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Defend Mark Harding: Unite Against Cuts

This document discusses the ongoing dispute between London Underground workers and management. It makes three main points: 1) The attack on union activist Mark Harding is an attack on the union as a whole, and defending him is crucial to the broader fight against job losses and cuts to conditions. 2) The RMT union has shown its power to disrupt London through strikes, but needs a strategy to win the dispute, which may involve escalating strike action. 3) Escalating strikes is an effective tactic, as seen in successful disputes elsewhere, where workers called repeated strikes or strikes more frequently until employers conceded to their demands. Ongoing momentum from strikes is important to maintain pressure on management.

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99 views1 page

Defend Mark Harding: Unite Against Cuts

This document discusses the ongoing dispute between London Underground workers and management. It makes three main points: 1) The attack on union activist Mark Harding is an attack on the union as a whole, and defending him is crucial to the broader fight against job losses and cuts to conditions. 2) The RMT union has shown its power to disrupt London through strikes, but needs a strategy to win the dispute, which may involve escalating strike action. 3) Escalating strikes is an effective tactic, as seen in successful disputes elsewhere, where workers called repeated strikes or strikes more frequently until employers conceded to their demands. Ongoing momentum from strikes is important to maintain pressure on management.

Uploaded by

pastetable
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

www.socialistworker.co.

uk
T
HE ATTACK ON MARK HARDING
is an attack on our union. The
fght to defend him is inextricably
linked to the battle against the threat
to jobs, ticket offces and conditions.
London Underground workers have
shown that the union has the power to
take on Boris and the bosses and defend
every job and ticket offce.
We cannot make the mistake of
allowing the bosses to set station against
station.
Our strikes ground the capital to a halt,
causing chaos for LU bosses and Boris,
frst in february and then in April.
Now we need a strategy to win.
The Tories and the bosses attempt to
take on tube workers is highly politicised.
Firstly, Boris relishes what he sees as a
chance to prove himself and strike a blow
to the RMT, a union seen as a bastion of
militant trade unionism that the Tories
would love to weaken.
Thats why our activists face
victimisation, and why LU bosses are
playing hardball in talkswe must be just
as determined.
Secondly, the attacks constitute
an assault not just on tube workers
conditions, pay and jobs, they will also
undermine our public transport service,
making it even more inaccessible for
those with disabilities.
Thirdly, the drive to close ticket offces,
slash jobs and intensify the workload of
London Underground workers is part
of a wider austerity agenda to make
working class people pay for the crisis
caused by the rich, while they get richer.
Disgrace
In every industry and sector, pay,
conditions, services and workers rights
are in the fring line.
The rich list this month exposed the
disgrace that the number of billionaires
in Britain has doubled, while zero hours
contracts and food banks are on the rise.
The moves by some union leaders to
not follow up action after 2.6 million
workers struck together in 2011 over
pensions led to real setbacks in the
nationally coordinated resistance that
could have defeated the Tories.
But now the potential for strikes by
over a million workers has re-emerged.
On 10 July, teachers and local
government workers are gearing up for a
joint national strike over pay, and Unison
is also pointing to further strike dates in
September. Already other unions, such as
the PCS and FBU, are discussing joining
the July strikes. Meanwhile over half a
million NHS workers are set to ballot for
national strikes in the autumn.
Power
Our strikes on London Underground gave
a boost to workers across all the unions.
Of course there are always areas that
need strengthening, and activists should
organise now to do this.
But the fact is, when we walked out
across the network, no one was in any
doubt to the power our unions have to hit
the bosses hard at a time when were all
under attack.
Nurturing the momentum built up in
each strike is critical. Long gaps between
strikes give LU bosses a breathing space.
This lifts the pressure ramped up during
strikes.
Its clear strikes have had an impact
and forced them to shift, for example on
protected earnings.
But the best way to get them to shift
further is to strike hard and then escalate.
Thats the lesson from the local disputes
where workers called the bosses bluff,
announced escalating strikes and won.
At Edinburgh College, workers in the
EIS union defeated an all out assault on
pay and conditions by striking, then when
bosses wouldnt budge, calling three days
strikes each week, until we win.
At Ealing hospital, it was the lowest
paid, outsourced workerscatering,
cleaning, porters and help desk workers
who won a 16 percent pay rise after 11
days striking with more action called.
Doncaster Care UK workers in Unison
are showing how to fght. Theyve struck
34 days so far in a battle over pay and
have more action planned.
Danger
With Labour echoing the call for cuts
and lining up behind the Tories on the
question of immigration, the racist Ukip
pose a real danger.
Nigel Farage falsely masquerades as an
anti-establishment fgure. Hes actually
a banker who went to a private Dulwich
school. Ukip are hoisting the political
mainstream rightwards.
So it is crucial that the trade union
movement offers a real alternative to
austerity by leading resistance that can
win. London Underground workers have
given confdence to others with strong
strikesits down to activists now to
push inside the union to make sure the
momentum is kept alive. Escalating can
quickly force the bosses and Boris back.
ESCALATE STRIKES ON TUBES
TO DRIVE BACK BOSSES CUTS
Justice for Mark Harding... Defend our union activists
RMT strikers stand strong on latest picket lines
LU dispute Mark
Harding 230514

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