8/8/2019 RMT Council of Execs Election 2010 - Elect Lewis Peacock!

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Lewiss Record RMT member for 21 years. Started as a fleet train cleaner Signals support technician since Company Plan Assistant Branch Secretary of LU Engineering, the largest RMT branch Assistant Secretary of the London Transport regional council. Previously chair andmembership secretary. Represented members on health and safety and industrial relations at all levels of

machineries. Negotiator for RMT in successful negotiations under Metronet for pay and conditions andthe transfer back into London Underground including winning passes and pension rightsfor all former Metronet workers.

RMT Council of Execs Election 2010

London Transport Region

Elect Lewis Peacock

I am standing in this election in order togive a fighting leadership to all membersin all grades.I am proud of the role RMT has played indefending members jobs and conditionsand have experience as a successfulnegotiator in key industrial disputes.I ask you to support me in this electionand I pledge that I will involve theregional council and membership indeveloping a strategy to defend jobsand conditions. FOR UNITED ACTION TO DEFEND JOBS

FOR GENERALISED ACTION AGAINST CUTS THROUGHOUT THEPUBLIC SECTOR DEFEND THE UNIONS FIGHTING POLICIES

INVOLVE THE MEMBERSHIP IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF STRATEGYAND TACTICS FIGHT THE ANTI-UNION LAWS

FOR A NEW WORKERS' PARTY STANDING IN THE BEST TRADITIONS OF SOCIALISM

AND WORKING CLASS STRUGGLE

8/8/2019 RMT Council of Execs Election 2010 - Elect Lewis Peacock!

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8/8/2019 RMT Council of Execs Election 2010 - Elect Lewis Peacock!

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RMT members face an unprecedented struggle to defendpay, conditions and job security in the face of massive cuts intransport expenditure by the ConDem coalition government.TheLondontransportregionwillbeintheeyeofthestormasthetradeunionmovementresistspublicsectorcuts.IwillseektobuildonthetraditionsofsolidaritybetweenRMTmembersacrosstheLondonUndergroundcombine

IbelievethatbycombiningthecombativityofRMTmemberswithanintelligentstrategywecandefeatLUsattemptstomakeourmemberspayforthecostsofbailingoutthePPPandforaneconomicrecessioncreatedbybankersandwealthyfinanciers.Ifelected,IwillinvolvetheregionalcouncilinalldiscussionsaffectingtheregionandexplainhonestlytomemberswhatIbelievetobethebeststrategyandpoliciesforRMTandtheLTregion.

DEFEND JOBSWearefacingamassiveattackonjobs,jobsecurity,wagesandpensions.Weneedunityofallmembersandallgradestofightbackagainsttheseattacks.Wecannotallowourmemberstobepickedoffgradebygrade;anattackononesectionofourmembershipisanattackonall.

Iwillfighttosaveeveryjobandfighttoensurethatnotonepennyiscutfromourwagesandthatnocutsaremadetoourpensions.OurmembershavefoughtlongandhardtodefendourwagesandconditionsbutstillhavetoendureunsocialshiftstokeepLondon'stransportsystemrunning.Ourpayandconditionsshouldreflectthis.

ButwehaveaGovernmentthatistryingtopushconditionsbackforworkingmenandwomen.LikeRobinHoodinreverse,theyarecuttingessentialservicesusedbythelessprivilegedsoastheycangivemoretotherichbankerswhocausedtherecessioninthefirstplace.IdonotacceptthatRMTmembersshouldloseonepennyinourwagepacketsorworkonehourlongertopayforthecurrenteconomiccrisis.

FOR GENERALISED ACTION AGAINST CUTSIsupportthecalltoarmsmadebyBobCrowatourconferenceforasustainedcampaignofgeneralisedstrikesacrossboththepublicandprivatesectorsandcommunitydirectactiontodefendpublicservices.Thereneedstobealliancesoftradeunionistsandcommunitycampaignsineveryarea.

IbackthecallfortheTUCtocallanationaldemonstrationagainstthecutbacksandifnecessarytobeginpreparationsforapublicsectorgeneralstrike.IftheTUCdoesnotacttheRMTshouldtaketheleadwithotherwillingunions.

Iaminvolvedlocallyinanti-cutscampaignsoftradeunionsandlocalcommunitycampaigngroups.Thesecampaigns

needtobebuiltineveryLondonboroughandupanddownthecountryinordertobuildamasscampaignagainstgovernmentcuts.

TwentyyearsagoIwasinvolvedintheAntiPollTaxUnion,whichbuiltamasscampaignof18millionnon-payers.ThatcampaignforcedThatcher'shatedgovernmenttoditchthepolltaxanddroveThatcheroutofoffice.Similarly,amasstradeunionandcommunitycampaignagainstthisgovernmentsattemptstocutourpublicservices,jobsandwagescansucceedtoday.

DEFEND THE UNIONS FIGHTING POLICIESWehavealeadershipinourUnionthatiswidelyandjustifiablyseenasthebestofanyunion.TheRMTleadershiphasbeen

preparedtobackmembers'requestsforindustrialactionandhastakenaleadbothindustriallyandpoliticallyincampaigningforafightingleftapproachthroughoutthetradeunionmovement.

ButtheRMTleadershipwillfaceanonslaughtinthecoming

periodfromthegovernmentandtherightwinginthetradeunionmovementandRMTitself.Memberswhosupportmilitantleftpoliciesneedtoorganiseintheuniontodefendandbuildsupportforsuchaprogramme.

ThiscanonlybedonebyensuringthatallmembersareinvolvedinthedemocraticrunningofourUnionanddevelopmentoftheunion'scampaigns,fromthebranchesup.IfIamelected,IwillvisitBranchesonaregularbasis.Iwillalsoreportbackongoingdiscussionsanddecisionsofthe

CouncilofexecutivestotheRegionalCouncilandtothemembership,andwillmakeitclearhowIhavevotedonmajorpolicydecisions.Iwillseektoinvolvemembersateverystageofkeystrategicandtacticaldecisionmaking.

FIGHT THE ANTI-UNION LAWSBritain'santi-unionlawsarenowsorestrictivethatitisimpossibleforauniontocomplywiththelawsonballoting.Anyinsignificanttechnicaldetailaboutthedescriptionofgradeorlocationcanbeenoughforajudgetograntaninjunctionagainsttheunion.

IwilldowhateverispossibletoensurethatRMTtakesthebestadviceandhasitsmembershiprecordsinthebestpossibleshapebutIwillalsoarguethat,ifthereisnoother

waytodefendourmembers,RMTshouldbepreparedtodefytheselaws.

FOR A NEW WORKERS' PARTYDefendingourmembers'jobs,payandconditionswillalwaysbemyfirstprioritybuttodothiseffectivelyweneedapoliticalvoicealongsideourindustrialvoice.

TheCon-Demattacksarecomingthickandfast,butLabourpreparedthegroundingovernment.AcrossthecountryitwillbeLabourcouncilsaswellastheConDemsthatimplementthecuts.IfLabourcomesbacktopoweritwillcontinuetoattackthepublicsector,albeititwithmorehand-wringingregretthanwegetfromtheConDemcoalition.

Weneedanewpartythatiscontrolledbyandactsforthe

interestsoftradeunionistsandworkingclasscommunities.TheRMTwastotheforeinputtingforwardaleftalternativetoLabourinNo2EuropeYestoDemocracyandmorerecentlysupportedcandidatesoftheTradeUnionistandSocialistCoalition(TUSC).

Iwillstrivetobuildonthisworkinourunionandwillargueforouruniontocontinuetoseekwaysofcreatingaviablenewmasspartyoftheunionsandworkingclass.ThisistheonlytowaytocreateapoliticalalternativetotheprobigbusinessprogrammeoftheConservative/LiberalcoalitionandtotheprogrammeofLabourwhichisfundamentallythesame.

BUILD AN ALTERNATIVE SOCIETYIamaSocialistandIbelievethattheillsofoursociety,

includinglowwages,poorhousingandmassunemploymentarearesultofthecapitalistsystemthatputsprofitovertheneedsofthemasses.

BritainisthesixthrichesteconomyintheWorld,yetthatwealthisconcentratedintothehandsofasmallminorityofsociety.Therichest1,000peopleinBritishsocietysawtheirwealthincreaseby77billionlastyear,norecessionforthem!Nevertheless,publicservants,pensionersandourmembershiparebeingaskedtoacceptjobcutsandadecreaseinourincomeinthenationalinterest.

Ibelieveinademocraticsocialistsocietyandininternationalcooperationandsolidaritywithworkersinothercountries.Weneedcrossborderstrugglestodefendconditionsacross

Europe.Thefightagainstpublicsectorcutsisafightagainstourgovernmentandagainstglobalcapitalistmarkets.Wemustbuildasimilarlevelofglobalsolidaritybetweenworkers.

Elect Lewis Peacock

RMT Council of Executives Election 2010 - London Transport Region

8/8/2019 RMT Council of Execs Election 2010 - Elect Lewis Peacock!

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