RMT Leader calls for union to back SSP.

Historic break with Labour.

RMT Banner on anti-war march

Rail union leader attacks Labour ‘war criminals’ The Herald

UK rail union turns its fire against Labour

The descendant of one of the Labour Party's founding unions could see itself branded an outcast under the party's rules after it voted on Tuesday to seek "closer links" with a range of other parties, including the Scottish Socialist Party, Plaid Cymru and the Greens.

Bob Crow, general secretary of the 65,000-strong Rail Maritime and Transport union, went further still by exhorting his union's Scottish branches to affiliate to the far-left SSP. Financial Times

WHY DO WE PAY FOR TORY BLAIR?

TONY Blair's relationship with the unions sunk to a new low yesterday as the RMT slashed financial support for the Labour Party.

The country's biggest rail union said it would now donate just Ł12,000 a year, compared with Ł150,000 in 2001, and seek closer ties with other political parties.

General Secretary Bob Crow said branches should be allowed to support other parties because New Labour had "betrayed" its grass roots.

He said: "Like a marriage, sometimes it is better if there is a divorce. I am not urging a divorce but how long can we sit back and support a party that has gone further than the Tory party?

"People say do we want the Tories in again. I say, how would we know?"

A stream of delegates were cheered as they attacked New Labour at the union's annual conference in Glasgow.

Craig Johnston, from Carlisle, said: "We waited 18 years for this Government only to find out that we have Tony's Tories in Downing Street."

The RMT has 65,000 members but only 1,000 are in the Labour Party. It will seek closer ties with the Scottish Socialist Party, Plaid Cymru and Green Party, as well as London Mayor Ken Livingstone.

Bobby Law, who represents London Underground, said Labour had betrayed workers. He said: "We are going to have to bang heads together so we have an alternative in England."

Mr Crow also accused the Cabinet of being "war criminals" over the "illegal" war with Iraq and said he expected his union to support George Galloway if the Labour MP was expelled. Many delegates accepted the decision could lead to the union being expelled from Labour for breaking party rules. The Mirror

RMT halves its Labour funding

The conference overwhelmingly agreed that RMT branches will now be allowed to seek authority to support other organisations, a decision described as a "watershed" by officials. The Guardian

Union goes to war with Labour The Guardian

RMT votes to let branches reduce links with Labour The Independent

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Wednesday, July 02, 2003

RMT Leader calls for union to back SSP.