Mick Lynch: ‘Democracy in this country is in a lot of trouble’

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https://leftfootforward.org/2023/05/mick-lynch-interview-democracy-in-this-country-is-in-a-lot-of-trouble/

Standing in a sunny Parliament Square surrounded by a colourful mix of trade union flags, Mick Lynch spoke to LFF about the troubling state of democracy in Britain.

The RMT general secretary was a speaker at the emergency protest organised ahead of the final Parliament vote on the anti-strike legislation, Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill.

For Lynch, the anti-strike legislation comes under a broader attempt by the Tory government to clamp down on any kind of opposition, warning that a threat to trade union power is a threat to democracy.

“The government has got an attitude towards anything they don’t agree with, any kind of dissent. It could be politically or more broadly socially, where if they don’t agree with people, they try to ban them,” said Lynch.

“We got these police bills and these counter-demonstration bills where people will be stopped from demonstrating or protesting.

“We saw that during the coronation, one of the most passive pieces of civil disobedience if you like, was banned in effect and people were put in jail for the day.

“They’re trying to clamp down on any dissent, and I think that’s a very troubling state, and it’s time for the British people to wake up to that and see that if trade unions, which are an organic part of life and grow in every society, if they’re not allowed to function properly, democracy in this country is in a lot of trouble.

“We’ve got to make sure that people are out opposing that and we’ve got to make sure that people understand the issues.

https://leftfootforward.org/2023/05/mick-lynch-interview-democracy-in-this-country-is-in-a-lot-of-trouble/

Continue ReadingMick Lynch: ‘Democracy in this country is in a lot of trouble’

Aslef set to reject same 8% pay offer rejected by RMT

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https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/b/aslef-set-to-reject-same-8-pay-offer-rejected-by-rmt

TORY ministers and rail industry bosses will be “incredibly disappointed” if they think the sector’s workforce will accept more real-terms pay cuts, train drivers’ union Aslef said today.

The warning came after reports in the Sun newspaper suggested that the union, which is holding another 24-hour strike across 15 train operating companies on Thursday, will soon be offered an 8 per cent deal, spread over two years.

The offer, amounting to 4 per cent in both 2023 and 2024, has already been rejected by fellow transport union RMT, which is launching its second 48-hour walkout this week at Network Rail and several train operators tomorrow.

Aslef general secretary Mick Whelan told the Morning Star that if Tory Transport Secretary Mark Harper thinks, after “no pay rises since 2019, a further below-inflation deal will be backed by my members, he’ll be incredibly disappointed.

Continue ReadingAslef set to reject same 8% pay offer rejected by RMT