RMT staff strike against their own union

Britain’s largest rail union has been left paralysed by a walkout of its own staff over safety fears. 

The RMT’s annual conference in Leeds was forced to come to an early end on October 29, after employees opted to stop work alongside colleagues at the union’s head office in London. It followed reports that an unofficial picket line was threatening RMT workers and calling them “scabs” and “scum”. 

RAIL understands that tensions had been raised following a vote at the AGM in support of an appeal against the dismissal of a temporary member of RMT staff. Staff then walked out after conference delegates voted to support the unofficial picket line. 

A union source told RAIL: “The entire RMT operation is currently shut down due to a dispute with staff over employee safety, following a decision of the union’s AGM on Friday .” 

In a letter seen by the Morning Star, staff said that their integrity had been called into question and that “an injury to one is an injury to all”.

They said they had consulted their own GMB union representatives and would “consider our position further in respect of the AGM going forward”.