INSIDE THIS ISSUE UNITE TO UNITE TOUNITE TO DEFEND …€¦ · > Asbestos related diseases > Unfair dismissal > Discrimination > Conveyancing - Estate Agency > Wills & Executries

Essential reading for today’s transport worker

www.rmt.org.uk

ISSUE NUMBER 3, VOLUME 7

INSIDE THIS ISSUE...

MARCH 2006

RAIL UNIONSRAIL UNIONSUNITE TOUNITE TODEFENDDEFENDPENSIONSPENSIONS

RAIL UNIONSUNITE TODEFENDPENSIONS

HEALTH AND SAFETYCONFERENCE REPORTPAGE 18

WIGHTLINK BALLOTOVER PAYPAGE 14

CAMPAIGNING FORSAFER STATIONSPAGE 8

Incorporating The MacPhail Lawrence Partnership.

65 Bath Street, Glasgow G2 2DD.

e-mail: [email protected]

website: www.drummond-miller.co.uk

> Injuries at work> Post traumatic stress disorder> Repetitive strain injury> Road traffic accidents> Vibration white finger> Criminal injuries claims

Experts in Employment Law, Accident and Injury Claims> Asbestos related diseases> Unfair dismissal> Discrimination> Conveyancing - Estate Agency> Wills & Executries> Family Law

Telephone 0141 332 0086 - Glasgow

Drummond MillerDrummond MillerARE PLEASED TO OFFER OUR CONTINUED SUPPORT TO THE

RAILWAY, MARITIME & TRANSPORT WORKERS’ TRADE UNION.

Legal services helpline for Scottish members - freephone 0800 328 1014

www.rmt.org.uk :: march 2006 :: RMTnews

3

Pensions are shaping up to be the biggestbattleground in the rail industry for 50

years.The Railways Pensions Scheme had a

massive surplus in 1988 but, due toprivatisation of the industry, it has beensplit into dozens of pieces and employershave taken advantage of long contributionsholidays.

Yet now they want us to pay forshortfalls with massive contribution hikes,or effectively closing the scheme by barringnew entrants.

RMT has united with other unions todemand that employee contributions arecapped at an affordable rate, that the fundis kept open to new entrants, that benefitsare maintained at least at current levels andthat the scheme is streamlined.

This battle is all the more importantwhen you consider that the state pension isnot linked to RPI. A state pension worth£71 today will be worth even less in thefuture. It is crucial that the rail pensionfund not only survives but is not tooexpensive for people to join.

This union has also expressed concernsover the take-over of the Channel tunnelrail link by a consortium headed by arch-privateer Adrian Montague.

We are seeking assurances that thegovernment would not allow a land-grab orother asset-stripping and that the Eurostarworkers’ pension fund would not beundermined.

Nearly £4 billion of taxpayers’ moneyhas already underwritten this project. Thelast thing we need is yet more publicmoney ending up subsidising thegovernment’s big-business mates.

The situation at the rail freight companyEWS continues to be a cause for concern.The company recently told this union thatcollective bargaining rights would moveforward on the same basis as otherrecognised unions. However, after themeeting, the union was presented with a nostrike deal, which, of course, we refused tosign. This union remains determined to lookafter the interests of EWS members.

RMT shipping branches have just met tolook at setting up an employee register ofseafarers. This is to ensure UK seafarers areoffered employment and that all seafarersare organised within the union.

On the London Underground,management tried to bring in unacceptablenew disciplinary procedures which wouldhave allowed managers to victimise localreps anyone on a whim.

After a successful strike ballotmanagement have now confirmed inwriting that they will engage in negotiation

and consultation, including referral toACAS, before introducing new procedures.

The support from all LUL members hasbeen crucial in bringing management backaround the table to reach a resolution tothis dispute.

A correspondent for that anti-union ragThe Evening Standard recently attackedRMT and sneered that we like balloting butnot striking. Well, I can only agree withhim. If we can get a result without strikeaction all the better.

This union only ballots for two reasons,when an employer refuses to negotiate orwhen something is imposed on memberswithout their consent. If we can changethese attitudes without taking strike actionthen it is an even better achievement thenif members had to take action.

Employers continue to attack our busworker members, imposing worse conditionsand forcing drivers to work longer inincreasingly heavy traffic. The bus workersgrades conference is coming up and we willbe looking to see how we can developdemands contained within our bus workers’charter.

Rest assured, whatever grade you workin, you will be treated the same as anyother member. This union does not promotesectional interests, only the interests oftransport workers.

However, in order to achieve justice thiscountry needs just laws, not legislationdesigned to help employers exploit workingpeople.

With this in mind, I would encourage allmembers to come to May Day in Londonthis year and bring your families to marchfor trade union rights and in support of theTrade Union Freedom Bill.

This bill demands that the UK meets itsinternational legal obligations and lifts thehuge barriers on workers having the rightto strike.

I would also like to invite you to cometo our annual Cuba night on June 7 atMaritime House, but be quick as there areonly limited spaces.

Finally, membership is on the up again.Every increase in membership means thatwe are stronger in the workplace to defendand improve your standard of living.

Best wishes

Page 4 DIVERS MEET

Page 5 GROWING SOLIDARITY

Page 6 RAIL CLOSURE THREAT

Page 7LOBBYING FOR NORTHERN RAIL

Page 8 CAMPAIGN FOR SAFER STATIONS

Page 10PARLIAMENT DEBATES RAIL

Page 11TRADE UNION FREEDOM BILL

Page 12RMT WOMEN LAUNCH CHARTER

Page 13CREATING THE CLIMATE FOR CHANGE

page 14PROTECTING CONDITIONS ATCALMAC

Page 15 RFA DRUGS HAUL

Page 16RAIL UNIONS UNITE TO DEFEND YOURPENSION SCHEME

Page 18ENFORCE HEALTH & SAFETY RULES

Page 20TEN YEARS OF RAIL CHAOS

Page 22FROM BOGOTA TO CARACAS

Page 24INTERNATIONAL FOCUS

Page 25PRESIDENT’S COLUMN

Page 26EXPLOITATION AND PROFITEERING

Page 29CROSSWORD

Page 30HOW TO JOIN THE CREDIT UNION

contents EDITORIAL

RMT News is compiled and originated by National Union of Rail,Maritime & Transport Workers, Unity House, 39 Chalton Street,London NW1 1JD. Tel: 020 7387 4771. Fax: 020 7529 8808. e-mail [email protected] The information contained in thispublication is believed to be correct but cannot be guaranteed. Allrights reserved. RMT News is designed by Bighand Creative andprinted by Leycol Printers. General editor: Bob Crow. Managingeditor: Brian Denny. No part of this document may be reproducedwithout prior written approval of RMT. No liability is accepted forany errors or omissions. Copyright RMT 2005

DEFEND YOUR PENSION

RMTnews :: march 2006 :: www.rmt.org.uk

4

Open six days a week Mon to Fri - 8am until 6pm, Sat - 9.30am to 4pm

e-mail: [email protected]

Legal helpline: 0800 587 7516Seven days a week

Members HelplineFreephone 0800 376 3706

PETERLINDSAYAPPRECIATIONEVENINGSouth East Essex branch,

formerly the Southend-on-Sea branch, showed theirappreciation to their formerbranch secretary Peter Lindsaywho celebrated his 75thbirthday in January.

Peter retired in 1995 afterserving as the Southend andDistrict branch secretary for 15years.

Peter also served on the NURCouncil of Executives from1979-1981 and from 1985-1987during each term working withnational president TonyDonaghey.

Tony was pleased to presenthis old friend Peter with somecommemorative glassware, onbehalf of his former colleagues,in appreciation for his services.

RMT divers and diving personnel recentlyattended meetings in London and Aberdeen

to demand that claims for improvements in payand conditions are treated seriously by theemployers.

National secretary Steve Todd said that it wasclear that members were not prepared to acceptthe continuation of inadequate rewards in payand conditions.

“They have set the agenda for change and theunion will be acting on it with all the resourcesnecessary.

“Being organised through a strong and unitedRMT membership will be the key to success,” hesaid.

The divers’ claim will centre on a substantialincrease in all pay rates along with demands toaddress other issues such as travel, responsibility,stand-by and bank holiday payments. Otherissues include sick pay, holiday pay, sat bonuses,pensions and loss of licence insurance.

RMT Regional Organiser Stan Herschel, whowill lead negotiations for divers, said that asubmission reflecting the views of memberswould be made.

“We expect employers to recognise thevalidity of our members’ claim and respondpositively.

“Members will be actively involved in theprocess through a representative structure andfurther meetings will be arranged as appropriate,”he said.

Bradley Davis received his 40year badge from the General

Secretary Bob Crow at a recentGreat Eastern Rail branchChristmas social at the RailwayTavern in Stratford, London.

Bradley Davis joined the

railways and the union in 1962.Bradley was a groundstaffemployee with EWS and retired in2005.

Great Eastern Rail meets on thethird Thursday of every month at18.00 at the same venue.

ADIEU TOBRADLEY

DIVERS MEET

Looking at Priscilla Dada’sbusy schedule it is clear why

she scooped RMT’s youngmember of the year award.

When Priscilla is not puttingin a shift at Canada Water Tubestation on the Jubilee line as acustomer services assistant, shestill takes a keen interest in herunion as both a learner rep anda health and safety rep.

This is despite the fact shejoined the union less than threeyears ago. So how did she getinvolved?

“I met a friend on thetraining course for station staffand she was in RMT.

“Her brother was already atrain operator and after talkingto her it became clear that RMTwas the union for me,” she says.

She points out that she likesthe idea of an all-grades unionwhich rejected the idea ofsectionalism.

“Whatever grade you are, weare all together ready to defendeach other.

“I like that sense ofsolidarity,” she says.

Priscilla got involved aftermeeting her branch secretaryJason Humphreys whoencouraged her to take part invarious union activities.

Today, she also serves on the

liaison committee for youngmembers, the black and ethnicadvisory committee andattended this year’s women’sconference in Gloucester.

“Jason steered me throughthe union structures, which canbe a bit intimidating to newmembers,” she says.

As a result, she is lookingforward to going to the union’sannual general meeting inDublin this year to pick up heraward and to see the governingbody of the union in action.

Priscilla already shows adistinct aptitude for picking upunion rules by pointing out thatshe will to have to wait for fiveyears in membership before shecan attend as a delegate.

This year’s award winner isalready a picket line veteranafter taking part in the Tubestation staff strike over rosters.

“We still have problems withunderstaffing and other issuescrop up but being in the unionmeans you can raise thingswithout fear,” she says.

So what does Priscilla likeand dislike about her union?

“I like getting RMT Newseach month to see what is goingon with other grades andindustries as well as LondonUnderground,” she says.

She thinks the union coulddo more to inform newmembers on how to getinvolved as often people justdon’t know where to begin.

“Not everyone is luckyenough to have a branchsecretary like Jason,” she saysbefore bursting into fits oflaughter.

Outside union activities,Priscilla enjoys watching

football, particularly her belovedLiverpool.

When asked why she pickeda Merseyside team whenPriscilla is from deepest southeast London, she explains that acertain high-scoringmoustachioed Liverpool player,who captained Wales manytimes, caught her eye in herformative years and she wassmitten.

Priscilla is looking forward togoing to other branch meetingsto see if things are done anydifferently. So keep an eye outas this year’s award winner maywell pop up in a meeting nearyou some time soon.


5

Growing solidarity!London Underground worker Priscilla Dadaspeaks to RMT News about becomingyoung member of the year


6

Much of the 2005 Railways Actaddressed the closure of lines, servicesand stations and the Department forTransport recently issued a consultationdocument which deals with closureprocedures and modifications guidance.

Next year, the DfT will also announcehow much money they have available inthe railway pot and there are indicationsthat the Treasury is seeking to cut£1billion a year from the rail budget.

Under the new guidance, once aclosure is proposed, a cost-benefitanalysis is conducted with monetaryvalues placed on a series of factorsincluding the impact that closure willhave on the environment, accessibility,safety and the economy.

However, this cost-benefit analysis isalready used and all too often utilised asa barrier to investment on rail network.

Secondly, consultants carrying out theanalysis are likely to come up withresults required by the DfT to support aclosure, once again raising the spectre of‘bustitution’.

The highly respected Rail BusinessIntelligence journal recently said: “thefundamental problem is an underlyingassumption that buses, which obviouslyincur negligible infrastructure costs, arein principle as good as the rail servicesthey replace.

“The danger is that bustitution willinevitably emerge as the cheapest optionfor a substantial proportion of thenetwork as the noose tightens” it said.

The guidance also makes clear that inaddition to the money which could besaved by rail closure, potential land

values should also be taken into account.The guidance scraps the current

system where the final decision overclosure rests with the elected Secretaryof State for Transport and regional RailPassengers Committees report on thelikely hardship caused by any proposedcut.

The new procedure will allowNetwork Rail, Train OperatingCompanies, or a rail funding authority(DfT, Scottish Parliament, WelshAssembly, PTAs or the London Mayor) topropose a closure. The decision to goahead will be made by the unelectedOffice of Rail Regulation.

The consultation process requires thatnotices are placed in newspapers and inthe stations affected by the proposedclosures. Organisations have 12 weeks torespond after the second newspapernotice appears.

Trade unions and local rail users’groups are not on the list oforganisations to be consulted and thereis no obligation to hold public hearingsto discuss proposals.

RMT will be working with other railunions and other groups to campaign forthe protection and expansion of railservices.

The deadline for responses to theconsultation is 21 April, anyorganisation or individual can respondincluding local rail campaigners and railusers’ groups. The full closures proceduredocument can be found at:http://www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/dft_railways/documents/divisionhomepage/611062.hcsp

RMT activists and supporterslobbied a Bristol city council

meeting last month to save thethreatened Severn Beach railline.

RMT’s Bristol Rail branch,alongside the city’s trades unioncouncil and transportcampaigners, lobbied Bristolcouncillors to throw out aLiberal Democrat cabinetproposal to axe the council’sentire £138,000 rail supportbudget.

The grant supports serviceson the Severn Beach line, whichprovides a vital transport lifelineacross north and west Bristol,through Clifton and Avonmouth

to Severn Beach.“£138,000 is not a huge

amount of money and Bristolcity council should beconsidering increasing it, notcutting it,” said RMT regionalcouncil secretary Alex Gordon.

“The Severn Beach line needsmore services, not fewer, butaxing this lifeline grant willstart a downward spiral thatcould lead to closure,” he said.

The proposal has alreadyprompted First group to planreplacing some morning serviceswith buses and rescheduling therest to make them useless forpeople who rely on them to getto work.

RMT members in and aroundBristol converged on theCouncil House when theproposal was debated to tell thecouncil loud and clear to savethe line.

Bristol East Labour MP KerryMcCarthy also tabled early day

motion 1702 condemning theplanned cut that can only resultin more traffic on alreadycongested roads.

The motion, signed byseveral MPs already, also backedthe campaign to improveBristol’s rail services.

RAILCLOSURETHREATSince last year’sRailways Act waspassed there have beengrowing press reportsthat branch linesshould be concretedover and many stationscould be closed

SAVE THE SEVERN BEACH LINE

A train crosses Narroways Junction in Bristol, where the single line to Severn Beachbranches off from Bristol Temple Meads to Filton mainline.


7

Members from RMT’sparliamentary group met

ministers to argue for theprotection of Northern Railservices last month.

Organised by RMT groupmember Jim Cousins, LabourMP for Newcastle Upon TyneCentral, the meeting was part ofthe wider RMT campaignlaunched after a review wasannounced on the future ofNorthern Rail.

The review raised fear thatthere would be widespread cutsin services and jobs.

Northern Rail senior reps,Craig Johnson and MickThompson, came to London toassist in the briefing of MPs.

In a constructive meeting,Transport Minister Derek Twiggassured MPs that thegovernment valued the role ofNorthern Rail services and theoutcome of the review would bepublished shortly.

He also agreed to considerholding a seminar on the futureof Northern Rail services.

The union will continue to

campaign to protect NorthernRail services and urges membersto ask their MP to sign EarlyDay Motion 351 below:

EDM 351

NORTHERN RAIL SERVICES

That this House notes thatunder the terms of the RailwaysAct 2005 the Government willassume responsibility for theStrategic Rail Authority's reviewof service and fare levels on the

Northern Rail franchise; isconcerned at previous pressreports that the review couldlead to higher fares, replacingoff-peak rail services with buses,line closures and job losses; andtherefore urges the Governmentto use its powers under theRailways Bill to oppose any lineor station closures, job cuts andsubstitution of rail services withbuses on Northern Rail services.

RMT membership hasincreased to an impressive73,347 members, a further2.5 percent increase.

This means that unionmembership has grown byover 20 per cent in the lastthree years.

RMT membershipdepartment manager PeteWaters said that it was aremarkable achievementgiven the losses suffered dueto redundancies at P&O andthe closure of Eastleighworks.

This increase inmembership has meant thatthe union has been able toemploy additional staff tocope with the increasedworkload.

“We are working closelywith the organising unit anda number of projects arebeing rolled out this year tobring even more positiveresults to our union,” hesaid.

This includes the union’sown call centre ‘LondonCalling’, which hassurpassed all expectationswith over 600 lapsedmembers re-joining in justover five months.

Previously, thesemembers would have beenmailed, with no furtherfollow-up, meaning theywould have been written offas non-members.

Organising unit co-ordinator Alan Pottage saidthat the union’s strategyhad been extremelysuccessful.

“We are hittingworkplaces on a constantbasis and organising teamsand RMT reps are helping tobuild sustainable unionstructures.

“The union has ensuredthat real support is availableto build our strength andwin victories for workingpeople,” he said.

RMT called off 24-hour strikeaction planned for March 1

after Tube managers agreed toadhere to current attendance anddisciplinary procedures.

New proposals published onthe LUL internal intranet, wouldhave been unacceptable as theywould have allowed anymanager to discipline staff on awhim.

RMT general secretary BobCrow said that management hadconfirmed in writing that theywill engage in negotiation andconsultation, including referral

to ACAS, before any steps aretaken to introduce newprocedures.

LUL confirmed that currentprocedures will continue andthat any local interpretations,which have caused suchdifficulties, will now bewithdrawn.

“The support from all LULmembers has been crucial inbringing management backaround the table to reach aresolution to this dispute,” Bobsaid.

RMT members across the

Tube network voted to takeindustrial action if managementhad attempted to impose the newpolicies, following a six to oneby RMT drivers to take action.

Progress was also been madeon local disciplinary proceduresand harassment policy andpolicies on SPADS will also beadhered to.

RMT London Transportexecutive committee memberJohn Leach said that “ourdetermination to stick together isthe best protection for everyRMT member for the future”.

RMTMEMBERSHIPON THE UP

Lobbying forNorthern Rail

TUBE STRIKE CALLED OFFAFTER LUL BACK DOWN


8

Violence on trains has risen by43 per cent in the last five yearsaccording to British TransportPolice figures.

Over 6,350 violent offenceswere recorded in England andWales in the last year comparedwith 5,905 in 2003/2004.

Cumbria, Cleveland,Northamptonshire saw rises of300 per cent while Northumbriasuffered a rise of nearly 400 percent.

This shocking rise in violenceon Britain’s public transportnetwork has prompted calls forbetter security and an end to thescandal of unstaffed stations.

RMT has said that railworkers and passengers clearlywant adequate staff on duty onevery station whenever it isopen and a guard on everytrain.

However, the economics ofprivatisation means ever morestations without staff andconstant attempts to underminethe safety role of the guard.

A recent RMT report byProfessor Jean Shaoul ofManchester University TheRailways in a Third Term foundthat returning Train OperatingCompanies to public ownershipcould release significant publicfunds that could be reinvestedin our railway.

UNDER PUBLIC OWNERSHIP:

• Subsidies and fare revenueswould no longer be drainedfrom the industry as returnsto private lenders andinvestors. Dividends paidannually by TOCs to parentcompanies averaged £170million in the years 2001-

2003. In 2004 total profitssoared to £290 million, a 20per cent increase on theyear before

• There would be no need fortendering processescurrently costing £3 millionto £4 million each andaveraging out at one ayear– nor would the cost ofpreparing bids need to befactored into the cost ofrunning services as TOCscurrently do

• Less resources andbureaucracy would beneeded for administeringand monitoring contracts –the government does notpublish a breakdown but aconservative estimate mightbe to suppose that“franchise management”

accounts for a third of itsoperating budget, saving£30 million a year

• Professor Shoal estimatesthat total savings ofreturning the TrainOperating Companies topublic ownership wouldamount to more than £200million a year

Therefore, talk of massiveinvestment by the private sectoris a myth – the truth is that theprivate sector drains at least£800 million out of our railwaysevery year.

Every penny invested in ourrailways ultimately comes fromfare-paying passengers and tax-payers, and every penny shouldbe used to improve the network.

The work done by ProfessorShaoul shows that bringing thetrain-operating companies aloneback into public ownership willrelease more than £200 milliona year to invest in safer stations.

That would allow projectedspending on improving stationinfrastructure to double, with

CAMPAIGNING FOR SAFER

photo copyright © Justin Tallis

Returning Britain’s train-operating companies topublic ownership would release £200 million forimproving station security and more than 1,600extra station staff

Last month marked the 10th anniversary of the firstprivate train operating company coming onto our rail network.

Ten Labour colleagues and I marked this occasion by tabling Early DayMotion 1561 calling for the railways to be brought back under democraticpublic control.

Rail privatisation was driven by ideological dogma to force public assetsinto private hands. It made no economic sense then – public borrowing forpublic investment is massively cheaper and easy to raise – and theexperience of the last ten years shows it make no sense now.

The Tories promised us cheaper and more efficient railways, but theyfragmented the rail network and gave us the opposite.

Privatisation has been used to pour billions of pounds of public moneyinto deep corporate pockets with little public benefit.

Since privatisation around £10 billion of public subsidy has been given tothe train operating companies, around £1bn of which has been taken outof the industry in dividends paid to parent companies. In 2003/04 theprivate Train Operating Companies (TOCs) received in excess of £2 billionin subsidy.

In the ten years since privatisation, it is estimated that public subsidy perpassenger journey rose by five times, and maintenance costs undertakenby private contractors multiplied by three and half times. As the formerRail Regulator put it in 2003, “BR worked miracles on a pittance”.

A report by the Catalyst think-tank demonstrated that while nationalisedBritish Rail was under-funded for decades, it was actually remarkablyefficient with a high level of productivity.

Since 1996, rail fares have increased by 24 per cent and are among thehighest in Europe. Punctuality is worse than under British Rail.Privatisation led to fragmentation, a loss of skills in rail industry andpassengers and rail workers have been killed after our railways werehanded over to a multiplicity of private contractors and profiteers. Railwaysafety was relegated to second place to cut costs and increaseshareholder dividends.

In light of these tragedies, this government established Network Rail as anot-for-dividend company to take over from the disaster that wasRailtrack. Network Rail took maintenance contracts in-house and costswere reduced.

When the South East Trains franchise was taken in-house in 2003, costsfell and service quality improved on £1 million per month less in statesubsidy.

However, the government seemed unwilling to allow public enterprise tobe seen to be working better than private enterprise, so the franchise wasforced back into the private sector.

A reply to a written parliamentary question showed that by June 2004 thetendering process for Northern Rail had cost £2.6million with the final costexpected to be £3.9 million.

Indeed, it is the huge cost of privatisation which has led the governmentto launch a review of Northern rail services raising concerns that therecould be station closures, job losses, fare increases and cuts in services.

There are many good environmental reasons to encourage people out ofcars into trains, but people will not pay through the nose for a poorservice.

Renationalisation would save the Treasury billions of pounds and providea better, cheaper and more efficient service for passengers and freight.

EDM 1561

That this House notes February 4 marks the 10th anniversary of private railpassenger franchises coming onto the railways under the disastrous Toryprivatisation; is concerned that since that time rail fares have increased in realterms and punctuality remains worse than under public ownership; further notesthe Catalyst think-tank report showing that the private sector has drained over £6billion from the public sector since privatisation; welcomes the conclusion of theCatalyst report that renationalising the rail network would save £500 million a year;and therefore urges the Government to take early steps to implement Labour Partypolicy of an integrated, accountable and publicly owned railway.

Parliamentary column

TAKE RAIL BACK


9

enough left over to pay foran immediate 1,600 extrastation staff.

The economy andenvironment are crying outfor more people to get out oftheir cars and onto trains,and the government’s ownresearch has shown that saferstations will boost rail use byas much as 11 per cent.

“More than ever before itis clear that privatisation is abrake on improving ourrailways, and the onlysensible path is to bring thefranchises back in-housewhere they belong,” RMTgeneral secretary Bob Crowsaid.

For more information on The Railwaysin a Third Term – Professor JeanShaoul, Manchester University, March2005.http://www.catalystforum.org.uk/pubs/paper29.htmlSee also The Performance of thePrivatised Train Operators, JeanShaoul, Manchester University,September 2005http://www.catalystforum.org.uk/pubs/paper33.html

STATIONS

Michael ClaphamMP for Barnsley West and Penistone

EARLY DAY MOTION 1680

John McDonnell MP

That this House notes theCommittee of PublicAccounts Report -Maintaining and improvingBritain’s railway stations;welcomes the Committee’sfindings that passengerswould like stations to besafe and secure with staffand good qualityinformation available; notesthat research for theDepartment of Transportfound that improvements instations safety wouldincrease rail use by up to 11per cent; further notes needfor safer stations has beendemonstrated by the BritishTransport Police report thatviolent crime on trains hasrisen by 43 per cent in thelast five years; thereforewelcomes the RMT studywhich concluded that the£200 million saved bybringing train operatingcompanies back into publicownership would pay formore than 1600 extrastation staff and double thestations improvementsbudget and therefore calls onthe government to return theTrain Operating Companiesto public ownership to helpfinance properly staffedsafer stations.

Ask your MP to sign EDM1680


10

John McDonnell opened thedebate by criticising the

Association of Train OperatingCompanies (ATOC) for its refusalto meet the rail unions.

“ATOC regularly meets thegovernment and otherstakeholders in the industry butit does not meet representativesof the staff – the rail unions.

“Indeed, it has refused tomeet the unions to discussanything – not only industrialrelations,” he said.

John secured a concessionfrom the rail minister, DerekTwigg, that the governmentwould host a meeting to discusssecurity issues, something theunion has been demanding forsome time.

He also attacked thegovernment policy of providingmillions of pounds ofcompensation to rail firmsinvolved in industrial action as

“an astonishing use of publicfunds”.

John said the government“was practically bankrollingprivate train operatingcompanies in disputes”.

With regards to the RMTGuards dispute with VirginCross-Country, John attackedthe “barmy situation of Virginbosses blocking a settlementthat would cost them no morethan £6 per guard per Sundayto settle”.

John was also able to obtainan assurance from the railminister that the governmentwere not supporting thecompany in their dispute.

RMT group member DavidDrew Labour MP for Stroud saidthe government should

“insist that rail franchisesinclude right and properprocesses for trade unionofficials and members to engage

in industrial relations”.David Taylor, Labour MP for

North West Leicestershire,pointed out that privatisationhad damaged industrial relationssaying “the number of strikesquintupled between 1997 and2004, not least becausenegotiations involve 73 differentbodies, including 25 trainoperating companies and 10infrastructure companies”.

RMT group member andLabour MP for North Ayrshireand Arran Katy Clark soughtassurances that it was in theScottish Executive’s powers todecide whether or not tosubsidise companies duringindustrial action.

Ian Davidson, Labour MP forGlasgow South West, urged theminister to provide detailedwritten answers to the questionsraised.

Finally, John McDonnell usedthe parliamentary debate toraise the threat to the railpension fund.

“The threat to the RailwaysPension Scheme has beensignificantly compounded bythe fragmentation andprivatisation of the railways,specifically by railway

employers enjoying surplusesbuilt up during the latter yearsof British Rail when thousandsof railway staff left the industryin preparation for privatisation,”he said.

John also said pensions wereunder threat because “theunified pension scheme wasfragmented into 100 differentsections, which has meant theloss of economies of scale andfinancial stability provided bythe scheme”.

In response to the debate,Derek Twigg, said on pensionsthat he was “hopeful there wasa way forward… obviouslypeople are working together tofind a way forward”.

John concluded the debateby arguing “the privatecompanies are getting favoursand the workers are getting nofairness”.

“This is the start of a longcampaign that will not goaway,” John said.

*A full transcript of thisdebate can be found and thesupporting parliamentarymotions can be found in the“events and campaigns” sectionof the new RMT website.

RMT train-crew members andsupporters from Plymouth

and Bristol heard that theirdispute with Virgin CrossCountry Trains over Sundayworking remains solid, at apacked and lively meeting inBristol last month.

RMT assistant generalsecretary Pat Sikorskicongratulated the strikers ontheir solid support during theprevious eight strike days of thedispute.

He said that Virgin CrossCountry's Chris Gibb’s refusal tonegotiate suggested a politicalmotive to undermine the union’sorganisation on Virgin trains.

The claim for Sundayworking amounts to less than

70p an hour, and it would becheaper for Virgin to settle,were it not for the governmentproviding taxpayers' money tosubsidise employers' lossesduring disputes.

RMT has asked ACAS tointervene, but Virgin hasscuppered this by setting pre-conditions to the talks whichundermines the basic purpose ofACAS.

Huge safety risks are beingtaken by Virgin X-Country.

This includes running trainson the Settle/Carlisle route, withno training or route knowledge.RMT relief organiser JohnMacDonald has asked HMRI tointervene. HMRI has merelyconsulted Virgin and glossed

over safety breaches. “When it comes to a strike,

the TOCs tear up the rule bookand throw it out the window”said Pat.

RMT’s parliamentary groupput down early day motion1574 condemning safetybreaches and the waste of

taxpayers’ money in subsidisingVirgin to prolong the strike.

Please write to your MP toask them to sign up and askwhy the government is preparedto waste taxpayers' money onencouraging Virgin X-Countryto perpetuate this dispute.

PARLIAMENT DEBATES RAILRMT Parliamentary ConvenorJohn McDonnell MP recentlyforced a special parliamentarydebate on industrial relations onthe railway

Solid strike at Virgin

Last September TUC delegatesunanimously endorsed an RMTand T&G call for a Trade UnionFreedom Bill and, in the samemonth, the Labour PartyConference backed the right ofworkers to take solidarity action.

The significance of thesedecisions was highlighted by theGate Gourmet dispute whichdemonstrated the effect of lawsthat render unions impotentagainst the tactics of ruthlessemployers.

Never has there been agreater need for such a Bill.

The removal of trade unionrights is one of the mostimportant factors behind thecollapse of collective bargainingcoverage in the UK, and hastherefore contributed to themarked widening of the gulfbetween rich and poor over thelast 25 years.

TAFF VALE

2006 marks the centenary of thepassing of the 1906 TradesDisputes Act, which secured forunions the legal freedom to takeindustrial action.

This Act paved the way forthe huge improvements in theconditions and life for workingpeople in the 20th century.

It was the preceding Taff Valerailway strike judgement againstthis union’s forerunner, theAmalgamated Society of railwayservants, which caused theoutcry that led to the 1906Trades Disputes Act.

This Act gave legalprotections against anti-unionlaws introduced by judges.

In 1906, British trade unionswere free to organise solidarityaction. These are rights that donot exist today.

MAY DAY

The Bill will call for the re-establishment of solidarityaction, the simplification ofindustrial action ballots andprotection for those workersengaged in industrial action.

The implementation of theseproposals would move the UKcloser to its international legalobligations.

That is why thousands oftrade unionists will be coming

to the national demonstration insupport of the Trade UnionFreedom Bill which has beencalled for May 1 in London.

It is also encouraging that avery large number of LabourMPs are now prepared to

support trade union freedoms.Over 100 Labour MPs havesigned a parliamentary motionin support of the campaign for aTrade Union Freedom Bill. Somake sure that your MP signsup.


11

This excellent and well-researched booklet tells the storyof the strike in 1900 on the TaffVale Railway in South Wales.That strike led to legal actionagainst one RMT’s forerunners,the Amalgamated Society ofRailway Servants (ASRS).

That legal action resulted ina massive award of damagesagainst the union in a judgmentwhich threatened the same forany union organising industrial

action.However, that judgment also

influenced political agitationwhich led to the formation ofthe Labour Party and thepassing of the Trades DisputeAct 100 years ago in 1906.

That Act, though it did notgrant a right to strike, gaveunions legal freedoms toorganise industrial action formost of the 20th century –untilthe Thatcher governments.

That legal freedom allowedworkers to exercise a collectivepower which went some way tocounteract the overweeningpower of the employer in theworkplace.

That collective power waslargely responsible for theincrease in the standard ofliving of working people andthe diminution of theinequalities between rich andpoor up until the 1980’s.However, for the last 25 yearsthese achievements have beenreversed.

The lesson of this little

bookletis that the tradeunion movement must onceagain mobilise politically tochange the law.

That is why we need a newTrade Union Freedom Act 2006to secure what is alreadyenshrined into internationallaws, already ratified by the UKgovernment: the right to strike.

FIGHTING FORTRADE UNION

RIGHTS

New Trade UnionFreedom Bill increasespressure for improvedrights at work

EARLY DAY MOTION 1170

CAMPAIGN FOR A TRADE UNION FREEDOM BILL

That this House recognises that free and independent tradeunions are a force for good in UK society and around the world,and are vital to democracy; welcomes the positive role modernunions play in providing protection for working people andwinning fairness at work; notes the 1906 Trades Disputes Actgranted unions the legal freedom to take industrial action; regretsthat successive anti-union legislation has meant that trade unionrights are now weaker than those introduced by the TradesDisputes Act; notes the overwhelming support at both the TradesUnion Congress and Labour Party Conference for the GateGourmet workers and for improvements in union rights, includingmeasures to simplify ballot procedures and to allow limitedsupportive action, following a ballot, in specific circumstances;further notes that these conferences called for legislation whichconformed to International Labour Organisation Conventionsratified by the UK; and therefore welcomes the decision of the2005 Trades Union Congress to campaign for a Trade UnionFreedom Bill to mark the 100th anniversary of the 1906 TradesDisputes Act.TToonnyy LLllooyydd MMPP

THE STORY OF TAFF VALE John Hendy QC reviews a new pamphlet on

the Taff Vale rail strike which each memberwill receive with the next issue of RMT News


12

The RMT Women’s Charter represents amassive step in the right direction, but

now the work starts to get it implemented,delegates at the union’s national women’sconference agreed.

The charter was proof that women wereorganising with confidence in the union –but it also threw up many challenges, saidconference chair Pauline Howe.

“We need to get more women involvedand to offer themselves for office at everylevel in the union.

“This shouldn’t be a stopping point for asmall group of activists -we need to gofurther,” she said.

“RMT had just cause to be proud of theWomen’s Charter, but the point is to putinto practice in the workplace,” said generalsecretary Bob Crow.

“We are up against employers whowould rather pay for a first-class loungethan a women’s toilet,” said Bob.

The battle was on to win decent childcarefacilities for women – and men – despiteemployers’ protests that it cost too much.

Pensions RMT women had a key part to play in

the battle looming on the Railways PensionScheme, said Bob.

“Pensions are shaping up to be thebiggest battleground in the rail industry for50 years,” he said.

The RPS had had a massive surplus in1988 but been split into dozens of pieces byprivatisation, and employers had takenadvantage of long contributions holidays.

“Yet now they want us to pay for

shortfalls with massive contribution hikes,or close the scheme by the back door bybarring new entrants.

“We want employee contributions cappedat their British Rail level of 10.56 per cent,we want the fund open to new entrants, wewant benefits maintained at least at currentlevels and we want a streamlined scheme,”said Bob.

The disproportionate impact of proposedchanges from final-salary schemes toaverage-salary schemes was emphasised byRMT president Tony Donaghey.

This was because women were morelikely to have taken breaks in employmentfor family responsibilities, added RuthStrong, East Midland Central.

“Women not only lost out in respect ofequal pay, but were also likely to receivelower pensions than men,” she said.

Delegates endorsed the union’s campaignto defend pensions and to resist pressure todowngrade provision.

Conference backed the call by StephanieMacKay, EPS branch, to insist on an‘equality audit’ of any proposed change.

WOMEN’S ORGANISERS

Delegates welcomed the efforts being madeto recruit and organise women members,and called for the election of lay regionalwomen’s organisers for a trial three-yearperiod.

It had taken a lot of work to establish thefirst regional women’s advisory committeein south Wales and the south west, saidGlen Burrows, Bristol Rail, and the

experience had underlined the need to seelay women’s officers elected in every regionto increase women’s participation in theunion.

UNIFORMS

Women should be involved in the designand specification of the uniforms they areobliged to wear, conference agreed.

Bing consulted was not enough toguarantee that companies would take noteof what staff wanted, said Caroline Parry,Gloucester.

It was down to the union to ensure thatemployers provided what was needed.

Delegates agreed that every uniformconsultative committee should include atleast one woman.

Existing uniforms were too oftenuncomfortable and inappropriate.

RMT women gathered in Gloucester lastmonth to launch the Women’s Charter anddemand that employers deliver the goods

Jackie works as an engineer onLondon Underground. She isemployed by Metronet, one ofthe three infrastructurecompanies, or infracos, operatingunder the Public-PrivatePartnership.

As an infrastructure protectionengineer, her responsibilitiesinclude investigating howbuilding and demolition work willaffect Tube tunnels, bridges andembankments.

And she is clearly proud of herjob.

“If the public could see whathas been achieved in the three orfour hours at night when thepower is off I don’t think thatthey could fail to be impressed,”says Jackie.

She says it is a shame thatengineering is not normallyassociated with women.Nevertheless, she says thingshave improved and she wouldencourage any woman to join theindustry today.

Jackie has a lot of trade unionexperience and is already a rep

and has attended her first branchand regional council meetings.

“They are certainly some verylively debates,” she says.

Asked why she joined RMT,Jackie says, as a committedtrade unionist, she could notthink of a better organisation tobelong to.

“Tube workers are highlyskilled and dedicated people who

deserve representation.“I think it is important to

develop a good relationship withmanagement where possible toget good results for members,”she says.

And as for the future for RMT -“well, governments come and go,but trade unions abide don’tthey?” she says with a smile.

JACKIE JOINS UPNew RMT member Jackie Darby talks about her workand why she joined the union

RMT WOMEN LAUNCH CHARTER WOMENS PAGE


Climate change is one of the mostimportant issues facing humanity.

In 2004 the government set itself thetarget of reducing greenhouse gas emissionsby 12.5 per cent below 1990 levels by 2010.

Targets on carbon emissions reductionsare even more challenging – 20 per cent and60 per cent reductions below the 1990 levelby 2010 and 2050 respectively.

Whilst the 12.5 per cent reduction ingreenhouse gas emissions will be met, thegovernment is now less confident that thecarbon emissions targets will be delivered.

Domestic transport accounts for around25 per cent of UK carbon emissions and arepredicted to rise by a further 10 per cent by2010.

Rail remains a less polluting form oftransport than cars, lorries and aircraft.

In 2004 the Department for Transportfound that on a journey between Edinburghand London, car and air produced six andeight respectively times the level of CO2emissions than produced by rail.

HIGH SPEED RAIL LINK

Britain remains one of the last WesternEuropean countries to develop dedicated highspeed rail routes. Instead successivegovernments have overseen an explosion inenvironmentally damaging short-haul flights.

A recent Institute of Civil Engineers reportThe Missing Link – a report on high speedrail links in the UK – outlines the case for anew high speed rail link between London andScotland.

Journey times to Manchester could be cutto 90 minutes, with even greater benefits onlonger distances to Newcastle and Glasgow.

A new link would enable rolling stock torun at 155 mph with 220 trains per daycompared to a potential 98 additional trainsper day following the West Coast Main Linemodernisation project.

A new high speed would attract new usersonto rail, ease congestion, free up space forrail freight, reduce carbon emissions andprovide an attractive alternative to domesticair travel.

CREATING THE CLIMATE FOR CHANGE

CARBON EMISSIONS MEASURED BY SOURCE CATEGORY

Mode of Transport Million tonnes Per cent of all UK of carbon carbon emissions

Passenger cars 19.8 13Light duty vehicles 4.4 3Buses 1.0 1HGVs 7.2 5Mopeds & Motorcycles 0.1 0Railways 0.3 0Civil aircraft 0.6 0Shipping 0.9 1All domestic transport 34.4 23

Early Day Motion 1678 ENVIRONMENTAL CASE FOR RAILJohn McDonnell MP

That this House notes that transport accountsfor more than a third of total UK carbon dioxideemissions; is concerned that carbon dioxideemissions from transport are predicted to rise byalmost 10 per cent. between 2000 and 2010;supports an integrated transport system in whichdifferent transport modes complement ratherthan compete with each other; further notes thatthe railways produce substantially less carbondioxide emissions than cars, road freight oraviation; and therefore urges the Government toensure that the protection and expansion of therail network is central to its policy of reducingcarbon emissions.

CARBON EMISSIONS MEASURED BY END USER CATEGORY

Mode of Transport Million tonnes Per cent of all UK of carbon carbon emissions

Road Transport 38.3 25Railways 1.5 1Civil aircraft 0.7 -Shipping 1.1 1All domestic transport 41.6 27

RAIL FREIGHT

Research by the Freight on Railcampaign indicates that an averagefreight train can replace 50 HGVs andan average aggregates train up to 120HGVs.

However, in 2003 the DfTannounced that the freight facilitiesgrant in England was to be frozen.

Thankfully, the Scottish Executivecontinues to award such grants, whichremove over 1.5 million lorry milesfrom Scotland’s roads each year.

RMT continues to lobby for thereintroduction of the grants in England.

ROAD USER CHARGING

The government seems committed tointroducing road user chargingschemes, which would requireenhanced capacity on the rail network.

Recent parliamentary answerssuggest that congestion chargingschemes could cut road congestion byup to 40 per cent, with many car usersswitching to public transport.

The rail network already carriesmore passengers than at since the1950s and is in need of overhaul.

However, the scale of transfer to railenvisaged by government would leavethe network unable to cope unlesssignificant extra capacity wasdeveloped.

A failure to plan for increased railcapacity will result in road usersremaining in their cars and contributelittle to the reduction of harmfulcarbon emissions.

SEMINAR

The RMT parliamentary group hassecured the agreement of governmentdepartments to participate in a seminarlater this year on the sustainable casefor rail. This will enable the union tomake the case directly to thegovernment for an expansion of railservices to secure an environmentallysustainable future.


13

Picture: Stefano Cagnoni, reportdigital

The Scottish Executive isproceeding with the tendering ofCaledonian MacBrayne ferryservices, despite a campaign ledby RMT and STUC against theneed to implement EU diktats toprivatise the life-line services.

Since then, the company hasgiven notice to transfercontracts of employmentoffshore, allowing Cal Mac tomake significant saving onpaybill costs through the non-payment of employers NationalInsurance contributions.

The Scottish Executive isjustifying this on the basis thatother companies seeking to gain

the contract will be bidding onthese terms.

RMT informed the ScottishExecutive that it should not beallowing any operator of theseessential services to avoidpaying National Insurancecontributions as this will meana loss of tax revenue.

The union demanded that thetender document be amended toensure all companies bidding forthe contract to run Clyde andHebrides ferry services retaincontracts of employment in theUK.

However, the ScottishExecutive has stated that this is

against EU rules.

CAMPAIGNING

RMT will continue to campaignfor union recognition, against atwo-tier workforce and toprotect the jobs, pay andconditions of existing workersirrespective of who wins thetender.

The Executive said it will putin place all possible measures toprotect the workforce throughTUPE and the transfer ofexisting staff, which theybelieve legally applies.

There will also be a clawbackof subsidy should a newoperator seek to save money oncrewing costs through thedisplacement of existing crew.

The Scottish Executive hasinvited unions to view theInvitation to Tenderdocumentation which will

include specific employmentpolicies, terms and conditions ofemployment and levels of payfor the Clyde and Hebridescontract.

The Executive also agreedthat unions can meet withshort-listed bidders and preparea report for the Executive.

The service specification forthe tender will recognise therole of the trade unions andseek information from potentialoperators as to how they intendto develop industrial relationsand bids will be closelyscrutinised.

At the last meeting with theScottish Executive, RMTreceived a guarantee that thenetwork would remain intact,with the exception of Guorockto Dunoon, irrespective of whowins the contract.


14

SHIPPING

A container of vitrifiednuclear waste is loaded ontocargo ship Pacific Sandpiperbelonging to Britishcompany PNTL at Frenchport of Cherbourg lastmonth. This is the eleventhof twelve controversialvoyages returning processedJapanese nuclear waste toRokkasho-Mura in Japan.

RMT members working forWightlink are being balloted forindustrial action after thecompany refused to offer anyincrease in wages for this year.

National shipping secretarySteve Todd said that a noughtper cent pay offer waseffectively a pay cut becausewages would not be keeping upwith inflation.

“This disgraceful offer byWightlink is slap in the face forthe workforce and the union hasdecided to ballot themembership for strike actionand action short of a strike.

“We demand a pay rise thatrewards hard work and loyaltyand Wightlink’s current positionis nothing less than an insult,”he said.

The refusal to increase pay at

both Wightlink Guernsey andWightlink Limited is all themore shocking given that thecompany has just increasedprices by up to 27 per cent.

It is suspected that thecompany is looking to increaseprofits by hiking up fares todiscourage passengers whilecutting services in order tolower overheads.

Ballot papers will be sent outto all RMT members atWightlink and Steve urgedmembers to recruit those notalready in the union.

“If you know of colleaguesthat are not RMT members, Isuggest you urge them to joinbecause the stronger ourmandate for strike action thestronger our position will be,”he said.

The derisory pay offer cameafter another dispute overredundancies had only just beenbeen resolved. The company hasconfirmed that there will be nocompulsory redundancies forFast Cat catering assistants.

As a result, RMT called offplanned industrial action.However, the imposition ofrosters remains an issue whichwill be taken up by the union.

RMT continues to campaign atCaledonian MacBrayne to protect jobs,pay and conditions of existing workersand against a two-tier workforce

Wightlink ballot overattempted pay cut

PROTECTINGCONDITIONS AT CAL MAC

NUCLEAR CONTROVERSY


15

SHIPPING

UK ships seized a huge £350million drugs cache after ahigh-speed operation in theCaribbean netted three-and-a-half tonnes of cocaine.

The raid, on a cargo ship offthe coast of Miami, was carriedout by the Royal Navy andRoyal Fleet Auxiliary usingHMS Southampton and RFAGrey Rover (right).

After the cargo ship wasspotted, HMS Southamptonbroke off from refuelling andled the charge at nearly 30knots to corner the MVRampage in a surprise pincermovement with the tanker, RFAGrey Rover.

A Lynx helicopter from HMSSouthampton intercepted thedrug runners as the shipsappeared over the horizon.

A spokesman said: "Thevessel, MV Rampage, which hadapparently earlier had a

different name, was takencompletely by surprise, asboarding teams from bothSouthampton and Grey Roverswooped in by fast rigidinflatable boat at sunset.

"After a search of the vessel,a large number of cocaine baleswere discovered, packed in aforward section".

HMS Southampton had beenworking closely with the UnitedStates Coastguard and RoyalNetherlands Navy authorities.

The cargo ship and her creware currently being held by theUS Coastguard Authority, basedin Miami.

HMS Southampton'sCommanding Officer Rob Vitalisaid that it was a particularlywell co-ordinated operation.

"The success of this seizurewill send a clear message ofdetermination to stop thesmuggling of illegal drugs - and

we are good at it. "Southampton has had a

busy operational time, with theship's recent involvement in twosearch-and-rescue incidents," hesaid.

The Royal Navy destroyerand RFA Grey Rover have beenon a five-month tour which hastaken in West Africa, theFalkland Islands, Brazil and theCaribbean.

Their primary mission in theCaribbean is the security ofBritish Overseas Territories -including helping with disasterrelief - but anti-drugs workforms "a major part" of theirdaily work.

Both ships are due to returnto Britain in the spring whenGrey Rover will bedecommissioned before beingsold to the Chilean Navy.

RFA DRUGS HAUL


16

RAIL UNIONS

UNITE TO

DEFEND YOUR

PENSION

SCHEME

Thousands of workers past andpresent, who have an interest

in the Railways PensionScheme (RPS), need your help.

The rail industry unions –ASLEF, CSEU, RMT and TSSA –are backing a major campaign

to safeguard workers’retirement benefits.


17

The unions believe the RPS isunder threat and members needto be informed. Unions arecalling on employers to:

• CAP EMPLOYEECONTRIBUTIONS TO 10.56%

• KEEP BENEFITS AT THEIRCURRENT LEVEL

• STREAMLINE THE SCHEME • OPEN THE SCHEME TO ALL

EMPLOYEES

WHAT IS THE THREAT?

A pension scheme needsenough money to pay forexisting benefits and those thatwill accrue in the future.Actuarial valuations of thevarious RPS sections indicate ashortfall (or deficit) in mostsections, which means therewon’t be enough money to payrailway workers the decentpension they have paid for.Many employers think thesolution is to implementmassive hikes in employeecontributions and cut back onfuture pension benefits. In otherwords, pay more and get less!

WHY IS THIS A THREAT?

In most sections of the RPS,employees will be expected toincrease their contributionssignificantly. Workers could beforced to drop out of the schemeif they can’t afford it. Thiswould increase the financialburden on those who remain inthe scheme, adding to thefunding problems.

The workers hardest hit willbe the lowest-paid, for whomany further bite out of the wagepacket has a disproportionateimpact.

Cutting back on pensionbenefits decreases the overallvalue, so members may see littleadvantage to being in thescheme. Falling membership andreduced rewards could lead to avicious circle where the RPSdisappears forever.

WHY DO WE NEED TO CAMPAIGN?

The unions have approached themajor employers in the industry.We explained to them about theproblems the RPS faces but itappears to have fallen on deafears. So we need to turn up thevolume. Every union memberwith a vested interest in the RPSneeds to let employers knowhow strongly they feel. Keep upthe pressure on companies tokeep contributions at anaffordable level.

WHY CAP EMPLOYEE

CONTRIBUTIONS AT 10.56%?

This was the rate paid under theoriginal BR scheme, beforecontributions were reduced aftersurpluses in the late 1980s.Contributions higher than thiscould prove too expensive andlead to large numbers ofmembers dropping out of theRPS.

WHY KEEP BENEFITS AT THEIR

CURRENT LEVEL?

Pensions are deferred pay, andlike all your terms andconditions of employment, theyare negotiated between theemployers and the trade unions.

The cost of future benefits isnot the problem. The mostpressing issue is clearing thedeficit created by the actuarychanging his assumptions fromprevious evaluations, such as hisviews on how long we are allliving in retirement.

Cutting back on pensionbenefits will make the RPS lessattractive, which means thatfewer staff will want to join thescheme and more people willdrop out.

WHY STREAMLINE THE SCHEME?

Privatisation of British Rail ledto the creation of one of themost complex pension schemesin the UK. There are now about100 sections. These have

different contribution rates andbenefits and there are hugeadministration costs linked toeach one. It makes sense tostreamline the scheme: it wouldbe easier to run and cut outunnecessary costs. Streamliningcould also lead to a standardcontribution rate.

The unions want three opensections:

• A train-operating section

• An infrastructure andengineering section

• An omnibus section.

Taxpayers – including RPSmembers – will save money bynot picking up the bill forvaluations when franchises orother contracts change. And, inan industry where workers oftenmove between companies, anintegrated scheme is simpler forworkers, employers and theadministrators.

WHY KEEP THE SCHEME OPEN TO

ALL MEMBERS?

The more contributors to thescheme, the more people thereare to build up the pensionfunds, so keeping the schemeopen to everyone will keep ithealthy and viable in the long-term. That would give all railworkers the security inretirement they deserve.

WHAT NEXT?

The rail unions have agreed towork together and not to enterinto agreements with employersunilaterally. We have written tothe government, to the trusteesand to all the major employers.As employers have until the endof June to work out how to dealwith pension deficits, the fourgeneral secretaries will addresscampaign meetings across thecountry. We should fight toprotect our pensions.

CAMPAIGN MEETINGS

21 March, York28 March, Glasgow29 March, Edinburgh3 April, Birmingham5 April, Bristol 10 April, Perth (at the ScottishTUC)19 April, Manchester,20 April, London.

For campaign updates, visitwww.rmt.org.uk

RAIL WORKERS' PENSIONSEarly Day Motion 1681 John McDonnell MP

That this House is deeplyalarmed at the attempts byrailways employers tosubstantially increase employeepension contributions; notesthis will not only bedetrimental to rail workers'earnings but will threaten thefuture viability of the RailwaysPension Scheme by forcingexisting members to opt out,and deterring new membersfrom joining; is also concernedrail employers are consideringclosing scheme sections,raising retirement ages andreducing benefits; believes thethreat to rail workers'pensions is a direct result ofthe fragmentation of theRailways Pension Scheme andof employers taking pensionholidays; strongly supports therail unions' campaign to capemployees’ contributions,maintain existing benefit rates,simplify the Railways PensionScheme's structure and openthe Scheme to all staff; andtherefore urges the governmentto do all within its power toprotect the pensions of railworkers.

Ask your MP to sign today


18

The Health and SafetyExecutive and other

regulators are failing to enforcelegislation on employers whoshun consultation with unionsafety reps, RMT activists havewarned at the fourth annualRMT health and safetyconference in Blackpool lastmonth.

Delegates urged the HSE totake action against recalcitrantbosses in the rail, maritime androad industries.

Moving a motion on theissue, Birmingham Engineeringdelegate Pat Collins argued thathealth and safety consultationrights remain “one of the mostimportant weapons we have astrade unionists”.

When employers do consultin good time and good faith,significant improvements in

workplace health and safetyusually result, the motion noted.

“However, the vast majorityof employers fail to consult withthe union in any meaningfulway.

“We note that there has beenlittle or no enforcement actiontaken by the HSE or other safetyregulators against any employerfor failing to comply with theirlegal duties in this matter.

“The companies aren’tfulfilling their function properly– we have the right to beconsulted,” he told delegates.

Warrington delegateLawrence Jones also warned thatconsultation can simply meanbosses telling workers what todo, as opposed to unions andemployers negotiating a deal.

“I get concerned when I hearthe word ‘consultation’ too

much. “We have the right to

negotiate. We can make thesepeople come to the table and ifwe allow them to do whateverthey want, they will never cometo the table,” he said.

John Milligan from RMT’sorganising unit told conferencethat unions could not rely solelyon statutory bodies.

“Yes, we can have health andsafety legislation and the HSE.But what we do need is good,strong organisation in everyworkplace.

“We’re driving to maximisethe RMT in every industry wenegotiate with – and in placeswhere we’ve got no recognitionat all,” he said.

FUTURE CAMPAIGNING

Conference passed a raft of

health and safety resolutions toguide future RMT campaigning.

Delegates backed a call fromLondon Orient to raise the issueof planning failures involvingtrack maintenance work withNetwork Rail as a matter ofurgency.

Kent Knight of Southall,Ealing & Slough warned: “Mostof our planners are takenstraight off the street and haveno rail training whatsoever.There is no way to make aproper assessment of staff.”

Alex Holden, ManchesterVictoria recalled that the 2004Tebay tragedy, in which fourRMT track workers died whenhit by a runaway truck,happened in his region.

“People will continue to die”unless action is taken, Alex tolddelegates.

BRITISH Transport Police chiefconstable Ian Johnston (above)told delegates that the 2,385recorded physical assaults onstaff on Britain’s railways lastyear probably represent “the tipof the iceberg”.

But the figure – up 5 per cent onthe previous year – can betackled more vigorously thanksto recent changes in legislationand new Crown ProsecutionService guidelines, theconference guest speaker said.

Train staff are to be classed as“public servants”, meaning thatany assault is more likely toresult in a charge against theperpetrator, rather than acaution.

“This is quite a breakthrough inpolicy – the next thing is to makeit a breakthrough in practice.”

He also condemned the fact that“route crime” – vandalismagainst trains and track – is

currently classed as a fixed-penalty offence, meaning thatperpetrators can escape with a£80 fine.

“Lobbing bricks at trains is tryingto kill people. The criminal justicesystem in general trivialises it.We’re having a real go atchanging that,” he said.

He maintained that his 2,700officers were “pretty thinlyspread” across Britain’s 3,000rail stations and 10,000 miles oftrack, warning that “it is achallenge every year to get theresources we need to supportyou.”

Several delegates challenged theeffectiveness of the BTP.

“Some station staff have neverseen an officer in years,” saidWarrington District delegateDave Wilson. “We are facingdrunks and abuse day-in andday-out and police cover is non-existent,” he complained

It’s time for the governmentto deliver on its promise for

legislation covering corporatemanslaughter, RMT generalsecretary Bob Crow toldconference delegates.

Tony Blair’sadministration has failed tohonour its pledge to putculpable bosses in the docksince coming to power in1997.

With incidents such as theTebay tragedy, “our memberslay dead and their familieshave their lives wreckedbecause of negligence,” saidBob.

“When bosses pursueprofits at the expense ofworkers, there will always bea temptation to cut back onhealth and safety.

“These are the kind ofpeople, who when a traincomes off the track, we wantto see in the dock,” he said.

He urged that policyoutcomes from conference betransformed into action.

“If we pass a resolution,we should be asking what weare doing to implement it infull. That’s the only way wewill win a safer workplace.”

RMT senior assistantgeneral secretary Mick Cashwarned that assaults on railstaff are “on an upwardspiral,” with far moreoccurring than the officiallyrecorded 6,500 of last year.

He accused rail bosses ofproviding “security on thecheap” by using low-paidsecurity staff with little or notraining.

Dealing with employersthroughout the fragmentedrail system on health andsafety issues has beendifficult, added Mick, withmany “very reluctant to sitdown and talk.”

ENFORCE HEALTH

TIME FOR ACTION


19

& SAFETY RULES

Conference warned that “thepre-planning of track work andassociated safety arrangementsis not considered to be a safetycritical task, and that nonationally-recognised standardof competence and assessmentexists for those persons involvedin such tasks.”

NETWORK RAIL

Network Rail must establish“proper standards of training,competence and assessment forall persons with responsibilityfor the pre-planning of trackwork and associated safetyarrangements.”

Delegates were told of anassault by a passenger on atrain conductor which led to theprivate prosecution of the

perpetrator.When the British Transport

Police fail to act, RMT mustdemand that train-operatingcompanies pursue such privateprosecutions, a successfulmotion from Warrington branchurged.

“We can say to the train-operating companies that thereis a law – and if you don’t useit then we are in dispute withyou,” said Alex Holden.

Another problem suffered byinfrastructure workers,particularly among weldinggrades, is that of back problems,conference heard.

Delegates backed a call fromBirmingham Engineering todemand a full risk assessment ofthe welding operation –

including the loading andunloading of equipment fromvehicles.

“If people are getting injured,then clearly there is a problem,”said delegate Pat Collins. “Theregulations say that all manualhandling should be avoided.”

Darlington delegate Alan Daydescribed how he’d completed aNetwork Rail manual handlingcourse, complete with certificate.

“But if I got an injury theywould just say that it was myown fault,” he added.

Graham Ashcroft, Surrey &Hants warned that Network Railand the train-operatingcompanies are failing to protectworkers from “extremely coldtemperatures” during winter.

Delegates backed his call for

the union to devise a nationalapproach and urged thatemployer claims that action wasimpractical on grounds of costbe refuted.

SMOKING

Glasgow Shipping delegate IainStewart welcomed recentlegislation to ban smoking inthe workplace – but warned thatthe shipping industry may winexemption.

Conference backed his callthat the legislation should notbe watered down – but alsowarned that ships and offshoreinstallations were places wheremembers live as well as work,so that proper access to smokingareas should be permitted.

Pat Collins, Birmingham Engineering Alex Holden, Manchester Victoria Kent Knight, Southall AGS Mick Cash


20

TENYEARSOF RAILCHAOS

Ten years after the firstprivatised passenger trainservice came intooperation, RMT generalsecretary Bob Crow callsfor an end to the greatrail rip-off


21

Ten years ago the firstprivate-sector trains operated

by First Great Western andSouth West Trains heralded thefragmentation of our nationalrailway network.

The Tories promised uscheaper and more efficientrailways, but they shattered ournetwork and created theopposite.

A decade on, few would daresuggest that rail privatisationhas been anything other than acomplete failure, for commuters,for the economy and for theenvironment.

Few people, that is, outsidethe boardrooms of the privateersfor whom privatisation has beena nice little earner.

At a very conservative count,the privateers have removedaround £7 billion from therailway industry, and continuetheir plunder at the rate of morethan £800 million a year.

In 2003-04 public subsidy tothe railways as a whole stood at£3.6 billion – more than threetimes, in real terms, the supportreceived by British Rail.

In the following year, thetrain-operating companies alonewere handed more than £1billion in public money.

Yet train punctuality todaystands at an average of less than86 per cent, even below the 90-plus per cent achieved by BritishRail before it was thrown intothe mincer.

Funnily enough, the worstperformer, according to NetworkRail, is First Great Western,whose punctuality currentlyaverages below 75 per cent.

And even South West Trains’slightly better 89 per cent hasbeen achieved with the help ofwhat can only be described ascreative timetabling, underwhich journey times have beenlengthened.

Punctuality may be down ona decade ago, but the profits,siphoned from public subsidy, aperpetual squeeze on railworkers’ pay and above-inflation fare rises, are followinga different trend.

Since privatisation the train-operating companies’ combinedincome has risen by 26 per cent,while fares have gone up by 24per cent – well ahead ofinflation.

A cap on fares was supposed

to keep fare rises belowinflation, but it only applies tosome ticket types, and the TOCshave compensated by pushingup the price of other journeys.

In other words, taxpayers,fare-payers and railway workersare being mugged byprofiteering privateers whosesole aim is to maximise profitsand payouts to shareholders.

MEGA PROFITS

Meanwhile, in another neat littlescam, the rolling-stock leasingcompanies (Roscos) have beenmaking windfall profits of up to30 per cent.

Island Line on the Isle ofWight pays at least £140,000 ayear (some estimates are farhigher) for stock that was builtfor London Underground in1938.

And even the success storiesare not what they seem.

The much heralded GNER andthe Greater Western franchisedeals are supposed to bring theTreasury income of nearly £2.5billion over the next ten years.

However, the cleverly worded‘cap and collar’ arrangementseffectively transfer any risk backto the government.

In fact the huge premiumsare conditional on revenuesreaching projected levels, andthe bulk of the tab for seriousshortfalls will be picked up bythe taxpayer.

Our members would bedelighted to have mortgageterms that required fullrepayment only if their incomeincreased by eight per cent ayear.

The private sector is fond oftalking about the massiveinvestment it makes, but everypenny in investment ultimatelycomes from the pockets ofpassengers or tax payers.

The pipe-dream ofprivatisation was that subsidieswould be phased out as theprivate sector imposed theirdiscipline on the industry – andthe reverse has happened, andthe TOCs remain reliant uponever-increasing governmenthand-outs.

For our members there hasbeen a never-ceasing attack onour pay, conditions, pensionsand jobs. For the public thereare unstaffed stations, closedticket-windows, massive fares

hikes and the growing threat ofline closures. For everyone itmeans an assault on safetystandards.

Privatisation and thefragmentation of the railwayseffectively dismantled BritishRail’s safety culture, blurredlines of responsibility andcommunication and created theconditions that led to tragediessuch as Hatfield and Potters Bar.

RMT has been fighting aconstant battle to maintain thesafety role of guards on trainsand for adequate staff onstations whenever they are open.

Yet another report on thisissue, this time fromparliament’s Public AccountsCommittee, exposed the state ofso many of Britain’s railwaystations: badly lit, poorlymaintained, unstaffed andthreatening.

One chink of light amid thegloom was the bold decision byNetwork Rail to bring railmaintenance back in-house,although the same privateersthrown off maintenance forsafety and efficiency reasons arestill loose on renewals contracts.

BROKEN PROMISES

A few months before the firstservices were privatised, TonyBlair had this to say to the 1995Labour Party conference:

“I won’t give any blankcheques in any areas of policy,including this.

“But to anyone thinking ofgrabbing our railways so theycan make a quick profit as ournetwork is broken up and soldoff, I say this: there will be apublicly owned and publiclyaccountable railway systemunder a Labour government,” hesaid.

Yet a decade on, not onlydoes that promise remain to bekept, but the same Labour leaderhas presided over a governmentthat has thrown LondonUnderground’s infrastructure tothe private-sector wolves, givingthem guaranteed, risk-freeprofits of £2 million each weekin return for – essentiallynothing.

Last year, the governmentducked a golden opportunity toget to grips with thefundamental problems offragmentation and the massivehaemorrhaging of cash from theindustry into privateers’ pockets.

Unfortunately, the RailwaysAct, sold as a decisive move tobring costs under control andput ministers back in the drivingseat, failed to tackle thosecentral problems, despiteevidence that bringing therailways back into publicownership would save thetaxpayer at least £500 million ayear.

And according to ManchesterUniversity professor JeanShaoul, who last year analysedthe industry’s finances for theCatalyst Forum think-tank, theAct will mean closures and morefares hikes.

The publication under theAct, a week or so ago, of draftprocedures for closures and‘modification’ of the railnetwork confirmed fears that thepath to closures and thereplacement of trains with busesis to be made considerablyeasier.

In 2004, the Labour Party'sannual conference votedoverwhelmingly to commit theparty to "resolving thefragmented structure of theindustry by introducing anintegrated, accountable andpublicly owned railway".

Opinion polls regularly showthat between two-thirds andthree-quarters of the travellingpublic, even in the commuterheartlands of middle-England,want the privatisation nightmareended.

And there have beentantalising glimpses of whatcould be.

South Eastern Trains, rescuedfrom the privateers whenConnex was booted off thefranchise a couple of years ago,has made month-on-monthpunctuality improvements on £1million a month less subsidy.

SET has also made greatstrides towards rebuilding aworkforce decimated by Connexin its final months in control ofthe franchise.

That public-sector successstory could become the blueprintfor bringing all railway servicesback in-house.

And if track renewals followmaintenance back in-house, thestage would be set for the re-unification of operations andinfrastructure in a singlestructure, publicly owned anddemocratically controlled.


22

The Colombia SolidarityCampaign delegation began thetrip by attending a conferencein Bogota on the impact ofmultinational corporations(MNC) on the situation inColombia.

The message wasappropriately summed up by adelegate by the name of HectorMondragon, who is aneconomist at the NationalUniversity.

“If a farmer in the US findsoil on their land they think,hurray, the good life beckons.

“But if a farmer in Colombiafinds oil on their land, theythink, what a disaster! “This isbecause they are likely to losetheir land, livelihood andprobably their life,” he said.

The delegation travelledoverland by bus to thedepartment (county) of Arauca,which gave a real sense ofunderdevelopment.

On the journey to our nextdestination of Saravena, wewere detained at a checkpointjust outside a town called Tame,by the army and DAS (stateintelligence branch) with whomwe engaged in an argument forabout an hour, a deliberate ployto make it impossible for us toreach our destination. This wasbecause there is a 6pm-6amcurfew, during which anyone orvehicle out within these timesare regarded as guerrillas andtreated as a legitimate targets iea free fire-zone.

Following this encounter, wereturned to Tame where we wereaccommodated in a locked

sports stadium for the night. Asone of our Colombian comradesstated “we’d been kidnapped bythe army”.

Eventually arriving atSaravena we attended ahumanitarian forum, to discussthe effects of ‘Plan Colombia’, aUS aid package 80 per cent ofwhich goes to the Colombianpolice and military for weapons,training and helicopters.

We also commemorated thelives of three trade unionists,who were murdered by thearmy, namely Alirio Matrinez,Jorge Prieto and LeonelGoyenche.

Here we heard some heartrendering testimonies on theeffects of the army presence andwhat it actually means to theregion. This includes thedetainment of two tradeunionists on trial for rebellion,one of which is Samuel Morales,the president of the regionalCUT, equivalent to our TUC andRaquel Castro, who is anexecutive member of theteachers union. Both narrowlymissed being assassinatedtogether with the other threetrade unionists.

After the forum we moved tothe regional capital Arauca Citywhere we were again detainedat the border for a couple ofhours due to an explosion in thecity killing six and injuring 14people. One of the injured was amember of our delegation whohad gone on ahead to deal witha passport problem, whilst wewere awaiting entry.

FROM BOGOTATO CARACASRMT member Dave Parkes shares his experiences takingpart in a recent delegation to Colombia and Venezuela

POPULAR: Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez greets supporters


23

VENEZUELAN WELCOME

Crossing over into Venezuelabrought a contrast in both thewelcome and treatment to thatexperienced in Colombia.

Rather than constantly beingchecked, search and monitoredby the army, we were met bymembers of the local council,who invited us to a barbequeand for a few beers.

We were also conveyed on anair-conditioned bus for the tripto Caracas. In a furtherillustration of the contrast, whenwe reached a Venezuelan armycheckpoint a soldier boarded the

bus smiling and greetingeveryone.

The solder noticed a pendantof Che Guevara around the neckof one of the delegation, atwhich he commented, “CheBueno” (meaning: ‘Che verygood’).

On the trip to Caracas thecontrast with Colombia wasquite pronounced, with thepresence of a complete roadsystem, the development of abrand new rail system togetherwith a major expansion anddevelopment of the undergroundsystem.

Also there are policies inplace to develop the country,combating unemployment,strengthening Labour rights andrights for trade unions and thedemocratisation and expansionof the public sector.

During our stay, we managedto visit two neighbourhoods inCaracas, where we witnessed forourselves the positive impact ofthe various missions organisedoutside of state structures andwith local input and control.

These gave local peopleaccess to cheap, good quality

food, health care, education(some for the first time) andpermanent employment.

We also met with theNational Coordinator of theNational Workers Unity, a manby the name of Ruben Linares,familiar to members who mayhave met him on recent visitwhen he addressed the RMTAGM in Exeter last year.

Ruben explained to us theproblems faced by activists inthe old Central TrabajadoresVenezuela (CTV), the main tradeunion federation or “yellowunion”, such as anti-democraticstructures and ballot-rigging tokeep out criticism.

Apparently the last straw waswhen the CTV leadership backed

the coup of April 2002 togetherwith the lockout of December2002. This led to the formationof the UNT (National WorkersUnity).

There are still problems withrecognition, though theseproblems are being resolved.The UNT usually prevails at anyfree ballot and is carrying out aconcerted campaign to combatthe reputation of the CTV, whichhas been seen as being in thepockets of the bosses.

The UNT has recently held aconference to formalise theirstructures, political objectives,and organise support anddevelopment for local, healthand safety reps and local tradeunion organisations.

Ruben Linares

REPRESSION: Colombian military targets trade unionists

SOLIDARITY: Mass demonstration in support of the Venezuelan government


24

IRANIAN BUS DRIVERS PROTEST

IN TEHRAN

Hundreds of bus drivers of theTehran bus company protestedoutside the offices of the LabourMinistry in the Iranian capitallast month, demanding to returnto their jobs.

Hundreds of bus workershave been laid off following astrike action on 28 January inwhich up to 1,300 workers werearrested. Most of those detainedhave now been released,following worldwide protests bytrade unions and human rightsorganisations, culminating in ahistoric world day of tradeunion action Wednesday 15February.

Trade unions around theworld representing millions ofworkers took part, rallyingoutside Iranian embassies.

However, at least six unionactivists, including union leaderMansoor Ossanlou, remain inprison.

The judge handling the casesof the detained workers onlyrecently allowed their familiesto visit them in Evin Prison.

The bus workers and theirfamilies have vowed to continuewith their protest until therelease of their jailed colleagues,reinstatement of all laid-offworkers, recognition of theirunion and the meeting of theirother demands.

The 17,000 employees of thestate-owned bus company havebeen battling the managementand authorities since last yearfor union recognition andcollective bargaining.

A union meeting wasviciously attacked last year bymembers of the state-set up

"Workers’ House" and "IslamicCouncil of Labour", resulting inmany injuries.

The government is refusingto recognise the union and meettheir demands. Union leaderMansoor Ossanlou has been inprison since 22 December,without access to lawyers orfamily.

SLOVAKIA RAIL CARGO SELL-OFF

IN DOUBT

The privatisation of Slovakia'sstate-owned cargo railwaycompany may not go aheadafter Hungarian rail companyMÁV was ditched from the sell-off.

It has been reported that thesale could fall through followingthreats of the largest oppositionparty, which declared that itwould have the governmentousted if they carried on withthe privatisation.

There is growing oppositionwithin Slovakia against theprivatisation of nationalindustries. If the governmentdecides to give in to theopposition, Prime MinisterMikulas Dzurinda may just keephis minority position until earlyelections on June 17.

A privatisation committeehas recommended a consortiumof Rail Cargo Austria AG andprivate-equity firm J&T FinanceGroup as the winner of thetendering for ZSSK Cargo.

Transport Minister PavolProkopovic said his mainconcern was that bidders in thetendering, ZSSK Cargo'scompetitors, had had a chanceto study its business plans andstrategic intentions.

BRITTANY FERRIES TRANSFERS

CATAMARAN TO FULL FRENCH

FLAG

The Normandy Express, BrittanyFerries’ new catamaran, is in theprocess of registration under thefull French flag, transferringfrom the Bahamas register, thushonouring the western Channelferry operator’s policy to favour

the national flag. Built inTasmania by Incat in 2000, thevessel can transport 900passengers and 280 cars at 40knots. It begins its secondseason for Brittany Ferries thismonth until November withcrossings between Cherbourgand Portsmouth on weekdaysand between Caen-Ouistrehamand Portsmouth at weekends.

ARRIVA ARRIVES IN SWEDEN

British transport privateoperator Arriva is extending itsempire with its first operatingcontract in Sweden.

Apart from Great Britain, thecompany is already present onrail networks in Denmark,Germany and the Netherlands.

It has signed an initial nine-year contract to operate fromJune 2007 regional trains on a47-station network based inMalmö, southern Sweden. Itwon the deal against SJ, thepresent operator, Connex, aprivate Swedish/Norwegianconsortium, and DSB, the state-run Danish rail operator.

Arriva operates in eight EUcountries, Denmark, Italy ,Holland, Germany, Portugal,Spain, Sweden and the UK, andin the last five years Europeanprofits have risen 250 per centto £514.8 million.

FRANCE TÉLÉCOM MARINE

SEAFARERS FIND JOBS

Two years after France TélécomMarine de-flagged its threecable layers from the full Frenchto the Kerguelen second registerwith the loss of 159 Frenchseafarers, all but two have beenfound jobs.

But only 40 of these are sea-going with other maritimecompanies. FT Marine, whichdismissed the crews, replacingthem with 90 Madagascarnationals, now employs only145 French seagoing personnel,all of them various grades ofofficers or technicians.

NEW FRENCH SHIP REGISTER

DECLARED FOC

The RIF, the new French shipregister, came into force lastmonth following a finalgovernment decree.

ADF, the French Shipowners’Association, welcomed “the newregister with great satisfaction”but criticised the InternationalTransport Workers’ Federationfor classifying the register as aFlag of Convenience. Unions saythe RIF is worse than Kerguelen,the second French register thatthe new flag replaces.

SEAFRANCE FACES SPEED

FERRIES COMPETITION

Unions at SeaFrance areconcerned that management isseeking to chop 88 jobsfollowing anticipated poorresults for 2005.

The French Calais-Doveroperator is negotiating with theunions a cost saving “re-organisation plan” with a viewto balancing the books in 2007.

According to the CGTmaritime union, the companywants to reduce the workforceby 60 ratings and 28 land-basedstaff. There would be no straightredundancies and no change toan existing agreement thatguarantees 46 daily crossingsusing the operator’s six vessels.SeaFrance employs 1,500 peopleincluding 1,300 seafarers.

MAERSK RISKS HIGHEST-EVER

FRENCH POLLUTION FINE

The prosecutor at Brest, France’smain court that deals withaccusations of maritimepollution, has demanded that arecord fine of £400,000 beimposed on the owner andmaster of the Bahamas-flaggedMaersk Barcelona.

The owner, V-Ships, and itsUkrainian master are accused ofan act of voluntary pollutionlast September after the vesselhad been spotted trailing a 38-mile oil slick.

The court rejected a defencerequest that the case be

INTERNATIONAL FO

SOLIDARITY: RMT members join London protest


25

I am proud to be part of the leadership of this union, which I think tries tobe as democratic as possible in our quest to represent and defend theinterests of transport workers.

However, RMT is under constant attack in the media and as a direct resultof privatisation, EU diktats and so-called globalisation.

Perhaps it is asking too much to expect some support from ourgovernment, even though it is supposed to be a Labour government.

The Labour Party arose from centuries of heroic struggle to representworkers in the political as well as industrial arena. Yet this so-called NewLabour government has clearly been a disappointment for millions of tradeunionists.

Nevertheless, I was still shocked to read that former transport ministerStephen Byers used a trade union conference organised by public serviceunion UNISON on Tyneside last month to launch an open attack on theconstitutional link between Labour and the trade unions.

He claimed that Labour must “ensure that the priorities of a small,unrepresentative number of people are not allowed to distort ourprogramme".

So let’s examine the democratic programme of RMT, which was afounding member of the Labour Party. We call for the return of ourtransport network to public ownership – a high priority in the manifesto ofTony Blair’s first government. What happened to that?

This union called on Labour to remove the famous anti-union laws thatcontravene international law. Yet New Labour has clung on to the lot.

RMT has declared its support for public services against attacks fromBrussels. Yet this government supports an EU Services Directive which isan outright attempt to eradicate hard-won workers rights and conditionsand throws migrant workers into the lion’s den in a race to bottom underthe guise of open markets and competition.

This union believes in peaceful means of resolving issues, but Blair hastaken us into illegal wars and clearly intends the repeat this bloody cycle inIran.

It is increasingly clear that trade unions, with over seven million members,speak for the concerns of ordinary Labour voters whether it is about illegalwars, pensions, public services or rail renationalisation.

The only “small and unrepresentative group” seems to be the tiny cabalaround Tony Blair which continually ignores votes at Labour conference,such as in support of rail renationalisation, if they happen to disagree withit.

As Tony Benn warned, "if the links with the trade unions were altered, itwould destroy the Labour Party," noting that "those who advocate it knowthat very well".

Regardless of these setbacks, this union will continue to defend itsmembers, listen to you and consult you. I did exactly that last month at theRMT women’s conference when the union launched the women’s charter.

Perhaps if Mr Byers listened to working people a little more often, younever know, he might even make a speech reflecting the views of themajority of people in this country.

TToonnyy DDoonnaagghheeyy

President’s column

Listening to working people

Female South Korean trainattendants shout slogans at arally at the Seoul railway stationlast month. Stewardesses onSouth Korea's bullet trains havebeen barred from working onSunday because they refused towear uniforms in a protestabout job security, back wagesand better working conditions.Their headbands read, 'Unityand fight'.

OCUStransferred to the Bahamas asthat flag state has not accusedthe vessel of the same crime.The case is to be heard nextmonth. The Brest courtprosecutor on the same dayasked for a £187,000 fine fromthe master of the Etly Danielsen,surprised off Penmarch in 2003trailing 12km of oil.

KOREAN TRAIN

ATTENDANTS UNITE


26

Edwards Duthie Solicitors has a special affinity with trade unions, their members and officials.We have advised union members and their families for some 22 years, to the point where we nowserve some 40,000 members across 230 branches nationwide. We have a dedicated team whichserves RMT members, their families and friends. Unlike our competitors, we offer a full range oflegal services, many of which are free or heavily discounted for union members :

● PERSONAL INJURY CLAIMS● SPECIALIST CLINICAL NEGLIGENCE TEAM● EXPERT ADVICE ON ALL ASPECTS OF EMPLOYMENT LAW● 24 HOUR CRIMINAL ADVICE AND REPRESENTATION● FREE WILLS SERVICE FOR MEMBERS ● 10% DISCOUNT ON RESIDENTIAL CONVEYANCING● LAW SOCIETY SPECIALISTS IN FAMILY AND MATRIMONIAL ADVICE● FREE HALF HOUR INTERVIEW IN ALL AREAS OF LAW

Our approach is both proactive and hands on. Our lawyers go to see members and officials at the workplace, at home, at union premises or wherever discussion can best be accommodated nationwide. We are here to provide a service and, unlike our competitors, we do not consider thatwe can do that from a remote standpoint.

RING NOW FOR ADVICE & ASSISTANCE ON 0208 514 9000email: [email protected]

In partnershipwith the

Remember ‘corporate socialresponsibility’? It was once

a favourite phrase in the NewLabour lexicon of spin. Youdon’t hear it much anymore.

Tony Blair and GordonBrown, ‘the Blair apparent’, usedto liberally sprinkle the phraseover every speech they madefollowing announcements ofmassive job losses.

Little notice was taken of itby ‘the business community’ butit was supposed to conjure upthe notion that global capitalismwould be forced by New Labourto worship at altars other thangreed.

The contempt for the ideashown by the corporate worldthen is replicated now as itrakes in utterly outrageousprofits.

Last month Shell Oil postedthe biggest annual profits theworld has ever seen. Their£30billion surplus of incomeover expenditure came from,

among other places, theexploitation of the oil reservesin the Nigerian delta. Thecompany has long been at thecentre of protest over itstreatment of people andenvironment of that Africancountry.

The world’s richest bankshave also joined in this globalhedonism, this extravaganza ofprofit taking amidst charges ofexploitation.

But it is surely at the doorof the energy companies wherethe charge is laid mostappropriately.

No sooner had the energygiant Scottish Power posted a95 per cent rise in profitscompared with the previousquarter than they announced a25 per cent increase in fuelprices.

The outcry forced UK Tradeand Industry secretary AllanJohnson – the former GeneralSecretary of the

Communications Workers Unionnow charged with overseeingthe privatisation of the postalservice- to admit that as manyas 3 million people in Britaincould face immediate difficultyand fuel poverty.

But that didn’t stop Centrica,the other major gas supplierjoining in. They announcedannual profits of £1.5billion anddemanded a 22% increase in gasprices from customers.

Both companies appearoblivious to the anger.

The increase in charges is,they say, due to the spirallingcost of gas on the world market.Yet both companies admit themost profitable part of theirbusinesses is the income theyget from offshore oil and gassites. Many will ask whytherefore the cost is passed onat all.

I asked the Scottish FirstMinister Jack McConnell if hethought the price increases were

justified. He said no but when Iasked if he would order a pricefreeze or accept the case forabolishing standing charges forsenior citizens he refused sayingthat was a commercialinterference in the running ofthe company /industry.

So apparently corporationscan charge us what they likeand make what profits they likeand this government will notdefend us from it after all.

I believe there is acompelling need to intercede inthese types of situations. Ifcompanies shirk their ‘corporatesocials responsibilities’, forcing3 million people to risk dying ofcold related diseases and theNHS and social services to pickup the pieces then it is not theresponsibilities which arepushed aside but rather theblatant profiteering and thegreed of shareholders.

Colin Fox SSP convenor

EXPLOITATION AND BLATANT PROFITEERING


27

In a recent issue of RMT News,Stuart Hyslop looked backed thebetrayal of Canadian seafarersin the 1950’s in a review of thefilm ‘Betrayed’.

It reminds us of the manyoccasions when seafarers facedstorms other than thoseencountered when at sea.

Details of the part played bythe leadership, but certainly notthe membership, of theCanadian National Union ofSeamen at that time also remindus of occasions when one wasout of step with the other.

On the evening of March 61987 the Herald of FreeEnterprise sank after leavingZeebrugge with the loss of 191passengers and crew. Thedisaster was predictable.

Two similar ships had sunkpreviously in similarcircumstances.

The loss of the EuropeanGateway and the French vesselThe Mont Louis had alreadyattracted recommendations forimproved safety on this type ofship.

Townsend Thoresen, whooperated two of these threeships, had no interest inimproving safety as they werein the process of selling theirfleet to P&O.

With the deal complete, P&Oimmediately demanded savingsof six million pounds by way ofcrew reductions. Despiteannouncing profits of 51 millionpounds, P&O turned down anoffer by the NUS to go toarbitration.

In a secret ballot in 1988 thecrews of all eleven ships votedto reject the reduction inmanning on the grounds ofreduced safety. On February 31988, 2,161 seafarers employed

by P&O Cross Channel Ferriesstopped work.

Unfortunately, they hadwalked slap bang into a trap setby the new owner Sir JefferySterling, bankrolled by hisadmirer Margaret Thatcher.Every force of the law was letloose against the NUS and thestrikers.

Sequestration of NUS assetsand heavy fines quickly left theunion penniless and unable topay strike benefit. Eventually, itwas forced by the use of the lawto abandon the strike or face jailsentences.

Following the strike, P&Osacked 2,000 workers who hadstood firm against newconditions that would seriouslyendanger safety at sea. Thestrikers continued to mount apicket until June 1989 when,without funding or support fromthe trade union movement, theywere forced to give up.

The promise of the NUS that

these comrades would never beforgotten got lost somewhere inthe early days of the mergerwith the NUR to become RMT.

It was not until the 1993AGM in Newcastle that thisissue was revisited and delegateswere made aware of thehardship still being endured bypeople who had lost everythingfighting not for personal gainbut for a cause they believed in.

Unfortunately, despite yearsof resolutions demanding someform of compensation beingcarried at the TUC, Labour Partyconference, the InternationalLabour Organisation and theEuropean Court of Justice, therehas been no recompense for thesacrifices made to prevent moreaccidents at sea.

Nineteen years on, strikersstill meet annually at the Heraldmemorial service and on theanniversary of the strike. If anycomrade would like to send amessage of solidarity they can

be made via Steve Stevenson,Flat 20, Gerald Palmby Court,Western Road, Deal, Kent CT146RP.

The history of the NUS wasindeed a stormy one, with theleadership found wanting onmore than one occasion.However, in this final battle theleadership and membershipstood firm together to the end.

We can take no comfort fromthe fact that in the end they toowere betrayed by a Labourgovernment not worthy of thename.

Speaking on a picket line atDover docks during the strike,John Prescott said: “I hope thepeople of this country realisethat P&O ships are not safe andthe record shows it to be so.

“Cutting costs means moreaccidents and fires aboardships,” he said.

He later launched a P&Oship.

STORMY STRIKEAT P&O On the nineteenth anniversary of the

bitter P&O dispute, RMT member JohnKay looks back at the last battle ofthe National Union of Seamen

CROSSING THE LINE: A Dover picket during the 1988 P&O dispute with a young Ken Livingstone before he became London mayorand called on Tube staff to break picket lines.


28

Finsbury Park branch has senta motion to this year’s RMT

AGM calling for reparation forthe enslavement of Africans.This motion has been supportedby branches at the LondonTransport Regional Council.

As an African, and as one ofthose still suffering from posttraumatic slave syndrome, I amwilling where possible to attendany branch meeting around thecountry to put the case forreparation.

The next port of call for ourmotion will be the RMT blackand ethnic minority members’conference.

Next year, will mark the 200year anniversary of whenimperial Britain claimed to havegiven us ‘freedom from slavery’.

Many RMT members will notbe aware of this, or that theUnited Nation’s WorldConference Against Racism inDurban South Africa in 2001,which I attended, declared‘chattel slavery’ a crime againsthumanity.

The first thing we mustrecognise is that Africans werenever ‘slaves’, we were enslaved.The distinction is veryimportant. Nor is the words

‘slave trade’ an honest appraisalof what was and still is the mostbarbaric activities carried out byhuman being against otherhuman being.

For me as an African, thisgoes to the heart of the matter.Why were Africans, then andnow, seen as less than humanbeings?

The so called ending ofslavery meant nothing to us.

We were still enslaved to theplantation and the plantationowners who we were dependanton for access to food, water andshelter.

No fund was provided for usto try and relocate away fromour enslavers.

Indeed, in order to compoundthis crime against humanity, theBritish government of 1807 paidthe slave owners for loss of‘their slaves’. They paid nothingto our ancestors, ensuring thatwe were a cheap ready madelabour force for our formerenslavers to exploit.

Put that together with therape and plunder of both Africaand her people to the presentday and you have to askyourself ‘is it enough just tostop’?

Our motion says ‘No! It is notenough’. Nor are the goodintentions of people like BobGeldof going to work.

The African community hasbeen calling for reparation forover two hundred years.

Instead, when Africans inHaiti won the freedom bydefeating Napoleon Bonaparte’sarmy, it was Africans who wereasked to pay reparation toFrance. This debt around itsneck led to the Haiti that we seetoday.

Why should reparation meanmoney? Reparation means torepair.

We are demanding that thosewho have damaged us, ourlands, our home, our societiesand, our very existence shouldhelp to repair them. Why shouldAfricans have life expectanciesof just 40 years?

Reparation means to buildschools and hospitals. What isrequired is clean water, access toproper medical treatment and atransport infrastructure where itdoes not take days to do whatothers do in hours.

Our motion also calls on ourunion, as representatives ofmodern day seafarers, to

REPARATIONSFOR AFRICA?

condemn those who willinglyparticipated and profited fromthis evil crime.

How long are Africans to livewith such memories, reinforcedtoday by those who say Africashould not have clean waterbecause governments are not totheir liking?

Glenroy Watson

ACTIVISTS’ CORNER


29

FLORIDA

INDIAN WELLS KISSIMMEE Villas 10%

discount on rates for RMT members.

Beautiful 3 bedroom 2 bathroom villa in

Florida5 minutes drive from Disney.

Exceptionally central location. Own pool

with screen porch and overlooking a

lake. Will sleep 8 and cot facilities are

available.

Tel. 01202 427854

www.indianwellskissimmeevillas.co.uk

AIRPORT

AIRPORT CAR PARKING. 5%

additional discount for RMT members

www.flypark.co.uk/discount

0870 733 0545. Get a quote and see

savings

NEW FOREST

VICTORIAN FARMHOUSE B&B plus

s/c lodge, sleeps 4, also B&B. Set in

farmland overlooking forest. Direct

access to trailway. Small heated pool.

Pets welcome. Ideal for walking, riding

and cycling. Close to New Forest. For

brochure call 01425 472115

TENERIFE

TENERIFE, LAS AMERICAS. Apartment

in 3 star hotel on seafront. Quiet area.

From £75pppw.

Tel: 01803 526168

SPANISH HOLIDAYS

Costa Blanca House sleeps 6. Costa del

Sol Apartment sleeps 4. £120-£320pw.

Lovely locations. Beautiful beaches.

Pools. Golf. Wonderful weather.

Brochure available (01344)425247

WEST INDIES

MATTINGLEY HEIGHTS, ST KITTS,

WEST INDIES. Self-catering house for

rent. 3 bedrooms, 1 with ensuite. Fully

furnished with all mod-cons. Cable TV

etc.. £250pw per person. Contact

Lennox: 07831 862369 or 07771 830594

or leave a message on: 01132 628828

CLASSIFIEDADS

Last month’ssolution...

The winner of prizecrossword no. 22 is Mr R. V.Jones of Merseyside.

Send entries to Prize Crossword,RMT, Unity House, 39 ChaltonStreet, London NWI IJD by April3rd with your name and address.Winner and solution in next issue.

ACROSS7 Brought round or back to life (7)8 Dogs, or teeth (7)10 Express agreement, permission or compliance

(6)11, 1 down, 23 across. Retirement fund started in

BR days - RMT’s campaigning to defend it(8, 7, 6)

11 Employer; stud (4)12 Eating place (10)13 Hypnotising (11)18 Hampshire town or US rifle (10)21 Dessert with pastry base but no top crust (4)22 16 of the Philippines (8)23 Plot - or see 11 across (6)24 Retribution (7)25 Subjected to cruel or intimidating behaviour -

time to see your rep! (7)

DOWN1 French boarding-house - or see 11 across2 Permit holder; publican (8)3 Warming device (6)4 Large letters or key cities (8)5 One who watches (6)6 ‘16’s of east African nation (7)9 Disatisfaction; feeling of unfulfilment or

being thwarted (11)14 Gatherings, such as those held by your RMT

branch (8)15 It protects the kernel (8)16 Inhabitant, or one with rights associated

with living in a particular place or country (7)17 Brass instrument (7)19 Woodworking tool (6)20 Extricate from dangerous situation (6)

RMT £25 prize crosswordNo. 23. Set by Elk

Dear Bob Crow,

The members, staff and officers of Transport Workers Union Local 100 of New Yorkdeeply appreciate your support during our recent contract fight and strike.

It seemed that our contract fight was conducted under the bright lights of the massmedia. However, there were very important things happening outside of camera range,including the solidarity you displayed.

If the media ignored it, transport workers did not. Our 35,000 members werestrengthened by the knowledge that they were not alone.

I would have liked to have written sooner, noting how your efforts helped produce asuccessful resolution to our battle. While that has not yet occurred, expressing ourappreciation can’t wait.

Our picket signs said “it’s all about respect”. Please let your members, staff and officersknow that you have the respect and heartfelt thanks of the entire TWU Local 100 family.

Sincerely

Roger ToussaintTWU Local 100 president

LETTERS

30

There are two methods of supplying us with the documentation:-

METHOD 1 Send or take your original documents, 1 from List A & 1 from List B, direct to RMT Credit, Unity House, FREEPOST, 39Chalton Street, London NW1 1JD. If sending valuable documents such as your passport or current full UK Driving Licence westrongly advise sending them by recorded delivery. We will photocopy the originals and return them to you.

METHOD 2 Take one original document from list A and one from list B to your Branch Secretary or any of the above approvedpersons listed below:-

● Delegated Officer of the Branch● Divisional Organiser● Executive Committee Member● Credit Union Officer● Post Master / Sub Post Master ■ Person with honours / peerage● Authorised Financial Intermediary ■ Full Time Trade Union Official● Councillor (local or county) ■ Member of Parliament● Minister of Religion ■ Justice of the Peace● Commissioner for oaths ■ Lawyer● Banker ■ Teacher● Doctor ■ Accountant● Police Officer ■ Dentist

The Branch Secretary or other approved person will check the original documentation; will take a photocopy, sign, and Branchstamp.All proof of identity / address must bear your name, and not be solely in the name of partner etc; but can be in addition totheir name.

Satisfactory proof of identity will include, but not be limited to the following:

LIST (A)Current signed Passport.Current Full UK old style Driving Licence (not old style Provisional Licence) [if not used as evidence of address].Original Inland Revenue tax notification e.g. tax assessment, statement of account, notice of coding – valid for current year.Pension Book or Benefits Book or original notification letter from the Benefits Agency confirming your right to benefits (if not used as evidence of address).Shotgun or firearms certificate.ID pass and safety cards for the following companies: Network Rail, Trans Pennine Express, Central Trains Discharge Book (shippers only - current).

Satisfactory proof of address will include, but not be limited to the following:

LIST (B)Original Local Authority Council Tax bill valid for the current year.Current UK photo card Driving Licence.Current Full UK old style Driving Licence (not old style Provisional Licence).A Utility Bill e.g. Electricity, Gas, Water or Telephone bills. These must be originals and less than 3 months old. Mobile ‘phone bills are NOT acceptable.Bank, building society or credit union statement – within last 3 months.Mortgage statement from a recognised lender – within last 12 months.Pension Book or Benefits Book or original notification letter from the Benefits Agency confirming your right to benefits (if not used as evidence of address).Original Inland Revenue tax notification, letter, notice of coding, P60 or P45.Original housing association or letting agency tenancy agreement.Local council rent card or tenancy agreementOriginal Solicitor’s letter confirming recent house purchase or Land Registry confirmation.Household and motor Insurance certificates - current

HOW TO JOIN THE CREDIT UNIONTo join the RMT Credit Union you need to fill in anapplication form and supply us with proof of your identityand address. Being an existing RMT member, you maywonder why we need proof of who you are and where youlive. It is because the Financial Services Authority, in an

attempt to combat Money Laundering, has imposed strictidentification rules on anyone wishing to open a Bank orBuilding Society account. Unfortunately, it has applied thesame rules and regulations to Credit Unions.

Credit Union accounts may only be opened and transactions accepted when verification of identity and address has been completed and cross-referenced against RMTmembership.We are using the method of Direct Debit only and money will be deducted from your bank account on the 28th of each month. Please return completed forms and IDdocumentation, as we need to make sure you comply with the money laundering regulations. Failing to complete all forms and ID documentation will delay us from setting upyour savings account.

MEMBERSHIP NUMBER

Finance Department, Unity House, 39 Chalton Street, London NW1 1JDRMT CREDIT UNION APPLICATION FORM – please complete your

application along with the attached Direct Debit.

P l e a s e u s e B L O C K C A P I TA L S and black ink.

1 PERSONAL DETAILS.

Surname Address

Forename(s)

Home phone

Mobile phone Postcode

Email address

Date of Birth National Insurance Number

2 Your Employment.

Employer RMT Branch

Job Description

3 Mr Mrs Ms Miss

4 Membership Status

RMT TU Member Retired RMT TU Member

5 How much do you wish to save £ This is the amount you wish to save in ‘shareholdings’ monthly by

Direct Debit (you must complete form below)

6 Normally your payments are made once a month (28th) to RMT Credit Union Ltd.

7 Next of Kin .....................................................................................

Address .....................................................................................

.....................................................................................

.....................................................................................

8 I undertake to abide by the rules now in force or those that are adopted.

Your signature Date

Instruction to your Bank orBuilding Society to pay by Direct Debit

Please fill in the whole form including official use box using a ball point pen andSend to: RMT Credit Union Ltd., 39 Charlton Street, London NW1 1JD

Name and full postal address of your Bank or Building Society

Originator’s Identification Number

Reference Number

FOR RMT CREDIT UNION LTD OFFICIAL USE ONLYThis is not part of the the instruction to your Bank or Building Society.

To: The Manager Bank/Building Society

Address

Postcode

Signature(s)

Date

Name(s) of Account Holder(s)

Bank/Building Society account number

Branch Sort Code

Instructions to your Bank or Building Society.Please pay RMT Credit Union Ltd Direct Debits for the account detailed in this instruction subject to the safeguardsassured by the Direct Debit Guarantee. I understand that this instruction may remain with RMT Credit Union Ltd, ifso, details will be passed electronically to my Bank/Building Society.

Banks and Building Societies may not accept Direct Debit Instructions from some types of account

This guarantee should be detached and retained by the Payer.

The Direct Debit Guarantee● This guarantee is offered by all Banks and Building Societies that take part in the Direct Debit Scheme.The efficiency and security of the scheme is monitored and protected by your own Bank or

Building Society.● If the amounts to be paid or the payment date changes, RMT Credit Union Ltd will notify you 10 working days in advance of your account being debited or as otherwise agreed● If an error is made by RMT Credit Union Ltd or your Bank or Building Society, you are guaranteed a full and immediate refund from your branch of the amount paid● You can cancel a Direct Debit at any time by writing to your Bank or Building Society. Please also send a copy of your letter to us.

✂

9 7 4 2 8 1

RMT CREDIT UNION LTD.

31

Documents

INSIDE THIS ISSUE UNITE TO UNITE TOUNITE TO DEFEND …€¦ · > Asbestos related diseases > Unfair dismissal > Discrimination > Conveyancing - Estate Agency > Wills & Executries