Please join us for a solidarity rally in Sheffield on Saturday 20th August in support of RMT and TSSA rail unions on strike this week – plus in support of CWU, ASLEF, UNITE and other unions taking or about to take industrial action over pay
RMT and TSSA strikes on 18th and 20th August. ASLEF took national strike action on 13th August. More strikes are planned and more unions are taking part!
STOP PRESS: “”Inflation drives fastest fall in real pay on record” BBC News headline today 16th August. According to the article, average wages rose by 4.7% April-June whilst CPI inflation rose by 9.4%. BUT: most low paid workers who are not in unions have had NO pay rise. Also the real rate of inflation RPI 12 months to June 2022 was nearly 11.8%, so for most workers their fall in real pay was higher than 3% – MM
The cost of living crisis is becoming more desperate almost daily, but the Government and the Bank of England seem to think workers shouldn’t have wage increases to match inflation as this would be “damaging to the economy”. We say we can’t have an economy that’s damaging to workers and their families!
ONLY THE TRADE UNIONS SEEM TO HAVE THE ANSWER FOR THE COST OF LIVING CRISIS!
Please bring your friends and family and show that workers in trade unions who fight back have wide support!
Watch Mick Lynch Dismantle the Media, Keir Starmer & Extreme Right Wing Government Co: https://fb.watch/eNeZpiE_
Please see Sheffield Strike Supporters Facebook Page https://m.facebook.com/profile
Assemble outside Sheffield rail station at 11am for a short march into city centre and back for a final rally outside Sheffield rail station. Bring your banners!
N.B. The initiative for the rally came from RMT and is being held with the support of Sheffield Trade Union Council and other unions.
Industry Facts and Stats (From ASLEF website)
- Before the pandemic, operators were paying out dividends of £262 million to shareholders. Even in the year of the pandemic they paid out £38 million. As passenger numbers go back up, so will the bumper payouts.
- Between March 2020 and March 2021 operators were paid management fees of over £132 million.
- Rolling stock companies (ROSCOs), which own the trains – often commissioned and developed with public money – and lease them back to the operators, received £3 billion in 2020-21. This is a 5% increase from 2019-20, and double what they made in 2015-16.
- ROSCOs have made huge profits. This has particularly been the case during the pandemic, when profits were guaranteed by the taxpayer. In 2020, the ROSCO Eversholt paid a £46.5 million dividend. Porterbrook paid out £80 million in dividends. ROSCOs invest very little money into the industry but reap huge profits out of it.
- 9 of the top 10 highest earning public sector individuals (senior civil servants and officials in departments, agencies and non-departmental bodies) are from the transport industry. 8 out of 10 are from rail. Top of the list if Mark Thurston, Chief Executive of HS2, who earns £620,000. Next is Andrew Haines, Chief Executive of Network Rail, who is on £585,000.
