Printed by Tridant Press, Edenbridge. Published by Idolrare Ltd, PO Box 1109, London N4 2UU. Copyright O1...
victimised RMT Tubeworker The witchunt launched against me in the London 'Evening Standard' is a desperate attempt by London Underground management to claw back some of the ground they have lost following the outcome of the interim industrial tribunal hearing and the result of the ballot of the train crew members of the RMT on the Central Line.
The interim hearing had to decide whether management's allegations that I had used threatening behaviour held water, or if I had been unfairly dismissed.
After hearing all the evidence, the tribunal took just eight minutes to unanimously reject management's allegations that I had used threatening behaviour to a manager, and instead find that! had been unfairly dismissed for trade union activities.
The whole of the 'Red Guard... article is peppered with descriptions of me as 'pushy', 'bullying', 'intimidating' etc - all aimed at undermining the finding of Tribunal.
The fact is that trade unionists win less than 20 per cent of ordinary tribunal hearings - let alone the interim hearings at which the burden of proof demanded of the applicant is much greater.
Winning the tribunal was a major vindication of the union's case and exposed LUL management's real agenda - the destruction of effective trade unionism on the Underground.
What was worse for management was that by the time of the hearing the vast bulk of the ballots had already been returned. The Central Line traincrew have voted by four to one in a 60 per cent turnout for two one day strikes for the full re-instatement of Ray and Pat.
The other aim of the witchunt is to give the full time leadership of the RMT and the right wing NEC an excuse first to distance themselves from the strike struggle, and then to sell it out.
Jimmy Knapp has already given his excuses for the two pre-strike rallies on the Central Line pleading "prior engagements'. ACAS has been on the phone asking if the union side would attend 'exploratory' talks.
The task of the left wing on the NEC this week will be to fight for the rest of the RMT members on LUL to be balloted for strike action. The Central Line traincrew must notbe left to fight alone for trade unionism on LUL.
Meanwhile the rest of the movement must build on the paper support from the TUC General Council for the 'Friends of Ray and Pat' statement in order to raise and carry forward the fight for free independent trade unionism.