A DERISORY pay offer, massive job cuts and the onslaught of privatisation: rail workers face a catalogue of problems.
To make matters worse the main rail union, RMT, has Comed been severely weakened by management attacks on the right to organise, while the other two unions ASLEF and TSSA have been given "sweetheart' deals - as long as they promise to keep their members in check.
Signals
In the signal workers' dispute last year and the fight for Clause Four the RMT Executive has shown that it is prepared to act firmly in the defence of railworkers.
But the signal dispute also showed the power of union officials to obstruct and delay action which impedes the ability of railworkers to fight back.
Time and again through that dispute serious questions, such as the need to extend the dispute to other workers, were dodged.
Now the same is happening every day. The Executive has to show that it can take control of events and give a lead. Ultimately, if it is to be taken seriously, it has to involve the membership and fight to take control of the union out of the hands of a small clique of officials. offer has been rightly rejected by the RMT Executive. Their counter claim of 6% is sufficient to answer railworkers' immediate demands. And the decision to open up the struggle to involve other unions by calling a national demonstranon on June visio ne weBut doubts remain. Over a month after the decision to call the demonstration, no work had been done to organise it. No official publicity for it has yet been issued by RMT HQ. Apart from one letter and a handful of leaflets, no work had been done to convince railworkers that a fight over pay is possible.
only when individual Executive members went out and produced their own leaflets was something done.
Privatisation has reached its final stages. Already large parts of the former BR have been opened up to competitive tendering. Whilst most contracts nave been won in-house, as with local government competitive tendering the cost of winning has meant turning the screw on conditions and a serious loss of back.
Imposed
Elsewhere new semi-independent Train Operating Companies are looking to flex their muscles, with major attacks in the pipeline.
Nationally negotiated agreements are rapidly being replaced by locally-imposed conditions.
Again very little has been management. hopelessly out of date. done. Bob Crow, Assistant mittee was set up to monitor General Secretary, elected and control propaganda. This last year on a left ticket, has has not proved sufficient: the been touring the country talk- left has to tighten up its act to ing to BRIS members, raising ensure its instructions leave the need for a fightback, but it. no escape for Knapp and co. is clear that the other officers • Secondly we have to rehave no stomach for a fight- think the union's structure, devolving power to the levels Unlike twenty years ago, where decisions are being imwhen there was one national plemented. On the one hand employer, unwilling to force this will mean new Regional issues through, and it was pos- Councils with enhanced powsible to survive as a union ers to control regional offiwith a structure which meant cials. On the other we need to that no change was imple- set up Combine Committees mented at any level unless it of the grades based district was agreed nationally, today reps which can plan a strategy dozens of new small employ- to defend members from new ers are vying with each other to attack our conditions, im- • Thirdly the union has to posing their decisions at will. open up to the rank and file.
For most members the first. Techniques they know about issues is New management tech- when the management talk to munication and involvement has to be revamped. We need to turn RMT News into a paper that gives a lead on the union's priority campaigns, arming the membership. And we need a stream of leaflets and newsletters countering management disinformation, with a system for helping branches produce local propaganda.
Left
• The left also has to look at its own organisation. Over the years a variety of groups have operated - from secret CP-run Broad Lefts to a rigidly structured Broad Left dominated by Militant.
Currently the CFDU operates as a limited caucus, which was able to organise a successful fringe meeting at this year's Grades Conferences but finds it difficult to go beyond being a loose grouping of leading activists.
We have to make a turn outward to the ranks. This means being more organised. We need a more regular CFDU bulletin which opens up debate on how we deal with the broad problems facing the industry, and offering an alternative source of information on what is going on.
Watching from the RMT it is not always possible to see exactly what is happening in other rail unions. It is hard to judge how serious a development the ASLEF Campaign Group may be. However their decision to attack the ASLEF sell-out deal - which ended transfers from Train Operating Companies offered for sale - is a positive sign. The CFDU needs to build links with them and any forces in- UNION SPECIAL side the TSSA willing to fight.