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Showing posts with label ASLEF. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ASLEF. Show all posts
Wednesday, 26 December 2012
Solidarity with striking Aslef tube drivers
Firstly merry Christmas to all who read this blog hope you all had a peaceful and restful Christmas. Mine was not great had a rotten cold all day just starting to feel better now.
But enough about me today I’d like to send solidarity to striking Aslef tube drivers who are taking strike action today on Boxing Day over a long term dispute which they have been fighting with the boss’s of TFL for ages now.
The bile some have been throwing at these workers today has been saddening selfish football fans who cant get to watch Arsenal West ham as they bottled the game and called it off forgetting there is still taxi’s, bus’s and overground rail pretty pathetic really and then there are those going to the sales. Such anger from them too how dare these workers go on strike don’t they know how much of a mess we’re in without going on strike too they tell me.
Others tell me how inconvenienced they are and how much hassle these greedy drivers are causing.
So greedy drivers is the nub of the issue it seems.
Pushing aside the huge salaries the boss’s get into the 100’s of thousands a year plus expenses this miss’s many by. But tube fares go up in January will ordinary tube drivers see this increase put towards their pay? Like hell they will
It is a interesting thing that many people would ratehrmoan about tube drivers taking strike action more so than the rising fares which happens every day and yet they still get on with the train system and don’t boycott the tubes at al. It’s an odd sense of workers lack of confidence and a huge lack of solidarity with our fellow workers which ultimately saddens me so often.
This is not about greedy drivers this simply wants a decent level of pay for leaving your family at home to work. My view is if they boss’s want a tube service to run they should pay their staff a proper wage to do a job when they’d otherwise be at home enjoying Christmas like the rest of us.
Its sheer ignorance to attack tube drivers as greedy when bankers and the likes of the Queen come in for no attacks at all. Tube drivers are skilled workers and go through huge amounts of training before even stepping inside a train and these people who want driver less trains well no thanks I may be a bit old fashioned but I’d rather like someone who knows what they are doing caring about their job and being paid well than a robot with no mind of its own driving the train I’m on.
I always support workers entering into struggle as they are standing up for our class against the boss am who else is going to?
Solidarity with Aslef workers defends them when you can and remember an injury to one is an injury to us all.
Merry Christmas and a happy new year.
Friday, 4 March 2011
A few union news stories
SO in the news today there has been a couple of interesting union news stories which often dont get the recognition and the news time as perhaps they should. I myself like to keep on top of union matters and feel they dont have a big enough voice in the mainstream media. The mainstream media often the capitalist's own media refuse to publish union news stories in a positive light if they do publish stories on them its usually some good old union bashing. Well i'm a trades union member and will speak up for them and give them a voice if they need to. I wont defend them to the hilt of course but i will when i feel they have been misrepresented and anti union laws have been enforced.
So below are two news stories which have made the BBC today
Unions welcome court strike ruling
The RMT had called a strike on the Docklands Light Railway
Court halts train drivers strike
Two rail unions have welcomed a court ruling that prevents minor mistakes in balloting being used to halt strikes.
Aslef and the RMT challenged injunctions blocking strikes over small faults in procedure, such as polling those not entitled to vote.
The Court of Appeal clarified the law, saying unions cannot be expected to always have up-to-date membership records.
Trade union leaders called the ruling a "major step for industrial freedom".
Two strikes that were planned separately - by the RMT on London's Docklands Light Railway and by Aslef on London Midland - were halted in the courts because of what were seen as technicalities.
In the Aslef dispute, an overwhelming "yes" vote was set aside, because the employer objected to two ballot papers that had been sent to two members who were not entitled to take part.
The court said in future that the information should be "as accurate as was reasonably practicable" and that allowances should be made for "small accidental failures" in administration.
'Massive victory'
Richard Arthur, from the law firm Thompsons, who acted in the case, said the findings were a major victory for the union movement.
"There's been a series of cases over the last 18 months to two years where employers have found it easier to get injunctions and the way the legislation has been interpreted by the courts has been ever more restrictive," he said.
"This case redresses that balance and interprets the legislation in the way its supposed to be interpreted."
Keith Norman, Aslef's general secretary, said it had been almost impossible to take legal strike action in the UK.
"If the employer could find the tiniest discrepancy, the courts would find in the employer's favour," he said.
Bob Crow, leader of the RMT, called the result a "massive victory" and said it paved the way for millions of members to take action over cuts to jobs and services in the coming months.
--------------
The second story from the BBC news today on union matters well done the BBC for getting two in today is on post ofice workers pay and conditions.
Post Office staff vote to strike over pay
The Post Office says the Crown offices are losing £55m a year
Staff who work in Crown post offices have voted to go on strike in a dispute over pay and possible branch closures.
Communication Workers Union members at the 373 branches voted by nine to one for a strike, on a 66% turnout.
Talks are scheduled with the Royal Mail but strikes could start by the end of March if they were unsatisfactory, the CWU warned.
The Post Office said it was "disappointed" by the result, adding that deliveries would be unaffected.
The union said it was worried by the lack of pay rise this year and the future of the Crown offices.
'Job security'
Crown post offices form the network of main branches in the UK's High Streets and employ about 4,000 counter staff.
CWU deputy general secretary Dave Ward said: "This ballot is about more than pay - it is the job security of our members and the future of the Crown office network which is also at stake.
"The government and the company appear to be hiding the fact that they are planning a programme of further Post Office closures," he added.
Last month, the Post Office rejected the CWU's claim for a staff pay rise, saying the Crown branches were losing money, amounting to £55m in the past year.
A spokesman for the Post Office, said: "Post Office is disappointed that staff in our 373 directly managed [Crown] branches have voted in favour of strike action. Some 97% of Post Offices are run by subpostmasters and they will be unaffected by any industrial action.
"Postal deliveries across the UK are also unaffected by this ballot result."
Just a few stories thre to get your teeth into. I'll trya nd highlight more union news stories in the coming weeks and months as giving unions a better voice on this blog may not be much but its something that the mainstream media fail to do.
So below are two news stories which have made the BBC today
Unions welcome court strike ruling
The RMT had called a strike on the Docklands Light Railway
Court halts train drivers strike
Two rail unions have welcomed a court ruling that prevents minor mistakes in balloting being used to halt strikes.
Aslef and the RMT challenged injunctions blocking strikes over small faults in procedure, such as polling those not entitled to vote.
The Court of Appeal clarified the law, saying unions cannot be expected to always have up-to-date membership records.
Trade union leaders called the ruling a "major step for industrial freedom".
Two strikes that were planned separately - by the RMT on London's Docklands Light Railway and by Aslef on London Midland - were halted in the courts because of what were seen as technicalities.
In the Aslef dispute, an overwhelming "yes" vote was set aside, because the employer objected to two ballot papers that had been sent to two members who were not entitled to take part.
The court said in future that the information should be "as accurate as was reasonably practicable" and that allowances should be made for "small accidental failures" in administration.
'Massive victory'
Richard Arthur, from the law firm Thompsons, who acted in the case, said the findings were a major victory for the union movement.
"There's been a series of cases over the last 18 months to two years where employers have found it easier to get injunctions and the way the legislation has been interpreted by the courts has been ever more restrictive," he said.
"This case redresses that balance and interprets the legislation in the way its supposed to be interpreted."
Keith Norman, Aslef's general secretary, said it had been almost impossible to take legal strike action in the UK.
"If the employer could find the tiniest discrepancy, the courts would find in the employer's favour," he said.
Bob Crow, leader of the RMT, called the result a "massive victory" and said it paved the way for millions of members to take action over cuts to jobs and services in the coming months.
--------------
The second story from the BBC news today on union matters well done the BBC for getting two in today is on post ofice workers pay and conditions.
Post Office staff vote to strike over pay
The Post Office says the Crown offices are losing £55m a year
Staff who work in Crown post offices have voted to go on strike in a dispute over pay and possible branch closures.
Communication Workers Union members at the 373 branches voted by nine to one for a strike, on a 66% turnout.
Talks are scheduled with the Royal Mail but strikes could start by the end of March if they were unsatisfactory, the CWU warned.
The Post Office said it was "disappointed" by the result, adding that deliveries would be unaffected.
The union said it was worried by the lack of pay rise this year and the future of the Crown offices.
'Job security'
Crown post offices form the network of main branches in the UK's High Streets and employ about 4,000 counter staff.
CWU deputy general secretary Dave Ward said: "This ballot is about more than pay - it is the job security of our members and the future of the Crown office network which is also at stake.
"The government and the company appear to be hiding the fact that they are planning a programme of further Post Office closures," he added.
Last month, the Post Office rejected the CWU's claim for a staff pay rise, saying the Crown branches were losing money, amounting to £55m in the past year.
A spokesman for the Post Office, said: "Post Office is disappointed that staff in our 373 directly managed [Crown] branches have voted in favour of strike action. Some 97% of Post Offices are run by subpostmasters and they will be unaffected by any industrial action.
"Postal deliveries across the UK are also unaffected by this ballot result."
Just a few stories thre to get your teeth into. I'll trya nd highlight more union news stories in the coming weeks and months as giving unions a better voice on this blog may not be much but its something that the mainstream media fail to do.
Sunday, 16 January 2011
Why Ed miliband is wrong to bash the unions
so this morning on the bbc Ed miliband the labour party leader set about bashing the very same unions which helped him get elected. How ungrateful really.
reading this article here
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-12201252
suggests what the media dubbed red ed is starting to shake off his red image. Ed who i never truely thought was left wing or pro union is now setting about making sure no one thinks he is red or left at all.
When Neil Kinnock boasted we have our party back now with ed in charge how wrong could the guy be. I'm sorry but bashing the unions who helped you get elected whilst playing to them promising to march with them on TUC protests and stand shoulder to shoulder with working people was all a ploy to get elected. I'm sorry Ed but your honeymoon is over and i'm quickly going off you i'm afraid to say. The man seems to be more interested in attracting lib dems to his party and getting re elected than standing up for workers rights and their jobs. I'm deeply saddend by this and people have told me on twitter i sound very anti Ed well i feel let down by him really. I thought he'd be a change a new start for labour a chance to get back to the old labour traditions. Fat chance now reallly when the leadership is more out of touch than ever and winning by-elections is more important than supporting unions wishing to take action to defend peoples jobs and rights.
I think as another blogger i'm friendly with
http://harpymarx.wordpress.com/2011/01/16/which-side-are-you-on-mister-ed-not-ours/
rightly blogs abouthis similarly we are becoming less and less sure of what side of the fence does Mr Miliband stand on.
This situation where ed startst o turn on the unions who elected him was always going to happen since the leadership elections made him leader. But we didnt expect it so early on in his reign. Ed is running the danger of leading labour down a route of abandoning the unions and just becoming a party all out for winning elections and not fighting for workers and teh working class, which it always used to represent strongly.
People in the working class still vote for labour i feel as they know no different, they feel as a working class person that is who they should vote for without thinking do this lot really represent me truely ?
On another note there was the LRC conference 2011 on saturday in London which i did not attend but from what i could gather was a lot of left leaning labour MP's and members who call themselves the labour left. THis is teh sort of movement that does not need labour and its way of ignoring its left leanings they could go it alone or join with a trades unions movement. All of the things they were saying sounded very grand and lovely but they still think they can change the party from within. Well i myself am not very confident that can happen so i dont know where they get their confidence from.
It seems the labour left gets totally ignored by the labour leadership as they are deamed unelectable if they look too left or show any sign of being left. It is almost the case where the labour PLP and leadership feel that being left is a crime and we cant be seen showing signs of this.
Like Ed who seems to be taking pot shots at so called militant unions who want to strike to show a fight back i think is short sighted. How is ed defending peoples jobs instead then ? thing is he isnt him and his party would support cuts and tory cuts but just at a slower pace. SO effectively they are saying oh we will still cut you and you will still loose your job but just not yet so it you dont have to worry. Crazy how people still think this is a alternative i cant get my head around. For myself i am against all cuts to any public service and any job lost that doesnt need to be lost. If tax loop holes were closed properly banks taxed to teh hilt and true socialist policies introduced not fluffy ones this class war going on would be fairer. Afterall why should the working class's have to pay for the mistakes of rich irresponsible bankers.
Going back to Ed milibands bashing of the unions. A blog post from me earlier in the week stating about boris johnsons similar attack on ASLEF train drivers union who he had heard somewhere that were planning to strike on the day of the royal wedding. This was of course and Ed miliband will do well to remind himself of this too was never proposed or suggested by the union so to attack a union on a strike that may not even happen does make you look a little bit stupid if i may say so.
Now this blogpost is not all a anti labour or anti Ed miliband post as i'm not totally just feel that they are heading down a dangerous route that will put them in a impossible position where they will look so similar to the tories no one will take a look at them. So some true labour values would be nice to hear MR Miliband and some well over due support of the unions who support and fund you wouldnt go a miss too.
reading this article here
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-12201252
suggests what the media dubbed red ed is starting to shake off his red image. Ed who i never truely thought was left wing or pro union is now setting about making sure no one thinks he is red or left at all.
When Neil Kinnock boasted we have our party back now with ed in charge how wrong could the guy be. I'm sorry but bashing the unions who helped you get elected whilst playing to them promising to march with them on TUC protests and stand shoulder to shoulder with working people was all a ploy to get elected. I'm sorry Ed but your honeymoon is over and i'm quickly going off you i'm afraid to say. The man seems to be more interested in attracting lib dems to his party and getting re elected than standing up for workers rights and their jobs. I'm deeply saddend by this and people have told me on twitter i sound very anti Ed well i feel let down by him really. I thought he'd be a change a new start for labour a chance to get back to the old labour traditions. Fat chance now reallly when the leadership is more out of touch than ever and winning by-elections is more important than supporting unions wishing to take action to defend peoples jobs and rights.
I think as another blogger i'm friendly with
http://harpymarx.wordpress.com/2011/01/16/which-side-are-you-on-mister-ed-not-ours/
rightly blogs abouthis similarly we are becoming less and less sure of what side of the fence does Mr Miliband stand on.
This situation where ed startst o turn on the unions who elected him was always going to happen since the leadership elections made him leader. But we didnt expect it so early on in his reign. Ed is running the danger of leading labour down a route of abandoning the unions and just becoming a party all out for winning elections and not fighting for workers and teh working class, which it always used to represent strongly.
People in the working class still vote for labour i feel as they know no different, they feel as a working class person that is who they should vote for without thinking do this lot really represent me truely ?
On another note there was the LRC conference 2011 on saturday in London which i did not attend but from what i could gather was a lot of left leaning labour MP's and members who call themselves the labour left. THis is teh sort of movement that does not need labour and its way of ignoring its left leanings they could go it alone or join with a trades unions movement. All of the things they were saying sounded very grand and lovely but they still think they can change the party from within. Well i myself am not very confident that can happen so i dont know where they get their confidence from.
It seems the labour left gets totally ignored by the labour leadership as they are deamed unelectable if they look too left or show any sign of being left. It is almost the case where the labour PLP and leadership feel that being left is a crime and we cant be seen showing signs of this.
Like Ed who seems to be taking pot shots at so called militant unions who want to strike to show a fight back i think is short sighted. How is ed defending peoples jobs instead then ? thing is he isnt him and his party would support cuts and tory cuts but just at a slower pace. SO effectively they are saying oh we will still cut you and you will still loose your job but just not yet so it you dont have to worry. Crazy how people still think this is a alternative i cant get my head around. For myself i am against all cuts to any public service and any job lost that doesnt need to be lost. If tax loop holes were closed properly banks taxed to teh hilt and true socialist policies introduced not fluffy ones this class war going on would be fairer. Afterall why should the working class's have to pay for the mistakes of rich irresponsible bankers.
Going back to Ed milibands bashing of the unions. A blog post from me earlier in the week stating about boris johnsons similar attack on ASLEF train drivers union who he had heard somewhere that were planning to strike on the day of the royal wedding. This was of course and Ed miliband will do well to remind himself of this too was never proposed or suggested by the union so to attack a union on a strike that may not even happen does make you look a little bit stupid if i may say so.
Now this blogpost is not all a anti labour or anti Ed miliband post as i'm not totally just feel that they are heading down a dangerous route that will put them in a impossible position where they will look so similar to the tories no one will take a look at them. So some true labour values would be nice to hear MR Miliband and some well over due support of the unions who support and fund you wouldnt go a miss too.
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