Iain Dalton, Leeds Socialist Party
“We need a political revolution!” said one striking Carlisle Support Services (CSS) member of the rail union RMT when discussing whether a Labour victory at the general election would change things for outsourced rail workers like them.
“Will they bring workers like us back in-house?” questioned one picket. “Will they scrap zero-hour contracts?” asked another, sceptical whether Starmer would follow through on this pledge.
One thing that was clear to these striking RMT members was that if they do nothing then companies like CSS would continue to pay them as little as they could get away with.
The CSS workers operate Northern Rail gates on non-mainline stations. Northern Rail operates mainline stations in-house, with workers on an average salary £12,000 a year higher, as well as other benefits such as free travel, sick pay and being part of the railway pension scheme. CSS workers get none of this.
Strike action took place in February with picket lines in the North West, but this latest strike action had picketing for the first time in Yorkshire, aiming to expand union organisation amongst CSS workers.
During the discussion about Starmer, one of the pickets pointed to an RMT rep and said: “You should stand!”
Pickets offer their best wishes to the candidates standing for the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC) in the upcoming local elections, which include an RMT rep.
