Aaron Bastani: The Rail Strikes Are Entirely Justified

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The Rail Strikes Are Entirely Justified Aaron Bastani: The biggest wave of strikes on Britain's rail network since 1989. That's what the UK faces this week as the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) stages three days of national action, plus a one-day shut down of the London Underground. As each strike encompasses a 24-hour period, overnight work won't take place either, meaning a later start and fewer services even on days when daytime staff are present. In short, Britain's railway network will either shut down, or be severely disrupted, for a week. Britain's billionaire-owned papers and Partridge-esque TV hosts are depicting the strikes as selfish. Yet what the RMT is demanding is the bare minimum for any union worth its salt. Alongside no compulsory redundancies – which is absolutely necessary if the government is serious about increasing passenger numbers – it's asking for an 11% pay increase. In other words, the RMT wants wages to keep up with inflation so workers don't become poorer in real terms.  This is all the more justified given that RMT members swallowed a pay freeze last year. According to the union's calculations, a worker earning £35k has already lost spending power equivalent to £3,150. If there's another freeze for 2022, that will rise to £7,788.  The current cost of living crisis means we can expect these kinds of setbacks for workers across much of the wider economy. The difference is that in the rail industry, workers are sufficiently organised to push back. While this makes them a target for Britain's reactionary media, for the rest of us, they offer the template for a high wage economy.  CONTINUE READING ➡︎ Picks of the week... FEATURE Colombia's First Leftist President Won Despite Everything the Establishment Threw at Him by Charlotte England Gustavo Petro overcame suspected fraud, smears, voter suppression, death threats and at least one assassination attempt to win Colombia's election. Charlotte England reports from Bogotá. Read more... ANALYSIS How State-Sanctioned Multiculturalism Killed Radical Anti-Racism in Britain by Azfar Shafi and Ilyas Nagdee The 1980s saw grassroots solidarity-building supplanted by milquetoast representation politics, write Azfar Shafi and Ilyas Nadgee in this extract from their new book. Read more... READ MORE ON NOVARAMEDIA.COM ➡︎ Standards of living are plummeting across the country. But right now, we're watching workers fighting back and striking for fair pay and conditions. Instead of supporting this struggle, the mainstream media prefers to protect their billionaire backers, painting these workers as a greedy nuisance. But Novara Media report on the actual and entirely reasonable demands of workers. We make the case for unions and industrial action. We explain how the government colludes to crush the movement. And we show the impact that strike action has on building better working conditions for us all. Our journalism is only possible thanks to our supporters. Together, we are drastically shifting the power in the media landscape, and exploring what it takes to build a society that works for us all.  Back truly independent journalism and join our monthly supporters from just £1 per month.  Copyright © 2022 Thousand Hands Ltd. All rights reserved. Thousand Hands Ltd is a private company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales #11245029. Its registered address is 10 Bridge Street, Christchurch, BH23 1EF. Novara Media is a trading name of Thousand Hands Ltd and, as such, the individual shall have no personal liability arising out of such communication, and liability or obligation rests solely with Novara Media. Opinions or advice contained in this email are subject to the terms and conditions set out in the relevant terms of business and are not necessarily agreed or authorised by Thousand Hands Ltd. We have taken all reasonable precautions to ensure that no viruses are transmitted from Novara Media to any third party. Novara Media accepts no responsibility for any loss or damage resulting directly or indirectly from the use of this email or the contents. Novara Media is regulated by IMPRESS, the independent press regulator.

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