By a tube worker RMT MEMBERS Ray Stelzner and Pat Sikorski have been reinstated as guards on full pay at Leytonstone, the depot from which they were summarily dismissed over two months ago by London Underground.
But they will not be able to return to work until final binding arbitration by ACAS is delivered Friday October 22.
Management conceded the whole union case, except for allowing them to return to work, at talks at ACAS on the Monday following the successful one day strike by RMT traincrew on the Central Line on Thursday 7 October.
The day after the strike the RMT National Executive had unanimously decided to call a ballot of all RMT members on LUL and extend the one day strikes by the Central Line traincrew throughout the five week balloting period.
The strike call had been overwhelmingly supported by the RMT traincrew and even by a handful of principled members of ASLEF. However the overwhelming majority of that union and all its local branch officials crossed official picket lines.
Picketing on the east end of the line was particularly lively and effective, with anything up to 50 workers at both Leytonstone and Hainault at the peak of the booking-on times. As a result 80 per cent of rush hour trains and 75 per cent of off-peak trains were cancelled.
The other major factor contributing to the success of the campaign was the activity of about a dozen women who organised as the Partners Support Group.
They put out their own leaflets three times every week and distributed them to every train as it went through key stations on the line.
Whatever the outcome of the arbitration Ray and Pat will get a job back with LUL.
FOR JONS AND SERVICES Left must maintain tradition of generalised action be obstructing branch mergers which might expose the inflated membership figures they have been using and weaken their position at the coming round of conferences.
At the first London Local Government Committee, the regional official caucused with ex-NUPE branches before going to the meeting with exNALGO and ex-COHSE delegates. This abuse and marginalisation of lay structures has worried even the Morning Star Life on the tube would be an empty shell without Ray and Pat In this climate this is a major victory for the union on LUL and for the movement.
Management's plan was simple and that was to behead the RMT on the tubes by victimising the District Council secretary.
It was also well known that PIT 39parascan tably the UCH strike, however this support has been successfully used to prevent any spread of these examples and to close them down eventually.
The left has not been able to break out of this framework and generalise action. The Local Government pay ballot was lost by a two to one margin. It is crucial that the left push forward branch mergers and fight to defend lay structures at every level.
In this context the formation of the Campaign for a Fighting Democratic UNISON (CFDU) he was the front-runner in the current elections for a three year term on the union's NEC. As LUL gear up for another major round of attacks on the workers, their union busting operation has gone disastrously wrong.
At present all the groups on the left support the conferences but the SWP want a conference based on individual attendance and voting.
A delegate based conference would be more representative and encourage the campaign to be built at a branch and regional level where the decisions of the campaign can be translated into action.
Compromise
A compromise has been reached which will allow delegations from branches and,
ALL OUT 00 or 1 maid NO STRINGS! OFFICIAL •NALGO PICKET