RMT members vote to split the UK

[route:oxford]

From the Scotsman:-

RAIL union the RMT yesterday became the first industrial trade union to come out in favour of a Yes vote when it emerged that its Scottish members had narrowly voted in favour of independence. Members backed Alex Salmond’s plans to end the Union by a margin of 1,051 to 968 in a ballot result announced on the same day that Labour leader Ed Miliband made his latest referendum campaign visit north of the Border.

Aye:- 1051
Naw:- 968
Maybes:-368

Ballotted: - 9000 Members

A very low turnout - but with my experience of a competitor union (Unite) their records of where members actually work, no matter how often are corrected, are utterly abysmal.

 

[najaB]

From the Scotsman:-



Aye:- 1051
Naw:- 968
Maybes:-368

Ballotted: - 9000 Members

A very low turnout - but with my experience of a competitor union (Unite) their records of where members actually work, no matter how often are corrected, are utterly abysmal.

So, of the 26% who responded, 44% were in favour, 41% were against and 15% were undecided. So it doesn't really tell us anything that we didn't already know - the undecided votes can swing things either way.

 

[motherwell334]

I didn't get a ballot paper in this Ballot and I certainly would not be voting YES if I had

 

[GarethJohn]

I bet more Union members have already decided by Postal Vote?

 

[Tomnick]

What useful purpose does this ballot actually serve? To me, it just seems to be a very good way of introducing a clear division within the union in Scotland.

 

[Lockwood]

To determine which members will strike after the referendum?

 

[route:oxford]

What useful purpose does this ballot actually serve? To me, it just seems to be a very good way of introducing a clear division within the union in Scotland.

Division is the potential outcome of the referendum...

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Does the RMT ballot result mean that if those members of the general public who are entitled to vote in the National Referendum do not now adhere to the RMT ballot result, the RMT will then claim the referendum result to be meaningless, as the RMT ballot was the only true register of feeling upon that matter and as such, having a mandate will immediately call for strike action ?

Is their any truth in the rumour that Mick Cash has been seen furtively moving around the Old Town to where his RMT-tartan kilt is being made at present and then across the road to the Braveheart School of Acting, to add the final dramatic touches to his speech ?

 

[bb21]

Two words: attention seekers.

(The union not the members.)

 

[Robertj21a]

.
Well I vote for the RMT Union, and all its senior staff, to be based in Cuba. Plenty of sympathisers - and [nearly] far enough away.

 

[ANorthernGuard]

.
Well I vote for the RMT Union, and all its senior staff, to be based in Cuba. Plenty of sympathisers - and [nearly] far enough away.

And then the railway would go to pot! minimum wage low skilled employees blah blah blah (which is imho relatively true)

 

[ExRes]

Obviously RMT members are out to put to rest the old fashioned rumours that unions are in the pocket of the Labour party, vote for independence and put 40 Labour MP's on the dole, Maggie would be proud of you .......

 

[theageofthetra]

Worth remembering that many SNP are as Red as a baboons backside. Marxism disguised as nationalism. Not at all surprised that they have backed them.

 

[WatcherZero]

Also in the 70's and 80's far more unions supported the nationalists, now today its 2 union in favour 6 against.

After the result the Secretary of ASLEF came out and said he would be voting no because as a unionist he believed in worker solidarity not dividing lines on a map.

 

[scotsman]

Right, let's clear up a few things.

There poll was on whether the union should take a position on independence, and if so, which side. The options were yes, no, stay neutral.

The union, like many others in Scotland, has declared an aliegence for the referendum.

RMT was the only union to:
a) Support a yes vote
b) Ballot its members

You were saying...

 

[yorksrob]

Worth remembering that many SNP are as Red as a baboons backside. Marxism disguised as nationalism. Not at all surprised that they have backed them.

Plenty of Tartan Tories as well.

 

[anme]

Does the RMT ballot result mean that if those members of the general public who are entitled to vote in the National Referendum do not now adhere to the RMT ballot result, the RMT will then claim the referendum result to be meaningless, as the RMT ballot was the only true register of feeling upon that matter and as such, having a mandate will immediately call for strike action ?

Is their any truth in the rumour that Mick Cash has been seen furtively moving around the Old Town to where his RMT-tartan kilt is being made at present and then across the road to the Braveheart School of Acting, to add the final dramatic touches to his speech ?

Both of those things seem extremely unlikely.

 

[mtbox]

.
Well I vote for the RMT Union, and all its senior staff, to be based in Cuba. Plenty of sympathisers - and [nearly] far enough away.

I would vote for fools like you to be sent to a far off land, obviously you don't work on the railway

 

[St Rollox]

Tick Tock

 

[JohnB57]

I would vote for fools like you to be sent to a far off land, obviously you don't work on the railway

And if all the "fools" who felt the same as him were actually banished to a far off land, there probably wouldn't be much custom left for the railway.

 

[PermitToTravel]

A very low turnout - but with my experience of a competitor union (Unite) their records of where members actually work, no matter how often are corrected, are utterly abysmal.

It's up to members to notify the union when their job (or any of their other circumstances) changes. For many people this will understandably be low down the priority list, or be forgotten about

 

[scotsman]

It's up to members to notify the union when their job (or any of their other circumstances) changes. For many people this will understandably be low down the priority list, or be forgotten about

That and the fact that the law states that union ballots must be by post (a policy created to reduce turnout) doesn't help.

 

[PermitToTravel]

I was under the impression that that only applies to ballots for industrial action?

 

[Qwerty133]

Obviously RMT members are out to put to rest the old fashioned rumours that unions are in the pocket of the Labour party, vote for independence and put 40 Labour MP's on the dole, Maggie would be proud of you .......

Let's remember that the RMT, are in the No2EU alliance and spend money financing them so clearly don't agree with all of Labours policy's.

 

[scotsman]

I was under the impression that that only applies to ballots for industrial action?

Nope, all of them: http://www.findlaw.co.uk/law/employment/pay_and_work_rights/trade_unions/8469.html

 

[PermitToTravel]

That page implies that only statutory ballots must be conducted by post:

There are three circumstances where the law says that a trade union must ballot all of its members. These are:

• in advance of a merger with another trade union
• elections to fill seniorpositions within the trade union
• to start up and continuea political fund

In addition, a trade union wishing to call industrial action must ballot all the members it is thinking of asking to take part in the action.

These ballots are called statutory ballots and must always be conducted by post.

 

[WatcherZero]

Deciding to campaignin favour of yes would come under that third point, starting up a political fund.

 

[Carlisle]

It's maybe worth the RMT remembering it was not a boom time for cross border rail links shortly after Southern Ireland gained independence , in fact quite the opposite in the early years

 

[oldman]

RMT are not in fact affiliated to Labour and some of its activists support the pro-independence Scottish Socialist Party. The SNP manifesto talks vaguely of possible different ownership structures, which could mean nationalisation, although it could mean nothing - they like to cover all the bases.

Seriously though, what I find sad is that in spite of the advantages they have, the yes side's best hope is to somehow scrape a victory by a tiny margin, and on that basis to embark on a magic mystery tour. 70-30, 60-40 either way I could live with, 50-50 is a disaster.

 

[scotsman]

Deciding to campaignin favour of yes would come under that third point, starting up a political fund.

But they're not campaigning in favour of yes, just adopting Scottish independence as a part of the union's policy.