National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers

RMT
Full name National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers
Founded 1990
Members 72,000
Affiliation TUC, ICTU, STUC, ITF, WFTU TUCG, NSSN, TUSC
Key people Mick Cash, general secretary
Peter Pinkney, president
Office location London, England
Country United Kingdom
Website www.rmt.org.uk

The National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) is a British trade union for transport workers.

The RMT is one of Britain's fastest growing trade unions, increasing its membership by more than a third between 2001-06,[1] and now has more than 72,000 members.

History

It was formed by a merger of the National Union of Railwaymen (NUR) and the National Union of Seamen (NUS).

Predecessors of the RMT were among the unions which set up the Labour Representation Committee in 1900. In 2003, some Scottish branches of the RMT, affiliated to the Scottish Trades Union Congress, voted to donate some of their funds to the Scottish Socialist Party. This led the Labour Party to disaffiliate the union in early 2004. In Wales some branches supported Forward Wales, led by the former Labour Welsh Assembly member John Marek. The RMT is affiliated to the Left pressure group the Labour Representation Committee (LRC),[2] which is named after the original LRC of 1900, and works to restore socialist principles within the Labour Party. Some local branches of the RMT, such as Grimsby, are still affiliated to their local Constituency Labour Party (CLP).

The RMT announced in 2009 that it would be standing a slate of candidates in the 2009 European Parliament elections under the banner of No to EU – Yes to Democracy, a broad left-wing alter-globalisation coalition which aims to offer an alternative to the "anti-foreigner" and pro-business policies of the UK Independence Party.[3]

The RMT applied for membership in the World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU) in 2013.

In 2014, the RMT joined the Solidarity with the Antifascist Resistance in Ukraine (SARU) campaign in support of the Communist Party of Ukraine and the Donbass People's Militia against the EU and NATO-backed Ukrainian government.[4]

RMT Credit Union

RMT Credit Union Limited is a savings and loans co-operative established by the trade union for its members in 2004.[5] It is a member of UKCreditUnions Limited, a national trade association for credit unions, steering groups and support organisations.[6] The credit union is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the PRA. Ultimately, like the banks and building societies, members’ savings are protected against business failure by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme.[7]

Leadership

General Secretaries

RMT members protest at the 2011 anti-cuts protest in London

Assistant General Secretaries

London Underground

The RMT has had a number of disputes with London Underground, and its privatised contractors Metronet and Tube Lines,[8][9] over pay, safety, pensions and job security, leading to travel disruption in the capital.[10][11][12][13][14]

In 2011, strikes were cancelled after London Underground reinstated the Tube driver at the centre of a dispute.[15]

Strikes over TfL's plans to close Underground ticket offices took place in 2014.[16][17]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Bob Crow: workers' friend?
  2. ↑ http://www.l-r-c.org.uk/links/#affiliates
  3. ↑ "Exclusive: Tommy Sheridan to stand for Euro elections". Daily Record. 2009-03-10. Retrieved 2014-03-13.
  4. ↑ http://ukraineantifascistsolidarity.wordpress.com/2014/09/10/rmt-union-denounces-western-support-for-kiev-supports-antifascist-resistance/
  5. ↑ RMT Credit Union National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (retrieved 21 February 2015)
  6. ↑ Credit Unions in London UKCreditUnions (retrieved 1 November 2014)
  7. ↑ Credit Union Guide Financial Services Compensation Scheme (retrieved 2 April 2015)
  8. ↑ Train drivers' union ASLEF represents London Underground train drivers, and has co-ordinated disputes with the RMT
  9. ↑ "England | Second Tube strike hits London". BBC News. 2002-10-02. Retrieved 2014-03-13.
  10. ↑ "Tube strike causes travel chaos". BBC News. 2007-09-04. Retrieved 2014-03-13.
  11. ↑ McNulty, Phil (10 June 2009). "England 6-0 Andorra". BBC Sport. Retrieved 11 June 2009.
  12. ↑ Ashton, Emily (11 June 2009). "Mayor 'provoked Tube strike'". London: The Independent. Retrieved 11 June 2009.
  13. ↑ "Bob Crow on RMT 48-Hour London Underground Strike". RMT. 10 June 2009. Retrieved 13 June 2009.
  14. ↑ "Tube strikes on as talks break down"
  15. ↑ "Tube strikes cancelled as London Underground reinstates unfairly sacked driver | Global Rail News". Rail.co. Retrieved 2014-03-13.
  16. ↑ Telegraph, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/road-and-rail-transport/10617182/London-Underground-strikes-line-by-line-travel-information.html
  17. ↑ BBC News, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-27215922

External links