Socialist Party members in RMT
The AGM of transport union RMT takes place as the crisis in Starmer’s Labour escalates and workers face continued austerity and a new cost-of-living crisis.
The transport union RMT is a combative industrial trade union that has regularly won above-inflation pay increases and defended terms and conditions and pensions. Even so, for many rail, transport and especially maritime workers, and those in the subcontracted sector, low pay and insecure employment continue to blight our members.
Those ongoing battles under this government of crisis will be an important part of the AGM agenda, including on London Underground and around the government’s ‘Great British Railways’ plan – for which we must continue to demand socialist nationalisation.
But political strategy is also vital. Our ‘social wage’ – our NHS, state pension, and public services – have been hit by successive governments that have ruled in the interests of the capitalist elite.
Infrastructure is crumbling, food banks have increased, and people sleep rough on the streets of all our major cities and towns. Rents have increased, as have mortgage rates. Food and energy costs have massively increased.
At the same time the richest in society have got richer from super-exploitation of the workforce. Most of our members will know of a young family member out of work. One million young people are currently unemployed.
The combined wealth of the 350 richest individuals in Britain is £784 billion. Even 50% of this amount would solve the funding gap in education, health, social services and local services. Our union has always stood for socialism, “to work for the supersession of the capitalist system by a socialistic order of society.” That means taking control of the wealth from the hands of the capitalist elite, by nationalising the major companies under working-class control and ownership and instituting a planned socialist economy.
But what is the political vehicle our union members have to fight for this?
Support the Emergency Motion from London Engineering:
The Labour Party was given a hammering by voters in the May 2026 elections.
Of major concern is the increase in voters who expressed their anger with Labour by voting for Reform, and the danger of growing racism and division in the working class as a result.
Reform, if elected, would accelerate the attacks on workers’ rights and conditions.
The growth in the vote of the Greens represents an expression of the desire to oppose Labour from the left.
In 2022 our previous general secretary, Mick Lynch, helped to launch the ‘Enough is Enough’ campaign, which had 500,000 members, showing the clear potential for a new workers’ party had its leadership supported such a step. The initial enthusiasm for Jeremy Corbyn’s announcement of a new party, Your Party, also showed the same potential.
It is urgent for the trade union movement to discuss how to resolve the crisis of working-class political representation. We agree that doing so is vital to cutting across racism and division. And to put in place a party that will represent working-class interests.
We urge our union to:
- Produce leaflets and other campaigning material using the TUC-agreed slogan of ‘jobs, homes and services not racism’ against the divide-and-rule tactics of racism
- To adopt the approach of Bob Crow and urgently call a trade union conference to discuss the crisis of working-class political representation
- To approach other unions to co-organise the conference if they wish to do so
Come to the Socialist Party public meeting
Tuesday 23 June, 7:30pm
Liverpool: A city that dared to fight
The role of fighting trade unionists in Liverpool’s socialist council, 1983–87, and lessons for today
Liverpool Arts Bar (downstairs room), 22 Hope Street, L1 9BY
