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The proposed strike by signalmen (but only after the Easter holidays which accrues overtime!) belonging to the Rail Maritime and Transport Union has been averted following the granting of an injunction to Network Rail.
The reasons behind the strike, said to be about safe working practices, have been temporarily set aside in the acrimony that has followed.
Following the granting of the injunction, the General Secretary of the RMT said, ‘This judgement is an attack on the whole trade union movement and twists the anti-union laws even further in favour of the bosses. Workers fighting for the principle of a safe railway have had the whole weight of the law thrown against them’.
His comments were reinforced by the General Secretary of the TUC. ‘It’s becoming increasingly easy for employers, unhappy at the prospect of a dispute, to rely on the courts to intervene and nullify a democratic ballot for industrial action on a mere technicality.’
Note that neither of these gentlemen referred to the anomalies said to be contained in the RMT ballot results which suggested that there were flaws in 143 of the 828 workplaces identified by the union, including votes from eleven signal boxes which no longer exist. Or that in 67 of the signal boxes polled there were more votes cast than staff actually employed.
By all means have a strike if unions and management can’t meet and resolve their differences, but let the ballots be transparent and honest.
In the meantime, throwing invective at the judiciary makes no sense and achieves nothing!
.
The proposed strike by signalmen (but only after the Easter holidays which accrues overtime!) belonging to the Rail Maritime and Transport Union has been averted following the granting of an injunction to Network Rail.
The reasons behind the strike, said to be about safe working practices, have been temporarily set aside in the acrimony that has followed.
Following the granting of the injunction, the General Secretary of the RMT said, ‘This judgement is an attack on the whole trade union movement and twists the anti-union laws even further in favour of the bosses. Workers fighting for the principle of a safe railway have had the whole weight of the law thrown against them’.
His comments were reinforced by the General Secretary of the TUC. ‘It’s becoming increasingly easy for employers, unhappy at the prospect of a dispute, to rely on the courts to intervene and nullify a democratic ballot for industrial action on a mere technicality.’
Note that neither of these gentlemen referred to the anomalies said to be contained in the RMT ballot results which suggested that there were flaws in 143 of the 828 workplaces identified by the union, including votes from eleven signal boxes which no longer exist. Or that in 67 of the signal boxes polled there were more votes cast than staff actually employed.
By all means have a strike if unions and management can’t meet and resolve their differences, but let the ballots be transparent and honest.
In the meantime, throwing invective at the judiciary makes no sense and achieves nothing!
.
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