a straightforward sell out by the RMT bureaucracy.
In fact, the leadership played little role from start to finish. The strike was demanded, and organised by rank and file activists around RMT's London Transport District Council, and called off at the behest of the same 100 or so Support was so thin that striking would have meant not small minority willing to see it three factors created this Three factors created this intimidation; blatant sabotage ness of RMT activists themselves.
London Underground Limited (LUL) has built up a new management team over the last wiree years, with the express aim of smashing the In manyareas, the numberof manacers tripled as the old guard was retired, pushed out or knocked into line by voung white men brainwashed by New Management Techniques.
constant propaganda for the so-called Company Plan immediate issue benind the strike call giving the thing an air of inevitability for many workers.
RMT activists, especially the relatively autonomous London Underground District Council, which is dominated by class fighters, 100gH5 hard mobilise the members in reparation for a strike. The MT bureaucracy were happy District Council provided a constant supply of leaflets, instructed negotiators to hold firm, and held mass rallies to boost confidence.
The vote for action revealed a desire to strike, but workers were not convinced we could win without the other unions. Only where local acti vists campaigned hard were ordinary tubeworkers ready to follow eisewnere, ir was crear many were not. In some arcas, union reps even resigned their posttions and told members to come in to work.
Many staff were interviewed individually by management and told that if they did not sign Company Plan individual contracts, they would shortly be signing dole claims. Threats to sack strikers were taken seriously, because people knew bosses wanted to axe Even then could have held the day if ASLEF - which effectively acted like a comand the craft unions had not told their members to work through any dispute. The ASLEF strike ballot is merely a face saver and should not be taken seriously. Creditis militants who promised to respect picket lies The evening after the strike was called off, around 50 people attended a District ouncil meeting. representing a wide range and several different political Te busy one saic the strike should have gone ahead.
Everyone else agreed wehad put up a bitter and protacies Plan and a defeat would have fight against the Com turned into a rout if we had For that militant minority tradition to be preserved, we now have to develop a strong representation under the new formula of negotiation. We have been defeated, but we are not beaten.