London Banter - View Single Post - Is it time for transport unions to be banned?

Recliner[_2_] · November 21st 09, 10:30 AM posted to uk.transport.london

wrote in message

In article ,
(Bruce) wrote:

On Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:04:59 -0000, "Recliner"
wrote:

As you say, the RMT is one of the more militant unions, and perhaps
its members would remain just as militant even if the union were
headed by someone else. After all, they voted for Crow, and would
presumably elect someone else in his mould if he disappeared -- in
effect, they're in control, not the union leader. Even if the union
didn't exist, they may still call unofficial, wildcat strikes or
disrupt the railway in other ways (rather like the TOCs whose
drivers suddenly won't work on Sundays).

What is needed here, and across much of the public service sector, is
a combination of a no-strike deal and compulsory pendulum arbitration
of pay claims. But it will never happen under Labour, because Labour
doesn't want to upset its Union paymasters.

Not that I would want to be characterised as an apologist for the
Unions or the Labour Party but you seem to have overlooked 12 1/2
years of contrary evidence to that proposition. Isn't the RMT one of
those unions that has stopped paying Labour for precisely that reason?

I'm pretty sure the RMT still sponsors (ie, funds) some Labour MPs, but
not the party itself (after it was expelled in 2004). But, of course,
the RMT is not the only union on the railways, and the others remain
friendly with Labour.