Mike Lynch, British Strike Leader Speaks to Supporters

Richard Mellor

Mike Lynch the leader of the RMT, the Rail Maritime and Transport Union speaking at a meeting in London today 9-1-22. There are strikes throughout Britain as the working class goes on the offensive. He gives details about negotiations to this meeting which is important.

Not only should rank and file members be present at the negotiating table the details should be made public on a daily basis. Last  negotiations I was in in 1997, three of us went from the table to my house to put out details of the talks. These developments in Britain are a long time coming and a General Strike can't be ruled out although, like here in the US, the leadership of the British Trade Union Congress (the equivalent of the AFL-CIO here) will do everything they can to avoid it.

We can expect the same or similar situations developing here with differences of course. At the moment we are in the third month of negotiations between the Port bosses and the International Longshore Workers Union (ILWU) and have not heard a peep as the union leadership has entered an agreement with the Biden Administration and the port bosses (this is the Team Concept in action) not to speak publicly about the talks even to their own members one member told me.They have agreed not to strike and this is a union has the ability to cripple the US economy and profit making. The ILWU local here in the East San Francisco Bay Area, or activist members in it have not publicly campaigned against this betrayal as far as I can tell.

Lynch praises Sanders at the end but no one's perfect. I'll say no more about Sanders other than  he has refused to take the steps to build on a movement he started and instead acts as a recruiter for the Democratic Party.  I'm tired of him.