8/13/2019 RMT LU 060114

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www.socialistworker.co.uk

LONDON UNDERGROUND BOSSES

are launching an unprecedentedassault on workers and the

service. RMT is balloting for strikes

across every grade. The ballot startedon 3 December and runs to 10 January.

LU bosses had the cheek to send a bulletin to all staff saying “there’ll be a jobfor everyone... who’s ready to be exible”.

The attacks mean every ticket ofce willgo and nearly a thousand posts on stationswill go. Bosses say jobs are safe if we’rewilling to accept down-banding, attacks onconditions and “exibility”. But they aim toclear posts through voluntary redundancies.

The work that is currently done by 5,747workers is now to be done by 4,794. Withall those posts going, bosses are driving adrastic restructuring of grades right acrossthe network. And they are trying to divideand rule. It’s crucial we stand together. If

we do, we can ensure that no one has tostomach any cuts.

The big YES vote in the strike ballotover the use of agency shows members arewilling to ght. These changes aren’t aboutimproving the service. How will passengers

 benet by losing ticket ofces and staff?

InaccessibleThe reality is that, for many, the cuts willhit hard. The impact for disabled peoplewill mean an already highly inaccessibletube system will become even lessaccessible. Elderly people, and parents

travelling with prams and young children,who rely on assistance from station staffwill struggle with journeys.

These cuts are about nding the Tories’demand for a 12.5 percent cut in TfL’sspending. We urgently need action.

Bosses could impose these cuts as earlyas February. It’s great that RMT is ballotingacross all grades for strikes. In the nalweek we have to do all we can to deliver ahuge YES vote. Then we must make surestrikes are called quickly. The members’meeting for London Underground

workers on 10 January (4pm at ConwayHall, Red Lion Square) is a chance tobuild momentum for strikes.

Strikes must have the maximum impact.If we shut down the whole network bystriking together, action will hit the bosseshard and can force them to back off.

It was good to hear Bob Crow on theradio saying that we would need more thana one day strike and there could be as manyas ve days consecutive action.

This is the kind of action we’ll need

to shift Boris onto the back foot and weshould keep up the pressure to make sure ithappens.

HeadacheWhen we strike, we give bosses a massiveheadache they can’t ignore. In 2010, it costthe city £48 million each strike day the tubewas shut―that’s power! With hard hittingaction, we can stop these attacks.

That means reaching for solidarity withunions and campaigns. Disabled PeopleAgainst the Cuts (DPAC) have recentlyheld days of action against the impact of

transport cuts. We should invite them tospeak on picket lines.

This autumn and over Christmas,reghters have been striking to defendthe re service. Teachers struck in recentmonths to defend education.

Tube workers have shown solidarity withreghters, it would be great if action in thewas coordinated with the FBU.

 VOTE YES: HARD HITTINGSTRIKES CAN DERAIL CUTS

RMT Mitie cleaners show how to fght

 As nearly 1,000 jobs and all ticket ofces face the axe...

This would maximise pressure on Boris,who is recklessly ignoring the re authority

 by slashing London’s re service, whileundermining health and safety on the tube.

We’ve seen incredible resistance toattacks on the NHS, with huge communitymobilisations that have stopped closures,such as the campaign in Lewisham.

The attacks we face are part of a widerassault on working class people by theTories. That’s why we can be condentthat a strike would win widespread supportfrom the public.

SeriousThe Tories want us to pay for a crisiscaused by the rich, by slashing our services,

 jobs, pay and conditions and attacking ourtrade unions.It will take a serious ght from our unions,

 but we can stop them.

September saw 50,000 on the streetsoutside the Tory conference in Manchester.The Hovis strikes that defeated zero

hours contracts, and strikes by RMTcleaners show how to ght.

We need to use our full collective power by striking across the network and makesure we give the bosses no option but toretreat on these attacks.

This is a ght we can win.

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RMT LU 060114