Bob Crow is showing his members just why he is worth his wages – Bob Crow (RMT) – £79,564 in salary, £26,115 in pension contributions, £13,013 expenses.

They have really had their money’s worth this week. He has managed to get long departed signallers, working from burnt out signal boxes, to vote in favour of a strike.

Network Rail says it has unearthed scores of inaccuracies in the signallers’ ballot, which show that the union has “manifestly failed to comply with the requirements of the Trade Union and Labour Relations Act of 1992”.

As well as including signal boxes that do not exist, the union omitted 26 that do, accounting for almost 100 staff, the company said. Network Rail argues that in 67 other locations, the RMT sought votes from more employees than work there. It says, for example, that the union asked 11 members to vote at South Tottenham, where it employs three signallers; and 33 at Crewe, where Network Rail says it employs 24 people.

Could these ‘ghost’ signallers be full time union employees – perhaps seconded to the Labour Party to help with the postal ballot?

Whatever, they will be sufficient for the High Court to rule the strike ballot null and void.

Another fine example of the ‘couldn’t run a strike on a railway line’ series HERE.

1
Gloria Smudd April 1, 2010 at 19:07

A lot of people seem to be borrowing Brown’s calculator.

2
makeitupyoucouldnot April 1, 2010 at 19:13

Was there not a woman who recently was jailed for lying on her CV? Fraud was it?

3
Joe Public April 1, 2010 at 19:21

Quote of the Year from TUC general secretary Brendan Barber :

“It’s becoming increasingly easy ……to nullify a democratic ballot ……….on a mere technicality.”

4
Antisthenes April 1, 2010 at 19:24

According to Bob Crow ballot rigging is only a technicality. Well when he was asked about the judgment that the vote would have to be taken again he was angry because it was due only to technicality. So presumably he would view murder as just a misdemeanor.

5
Alan April 1, 2010 at 20:09

I thought the point of ballot stuffing was to get away with it?

Unions ain’t what they used to be.

6
Dave April 1, 2010 at 20:57

Actually, the actions of these ghost signallers is fuelling my belief in sort of afterlife.

7
wullie April 1, 2010 at 21:18

stuffing ballot boxes ! is that not what they do in glenrothes.

8
T. P. Fuller April 1, 2010 at 22:36

Fred Kite lives on!

9
John Pickworth April 1, 2010 at 22:44

£120,000 a year?

That’s the problem. You’re never going to attract the best crooks with such piffling remuneration.

10
Edward April 2, 2010 at 05:34

Brings back fond memories of the miners’ strike when there was no need for a ballot.
At an area mass meeting a leading comrade proclaimed

“Brothers! This is no time to be holding a ballot. This is a time to stand up and be counted”

11
Blink April 2, 2010 at 07:44

Does this mean that working people have no right to challenge/ debate/ negotiate ANY of their terms and conditions anymore? Does it mean that bosses, however worthy or unscrupulous, can just go to court and have their will imposed? Do workers just have to ‘accept their lot’ now? Is this a return to pre-capitalist days when even children worked up chimneys?

Surely industrial relations in the UK are not that bad again are they? And is it all solely the ‘fault’ of workers? Does Britain have that many good bosses in fine industriesm …..industries?? what industries??

The BA and RMT situations are not all the fault of the people who work in those sectors , are they????