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| Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) | |
|---|---|
| Name | Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers |
| Founded | 1990 |
| Location country | United Kingdom |
| Affiliation | Trades Union Congress, Council of Europe |
| Members | 80,000 (approx.) |
| Headquarters | London |
Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) is a trade union representing workers across rail, shipping, London Underground, ferries, and associated transport sectors in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It was formed by the merger of prominent transport unions and has played a central role in industrial disputes involving rail operators, ferry companies, and metropolitan transit authorities. The union has been active in national campaigns, legal challenges, and international solidarity efforts with unions and labor movements.
The RMT was established in 1990 following the merger of the National Union of Railwaymen and the National Union of Seamen, linking traditions from nineteenth- and twentieth-century labor struggles such as those associated with the General Strike of 1926 and the campaigns of the TUC affiliates. Early years saw involvement in disputes connected to British Rail privatization, interactions with policy debates in the House of Commons and responses to legislation like the Trade Union Reform and Employment Rights Act 1993. The union's history includes notable confrontations with private operators such as Stagecoach Group, FirstGroup, and National Express PLC, and engagement with political figures including Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, and leaders of the Labour Party.
RMT's governance combines lay elected officials and paid staff drawn from constituencies such as rail drivers, station staff, ferry crews, and underground workers, with structures comparable to unions like the Transport and General Workers' Union and Unite the Union. Key organs include an executive committee, branch networks tied to depots and terminals, and national negotiating teams that engage with employers including Network Rail, Transport for London, and private rail franchises such as Govia Thameslink Railway. Decision-making has intersected with industrial law adjudication at bodies like the Employment Tribunal and lobbying at the European Parliament before the United Kingdom European Union membership referendum.
Membership spans employees of legacy public operators and private franchisees, encompassing roles previously represented by the National Union of Seamen and the National Union of Railwaymen. Demographic shifts reflect changes in employment at entities including British Rail, ScotRail, Irish Rail, and port companies like P&O Ferries. The union's composition has responded to privatization trends affecting companies such as Arriva, KeolisAmey, and Northern Rail franchises, and has included activists who later engaged with organizations like the Co-operative Party and movements connected to figures such as Jeremy Corbyn.
RMT has conducted strike ballots and industrial actions against employers including Virgin Trains, Southeastern (train operating company), and Southern (train operating company), often over pay, safety, and staffing disputes that drew public attention during periods led by politicians like Boris Johnson and Theresa May. Campaigns have targeted policies from transport authorities such as Transport for London and raised issues paralleling other high-profile labor conflicts like disputes involving British Airways and Royal Mail. The union has used tactics ranging from localized stoppages at depots to national strike days and has coordinated with groups including the Public and Commercial Services Union during major campaigns.
Politically, RMT has had a complex relationship with parliamentary parties and movements, engaging with the Labour Party historically while at times withdrawing support and interacting with actors such as George Galloway and trade union leaders from unions like Unison. The union has lobbied Members of Parliament across constituencies, participated in demonstrations alongside organizations such as Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament allies, and influenced policy debates in institutions including the House of Lords. RMT's political interventions have intersected with national debates on public ownership advocated by figures like John McDonnell and policy initiatives debated during prime ministerships including David Cameron.
RMT has been party to legal challenges and employment law cases involving employers like P&O Ferries and transport authorities such as Transport for London, engaging tribunals akin to the High Court of Justice for injunctions and rulings on ballot procedures governed by statutes including the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992. Disputes over recognition, collective bargaining rights, and redundancy terms have involved litigation comparable to cases featuring employers like British Rail privatization contractors and adjudication by entities such as the Adjudicator to HM Land Registry in unrelated precedents that shaped industrial law practice.
RMT maintains international links with organizations including the International Transport Workers' Federation and has expressed solidarity with unions such as the Maritime Union of Australia and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union during global maritime disputes. The union has supported campaigns in regions served by companies like Carnival Corporation and engaged with European counterparts such as Syndicat affiliates in France, collaborating in actions that echo solidarity shown during historical events like support for the Polish Solidarity movement.
Category:Trade unions in the United Kingdom Category:Transport trade unions