Rising inflation, the cost-of-living crisis, job insecurity, and pay freezes have led train workers to turn increasingly to trade unions to assert their economic interests recently.
On the 21st, 23rd and 25th of June, railway workers in the Railway, Maritime, and Transport Workers union (RMT) undertook strike action against cuts to their pension scheme, internal fire and rehire, involuntary redundancies, and real terms pay cuts due to inflation.
Gaz Jackson, the RMT regional organiser for Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, said: “Our members are looking for job security, no detrimental changes to pay and conditions, and then a pay rise,”
He says he thought it was interesting that much of the right-wing media coverage of the dispute has focused on the demands over pay, when job and pension security are of equal importance.
“Ultimately it doesn’t matter if we get a 5% or a 25% pay rise if we haven’t got a job.” He says the key to resolving the dispute is to guarantee a job for members if they want one.
More and more students have been going out to picket lines and standing in solidarity with workers. Charlie, a second-year politics student, is a member of the Sheffield Solidarity Group (SSG), a student society that frequently intervenes in industrial disputes.
Charlie said: “We’ve been coming down to the picket lines every day”. The SSG’s main focus is to support workers in their struggles.
The fight for workers’ rights is of the utmost importance for students as students will soon become workers. Charlie said: “For students, there are only a few years until you enter the workforce. We need to be fighting for rights so that when we get there, we have good conditions.”
Students have readily involved themselves in actions which support striking workers. They have been an active presence on the picket lines from 8am on all three days of strike action. On Thursday they painted a banner which read “all aboard the strike train”. They have also helped hand out a worker-run newsletter, On Guard, at the station to build support for the strike. Many see their role in raising the morale of workers on the picket and building solidarity with the labour movement.
The Marxist Society also expressed “full solidarity” on picket lines. The proposed redundancies are an “attack on workers” essential during the pandemic, says Ezra, a member of the society.
The RMT has been pleased to receive so much support. Mr. Jackson said: “The solidarity that has been shown from the students of Sheffield and the students across the whole country is absolutely fantastic.
“We’re really appreciative of everything that all the supporters from all different organisations are doing. It’s really buoying our members that are out on strike.”
A 200 strong rally on Saturday the 25th of June saw various groups of supporters come out to show support for the striking railway workers. Speakers from various unions expressed solidarity and extolled the virtues of trade union power. On Wednesday the 23rd of June they excitedly queued up to take photos with Arthur Scargill, the leader of the National Union of Mineworkers during the 1984-85 miners’ strike and a stalwart of the labour movement.
Support for the strike has not been limited to students. The lecturer’s union, the University and College Union (UCU), have also attended pickets and rallies in support of the RMT. Guy Cowman-Sharpe is a PHD candidate in the Department of Politics at the University of Sheffield, and actively involved in his UCU branch.
Building solidarity between unions is important to Guy. “All of these struggles are united. We have a common enemy globally, that is the capitalist class. I think exerting your power through a union is one of the ways you win struggles against that class.”
The UCU are re-balloting for a mandate for strike action in the autumn and Mr. Cowman-Sharpe hopes the UCU will take inspiration from the RMT: “Hopefully, through the militant action the RMT is taking, this will serve as an inspiration for trade unions across the country to not give up and continue their struggles.”
Tanju, the President of the Sheffield Socialist Students society, has been a part-time student since 2014. He has noticed a shift in student politics away from campaigns for free education and towards supporting workers.
Tanju said: “There’s been a reorientation towards industrial disputes and workers struggles” . Students are now turning their attention to organising in the workplace, a shift as “for a long time, student politics has been very insular.
“Helping to organise working people in their communities has made student politics much more orientated towards the wider community in Sheffield”. Tanju hopes this connection with workers in the city will prepare students for trade union action when they enter the workplace.
This is certainly true of SSG. “Less on student politics, more on industrial relations!” is the group’s ethos according to Charlie. Students have not just involved themselves in support for the RMT, but in other disputes across the city. Students made their presence felt on picket lines for the Just Eat drivers’ strike from November 2021 to April 2022, which was fighting a 24% pay cut.
Students also actively supported UCU’s strike actions, going to picket lines to stand in support of striking staff.
The cost-of-living crisis, real terms pay cuts due to inflation, and job insecurity in the workplace has caused a revival in the trade union movement. This has been termed by some the ‘summer of discontent’.
Teachers are currently balloting for strike action. Healthcare workers represented in the Royal College of Nursing are demanding a 5% pay rise above inflation. Heathrow baggage handlers are also due to strike next month.
The RMT’s action is expected to continue in a coordinated action with the train driver’s union.
Some students, it is clear, see their place as standing side by side with these workers. They may have a busy few months ahead.
Network Rail were contacted for comment but no response was given.
Image taken from the RMT facebook page.