WHY DONT WE SWITCH TO THE RMT UNION?

[Danelectro]

Im a CWU rep but after this vague interim agreement and having spoken to the local RMT rep who turned up on our picket line offering his support and also bought everybody a burger king!I cant help thinking that Bob Crow {who seems to get some stick on here-Dinosaur?No he just does what it says on the tin} would offer a better run union where someone on the frontline can be heard by HQ.

Ive played a part in the last year turning an office that was reluctant to strike into one this morning that unanimously felt sold down the river{we only had 3 out of 70 break the strike last wk].I hoped when i got hame the interim agreement would have something clear to give some hope ie: Pegasus speed reduced to 3.4 mph or anything that could shut up the local DOM-what are we meant to do meantime continue with unachievable workloads?

Anyway i know switching to the RMT is never gonna happen but the CWU needs a shake up thats for sure

[Geezer]

Rather Bob Crow was in negotiations with RM than Billy & Dave. I don't think he would have given RM such an easy ride.

[Cut Off King]

Is it possible to switch to the RMT ? or do we have to be represented by the CWU

[ronpetetrevchris]

i have to say with so many disgruntled with the CWU then its surely rife for another union to jump in!

[jim1911]

I very much agree with all the above comments

[norbert]

Rather Bob Crow was in negotiations with RM than Billy & Dave. I don't think he would have given RM such an easy ride.

You have to remember that the NUR / RMT have already been through all the cr** over Privatization that RM staff are going through now with the late Jimmy Knapp ( Crow was a very good organizer for Jimmy ) with a even more vicious government than New Labour , then there was two years of trench warfare at least after privatization with all these anti - union companies that got the franchisees .

Eventually ! - the companies did decide to work with the unions , I guess that RM are at the trench warfare & soften them up stage that the railway's were in in the late to mid nineties going by that Powerpoint Document & Higson's attitude .

What people have to remember is that RM is very top down and regimented , just like all roads lead to Moscow , all roads lead to 148 Old St with RM and nobody is allowed to fart without 148 Old Street's permission .

It's easier for Bob Crow to negotiate with the top brass of the different railway companies than the RM entity , secondly the RMT are only fighting on one front , the CWU have to fight the Lord Of Darkness too

Just a thought as I do know a few people from that industry . A lot of members got shafted big time after the 1989 Central Machinery of Negotiation strike - sounds familiar ? , after one strike in the 90's , the railway spitefully refused to take union dues off the wages & the RMT lost a lot of members - Bob Crow has built it up again - bit of poaching but ......

RM would love people to join other unions - divide and conquer , look at the railway , there's never been any love lost between ASLEF & the RMT & as for people's thoughts on TSSA , I'd get banned - then there was the breakaway union formed too after the ASLEF " bonding " BBQ & the Industrial Tribunals & Court Cases

[Geezer]

Norbert
I have watched Bob Crow, many times and at the TUC. My Point was, he is much better at getting his point over than Billy Or Dave.
He is always prepared and seems to always have an answer for nearly anything that's thrown at him and most importantly of all,
he seems to have a pair of BALL'S.

[norbert]

Norbert
I have watched Bob Crow, many times and at the TUC. My Point was, he is much better at getting his point over than Billy Or Dave.
He is always prepared and seems to always have an answer for nearly anything that's thrown at him and most importantly of all,
he seems to have a pair of BALL'S.

You're spot on in that sense , even railwaymen that call Bob Crow fit to burn , say he does not p*** about , the strikes he calls are right and usually he wins . It's a bit easier to win them as the companies would get fined by the regulator but even so he's a better operator than Billy & Dave .

It would be a lot better if the CWU disaffiliated from New Labour , some people would say where do you go but the RMT seem to do OK .

What happened with the railway was that people were tired of the " corrupt " right wing old guard " - some would include the late Jimmy Knapp in it , some would say that was unfair as Jimmy had a vicious Tory Government to fight - Maybe that scenario will come after June 2010 ?

The best one with Crow was that time he was attacked with the iron bars by thugs , even people that weren't in his fan club were amazed by his nerve to say it was hired management thugs or ASLEF ? - I couldn't visualize Billy or Dave doing that ?

I was impressed by most of his dealings with London Transport and yes what you see is what you get ? - could anyone imagine Billy on a picket line ?

[knackeredneedadayoff]

CHAS AND DAVE SPLIT UP THEY CAN REPRESENT US ,WE HAVE HAD THOSE MUPPETS THROW OUR ONLY CHANCE DOWN THE TOILET

[k979aaa]

Rather Bob Crow was in negotiations with RM than Billy & Dave. I don't think he would have given RM such an easy ride.

They would at least have to buy a ticket and not get an annual saver which billy and Dave keep giving them!.

[norbert]

Rather Bob Crow was in negotiations with RM than Billy & Dave. I don't think he would have given RM such an easy ride.

They would at least have to buy a ticket and not get an annual saver which billy and Dave keep giving them!.

Bob Crow would be a lot sharper and battle hardened than anybody for that matter from the CWU ranks - think about it , he's had to be Lieutenant for Jimmy Knapp with the Tories and do his organizing , then there would be all that experience with some high profile railway operating company managers whilst RM just had civil service types , the only one that was pro - privatization was Bill Cockup ??? , then you've got "dealings" with ASLEF & other unions and possibly some vicious RMT politics .

I'm afraid Billy & Dave's experience only goes back to :lfo & :cfo , who were paid a lot of money to do a job ; whether people like them or agree with it is academic - Look at the 2007 strike , the Fluffy site and their mates from Hellmail were bragging about RM running rings round them .

Then you've got to look at all the deliberate misinformation , dirty tricks , mind games and deliberate attempts to confuse the issues from RM in 2009 , Higson was brought in on a million pound salary as a union buster , then there was the union busting US firm RM brought in .

Food for thought ?

[Night Tonic]

Not really. Would rather clean the oven out. All this subdefuge and corruption must give you insomnia Norb.

[norbert]

Not really. Would rather clean the oven out. All this subdefuge and corruption must give you insomnia Norb.

well yeah ! - RM are so upfront , there's nothing remotely underhand about RM , little or no politics that's why one of their Directors said " We must deal with our people better " - obviously he was aiming to improve on perfection

In any case the post was aimed at union members / activists / reps etc - the question has to begged as to why they are needed within RM

BTW - I sleep well

[BELIAL]

RMTCWU sounds good to me

[norbert]

RMTCWU sounds good to me

amalgamation to super unions has been the way to go - UNITE with the T&G / AMICUS / CMA / AEU ? etc , the CWU was a arranged marriage between the UCW & UPW , even UNISON with COHSE before , the NUR with Sam McCluskey's Seaman's union - can even give some scope for poaching from other unions

As ASLEF have said about the RMT , threatened more strikes than a Zippo lighter - should be "fun"