RMT members London Underground have voted by over 5 to 1 for further strike action over the effects of privatisation.
The ballot result, announced on Friday 29 January showed 2,489 for strike action, 436 against and 3 spoilt papers. John Leach, RMT executive member for London Underground, told Socialist Outlook "this is a better result than previously, and although it was a relatively low turnout of 49%, this was because the ballot had been held over a short period of 3 weeks in order to have the option of taking action in advance of the first handover of tube workers to a private company on February 14. "Although no date is yet set for action, there is a mass consultaGlen Vorris, Secretary workers vote tion meeting set for Wednesday 3 February, and the Executive will be taking a decision on the afternoon of Thursday 4. We have also informed LUL management that we are available for talks."
The need for the re-ballot came about because the courts declared action planned for early in the New Year illegal. Despite opposition from the left, the RMT executive caved in and called the action off.
It is possible that management will attempt to get an injunction against further action on the grounds that the strike action would be being against a future employer not LUL. If this happens the Executive and membership will be faced with the choice of giving up the fight or going ahead with illegal action. Greg Tucker, left candidate for General Secretary, points out "If the courts declare this ballot illegal, there will be no basis for re-balloting and we will have to take illegal action."
Under Prescott's "Public Private Partnership" scheme those who maintain the automatic ticket gates will be handed over to Westinghouse on February 14, to be followed later by most non train crew staff. Although the deals are not finalised, different companies will have responsibility for different sections of the Underground, a re-run of the farcical privatisation of the railways. In theory it will all be handed back to LUL after 30 years and massive investment by the private companies, but no-one is holding their breath. Rather late in the day public campaigning around the issue has taken off, in an attempt to link Bob Crow (right) Steve Hedley (left) and Greg Tucker next to him listen to Ken Livingstone at the Brent meeting other trades unionists and users with RMT members. A central Campaign Against Tube Privatisation meets regularly, and leafletting of tube stations has met a good response.
Brent Trades Council, together with local RMT branches and Brent East Labour Party held a public meeting against the privatisation on 14 January which about people attended, including many RMT members.
Bob Crow, Assistant General Secretary of the RMT spelt out what the privatisation will mean for both users and workers. Greg Tucker pointed out the parallels with the disaster of rail privatisation and the need for railworkers to draw lessons from their failure to prevent it. Ken Livingstone put the whole issue in a political context. Steve Hedley, RMT member victimised during the rail infrastructure strikr, also drew out the need for fighting trade unionism.
From that meeting a Brent Campaign against Tube Privatisation has been set up. The campaign will be leafletting several local tube stations just before the first handover and on any day of strike action.
It is also organising a lobby of the surgery of local MP Paul Boateng, a member of the government, on February 20 and a street stall on Saturday 13. It will also be supporting the mass lobby of Prescott's office on Friday February and turning out on local pickets at Queens Park and Neasden Depots.
A similar campaign has also been set up in Lambeth, which is holding a public meeting on Monday 15 February with Bob Crow, Greg Tucker and John