31.07.2002

Crow calls for cross-union solidarity

On Thursday July 25, the opening day of the Commonwealth Games, the Rail Maritime Transport union organised a picket of Manchester Piccadilly station. Around 100 assembled, with delegations from RMT branches in Portsmouth, London and Scotland. Most were from depots across Arriva Trains Northern, representing striking conductors. The strike was the latest in a long and increasingly bitter pay dispute that has seen conductors and other staff take nearly three weeks of strike action. Arriva has attempted to run as many trains as possible, using scab managers to replace striking conductors and station staff. In particular they have concentrated their efforts on the prestigious Transpennine Express services between Manchester and York. They have been able to do this with the help of Aslef drivers who are not part of the dispute. The immediate remedy to this problem - Aslef not crossing RMT pickets - has been completely ignored by both union leaderships. This has given added confidence to Arriva, which has continued to up the ante. RMT activists have been targeted across the company. British Transport Police have been employed to investigate spurious allegations of harassment of scabs. One station rep at Leeds continues to be suspended. Manchester Piccadilly Aslef branch has tried to break this logjam and has repeatedly called on Aslef, in cooperation with the RMT, to ask its drivers not to cross picket lines. There has predictably been little response. Aslef activists have therefore been left with little choice but to join with their RMT comrades in organising effective solidarity action themselves. At a packed post-picket meeting in the BRSA club the Aslef branch secretary, speaking from the platform, was well received when he said that Manchester drivers were sick and tired of been used as strike-breakers. He pledged that with the support of the local RMT branch they would be calling on drivers not to cross the next picket at Manchester. He fully realised the legal position this would place drivers in, but called on the general secretaries of both unions to back them. He referred to the decision of the Aslef conference to expel BNP members, irrespective of the legality of this, and said the issue of basic working class solidarity was even more important. Bob Crow, the RMT general secretary, who was also speaking at the meeting, gave his support to the Manchester drivers and promised he would approach his counterpart, Mick Rix, with a view to issuing a national call. He also castigated the sectarian elements in both unions who constantly undermine cooperation: "I couldn't care less who said what to whom or who did what to whom in the past. We need to look to the future and fight together as railworkers." Despite some uneasy shuffling from some RMT full-timers, this received an enthusiastic reception. All that is now required is to put the talking into concrete action - no easy task, but it can be done. Michael Farmer