jayeshjpatel's blog

The legality of a 'general' strike, striking against the Condem Government

An interesting article from The Institute of Employment Rights on a topic which was much discussed at the Global Labour Institute Summer School 2012 which some RMT young members attended.

Days of Action: http://www.ier.org.uk/blog/days-action

"As the TUC opens its discussion for 2012, this IER Briefing from Keith Ewing and John Hendy argues that increased protest action against government austerity measures are defendable in Court with reference to the European Convention on Human Rights.

Bloggy Report- RMT Young Members 2012 AGM Course

Each year the RMT hold an Annual General Meeting, this is where delegates from each region act as the supreme governing body of the union, alongside this event the RMT also runs a young members AGM educational course.

I joined a group of young members from all over the country who work in a variety of grades, there were cleaners on London underground, supervisors, train operators, p-way, and station assistants- almost half of the group came from London. Most young members there had little to do with the union before this and were curious to see what it was all about.

The course itself was funded by the union in recognition that the union needs to regularly involve as well as educate its young members as they are the future (and the present.) My employer did not pay me for the week away but the union covered my loss of earnings as well as travel, accommodation and food expenses so I had nothing to lose by attending.

RMT Young Members have a Blast in Brussels

At the end of March RMT young members travelled to Brussels to take part in a rally for nationalisation and against privatisation on the first anniversary of the European Commission's Transport White Paper, which orders states to surrender transport networks to corporate interests

We brought along our handmade banner which we worked really hard creating from scratch. It took a lot of hard work especially as we had underestimated how long it would take. Young members met up at Martine House in Clapham Common the day before to design and create the banner. It was great laugh, we each did small shifts and were powered by liquid nourishment and fish & chips.

It was shorts and t-shirt weather in Brussels and after the rally we enjoyed the many things that Brussels had to offer.