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| MAY DAY 1990 |
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| MAY DAY 1990 |
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| OLD BRANCH BANNER |
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| OLD EDINBURGH GUARD |
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| CITY LINK CAME FROM RED STAR PARCELS |
Some foot soul jahs of the Edinburgh Branch RMT Army
Neil MacDonald, Edinburgh Branch Recruitment Organiser
Edinburgh branch activists handing out 'McNulty' leaflets
Donald Graham from our Organising Unit helping out
an early branch banner
Rail Against Privatisation march - London
Ronnie on the 1989 picket line - against the destruction of the '1956 machinery'!!
We sold over 250 t-shirts and 500 badges to raise much needed funds for our sister union in South Africa - SARWHU - who were fighting apartheid. See images later on...
another 1989 picket
... at the end of a branch meeting - 1994 ?
Venue of branch meetings 1878 onwards (114 High Street) - also frequented by a certain Mr. Robert Burns. Edinburgh branch was the first branch of the A.S.R.S. to be organised in Scotland (24/09/1876)
Branch Meeting Room from 27th January 1878
Edinburgh Branch Committee 1913 - when the 'fusion of forces' took place creating the NUR
An image of Edinburgh branch members in 1885- created by a very early version of Photoshop.
That's John Lawrie in the back row, second from left!
Tony Benn at the RMT stall -Tolpuddle, 2008
1989 strike - RMT pickets at the old entrance to New Street Car Park. The wee guy at the front could do with a bit of a kickin', to be honest!! :-)
Newcastle - Edinburgh members show solidarity for striking Guards employed by Arriva
1989 picket - bottom of Waverley steps
picket 31st December 1996 - Guard's strike
picket 31st December 1996 - Guard's strike
May Day, Edinburgh 1990 - the first ever RMT banner makes its first outing.
The 'Edinburgh design' was taken up by Head Office and used as a template that was printed on red cloth for all other branches. Our banner was designed on the back of a postcard during a backshift and it has lasted over 20 years!
LDC room - 2007
Traincrew Grades Conference - Queen Charlotte Rooms, Leith
Two Johns
Bob Crow speaking at Edinburgh branch training event (plus film crew - hence the microphone!)
John Lawrie, Tolpuddle, 2008
John Lawrie, Alan Pottage and Reuben Gaunt, Tolpuddle 2008
Reuben Gaunt, Tolpuddle 2008
Craigentinny Depot - 2007
Craigentinny Depot - 2007
Craigentinny Depot - 2007
Craigentinny Depot - 2007
Branch Social to support John Milligan for National President
RMT members working on the Forth Bridge eventually win recognition rights.
Same company is now re-glazing the Waverley roof and we aim to protect all the workers
Waverley at night
Willie Strang and Ian Brown (not THE Ian Brown!) back in GNER days - Waverley 2007
John Marshall pretending to work a train!
Scotrail D.O.O. strike - 2010
Scotrail D.O.O. strike - 2010
Scotrail D.O.O. strike - 2010
Scotrail D.O.O. strike - 2010
Scotrail D.O.O. strike - 2010
Scotrail D.O.O. strike - 2010
Assistant General secretary Pat Sikorski delivers a blistering speech outside the Balmoral hotel
The September meeting of the Scottish Regional Council unanimously condemned the media for mis-reporting the strike and gave Pat 100% support for his energetic and professionalism in leading the strike!
Scotrail D.O.O. strike - 2010
Scotrail D.O.O. strike - 2010
Scotrail D.O.O. strike - 2010
Scotrail D.O.O. strike - 2010
Graham Buchanan persuading new entrants to join the RMT - Slateford 2007
FBU strike, Fife 2003
FBU strike, Fife 2003
FBU strike, Fife 2003
RMT AGM in Edinburgh
Alan Pottage out recruiting in a ship's engine room
picket line - 1989
Demo in Glasgow 1994
Weird looking picket - Guard's strike - 31st December 1996
... another recruitment campaign on the night shift - aimed at cleaners
Ronnie Park signing up members in the Travel Centre, Waverley station
RMT AGM in Edinburgh - football game between RMT's Edinburgh branch and Bob Crow's XI - Meadowbank Stadium
Standing room only!
excitement during the AGM game - 2007 - Meadowbank Stadium
.... best strikers in the UK....storming up the left wing!!
Some of the branch reception committee at the RMT AGM in Edinburgh
Bob Crow at AGM in Edinburgh
RMT AGM in Edinburgh - it's the workers who make the decisions in our union. All decisions made by our members at their AGM MUST be carried our by our national officers, officials and Council of Executives
RMT AGM in Edinburgh
Edinburgh branch celebrate a close victory! (19 - 1 the final score)
Dick Gaughan plays at Edinburgh AGM reception - Easter Road Stadium
Presentation to the branch reception committee
Presentation to the branch reception committee
Presentation to the branch reception committee
Presentation to the branch reception committee
Presentation to the branch reception committee
Presentation to the branch reception committee (Ronnie at Easter Road wearing his awful Jambo kilt!!)
Presentation to the branch reception committee
Presentation to the branch reception committee
Dick Gaughan was emotional after receiving a token of our appreciation. He said that the RMT was the only union that regularly stood up and fought on behalf of its members.
Bob Crow is a General Secretary who believed in his union's democracy and was a someone workers trust.
branch members after receivng their 25 year membership badges
GENERAL IMAGES
a blast from the past
SOLIDARITY FOREVER
Alan Pottage with South African Railworkers in Johannesburg, during the vicious 1990 strike
Our sister union, South African Railway & Harbour Workers Union, (SARHWU - see Ronnie's t-shirt in the 3rd photo on this page) won recognition after a strike that saw new levels of state orchestrated violence inflicted on workers. SARHWU members were slaughtered by vigilante gangs - set up by the apartheid state. 39 were killed, including members of the public
It's important to remember International Solidarity. Edinburgh branch will always support workers in struggle!
Alan Pottage with Jay Naidoo, General Secretary of COSATU during the SARHWU strike - January 1990
Naidoo was General Secretary of the Congress of South African Trade Unions from 1985 to 1993. He then served as Minister responsible for the Reconstruction and Development Programme in President Mandela’s office and as Minister of Post, Telecommunications, and Broadcasting (1996 – 1999). Naidoo was a member of the NEC of the African National Congress. For his accomplishments he has gained many honours, including becoming a Chevaliers de la Legion d’Honneur
GATTING OUT - REVELL IN!
News had just come through that Geoff Revell wasn't getting out of detention. Geoff was Organising Secretary of the RMT's rank and file 'Rail Aganst Apartheid' that delivered solidarity to SARHWU. He was arrested at Jan Smuts airport and held in the infamous detention centre for several days before being expelled to Zambia.
Geoff Revell during an 1987 solidarity visit
Tensions were already running high due to the SARHWU strike, the ANC was about to become unbanned and rumours were running rife that Nelson Mandela was to be released after 27 years in prison. Geoff was in detention when Mike Gatting and 14 other unscrupulous cricket players touched down at Jan Smuts airport, breaking the worldwide anti-apartheid boycott and caused riots. Geoff could hear the comotion outside as riot police attacked demonstrators with batons, dogs and tear gas - this was when Winnie Mandela was bitten by a police dog.
A young delegate from the NUR's London Transport Regional Council was outraged and went to the South African Embassy in London to stage a 'sit in' protest with a banner: 'Gatting Out, Revell In'. The young delegate was Bob Crow.
Striking rail workers in Johannesburg just heard message of support from RMT.
AMANDLA!!
Justice Langa - National President of SARHWU
Justice was tortured in detention.
Ntai Sello - former SARHWU General Secretary who was tortured in detention in 1987
1989 picket in London
1989 picket outside St Pancras station (SARHWU Genral Secretary Martin Sebekwane attends)
National Union of Seaman Strike, Dover, 1975
National Union of Seaman Strike, Dover, 1975
Leith Dockers were always renowned for their militancy
RMT organise dock workers in several ports around the country
Our branch incorporates the former Leith NUR branch and there still is a Leith Shipping branch
Former General Secretary Sid Weighell looks a bit shaken after members at the October 1982 Special Annual General Meeting voted to accept his resignation.
He was caught deliberately miscasting the union's vote at the 1982 TUC
As previously stated, the members make the decisions through our democratic bodies and no union official is above this!
