London Bridge strike picket line. Photo: Cici Washburn
Cici Washburn reports on the RMT’s London Underground station staff strike and its impact
The RMT station staff strike crippled the tube this morning in defence of jobs, terms and conditions and pensions. TfL has announced 600 job cuts on the stations as one of the first in a series of cuts in an all-too-familiar attempt to make workers pay for the cost of the pandemic.
Activists from Extinction Rebellion and Unite Community joined strikers at London Bridge station. Despite the strike being officially a stations strike only, it was clear that many drivers had stayed off in solidarity and the entire service was shut down throughout the morning peak.
RMT have a mandate to strike on the current ballot until 10 July and the workers seemed confident that they will take more action before they start re-balloting. The outrageous attacks on the union by the government and media, the arrests of union officials on picket lines and threats to introduce further legislative restrictions on the right to strike have not deterred workers from returning a massive yes vote for strike action on the National Rail. The potential for co-ordinated action could really deliver a hot summer of struggle.
I spoke to Jane Gwynn, RMT Jubilee South branch chair, on the London Bridge picket line this morning:
Before you go
Counterfire is growing faster than ever before
We need to raise £20,000 as we are having to expand operations. We are moving to a bigger, better central office, upping our print run and distribution, buying a new printer, new computers and employing more staff.
