Support sacked tube driver solidarity with victimised union reps

SO today sees the start of a 4 day strike by London Underground RMT tube drivers.

The four strikes are set to kick off on June 19, 27 and 29 and July 1 in response to the unfair sacking of Northern line tube driver Arwyn Thomas . Last month London Underground reappointed Arwyns fellow tube driver on teh Bakerloo line Eamonn Lynch but failed to re employ Arwyn. So as a result of union activity London Underground sacked Arwyn
and have not re appointed him at all.

aviour allegations

The strikes are due to take place between Sunday, the day before the Wimbledon tennis championships, and 1 July.

The union and LU began the meeting at the conciliation service Acas at about 1030 BST on Wednesday.


The judge suggested Arwyn Thomas was sacked for his union activities The tribunal has heard the case of the Northern Line driver Mr Thomas, who was dismissed for alleged abusive behaviour, and will deliver its full judgment later this month. Mr Thomas has been an union activist for 30 years.

BBC London has obtained documents of an interim relief hearing which was held to decide whether Mr Thomas should be on full pay since his dismissal in December 2010.

In it the judge gives an indication what the full judgement could be and reinstated the driver's full pay.

The allegations against Mr Thomas relate to two incidents in Morden and Kennington during a previous strike on 4 October - in one he denies swearing at a manager and in the second he admits calling a manager a "scab" and a strike breaker.


We as part of the NSSn were lucky to hear Arwyn and his fellow tube worker who was also involved in the dispute but has now been reemployed on same pay Eamon Lynch. At the NSSN conference last weekend both activists spoke admirably and told their story as they saw it. They made the case very clear that London Underground had been caught out badly here and should be in trouble themselves for going after Union activists like this in a unfair dismissal.

We on this blog send solidarity to the striking tube drivers and those joining them on the picket lines today and in the days to come. This dispute could be resolved very quickly if London Underground simply offer Arwyn his job back on same rate of pay. Being a union official and activist is not a crime or deserving of victimisation . It is time the boss's started realising this. If the law isnt on our side as working class trade unionists then we will have to use our last resort of collective united action to take on the boss's and win Arwyns job back.

We stand shoulder to shoulder with all comrades from the RMT today and offer any support we can to the strike.