Constantly Furious: poppy to ASLEF

Constantly Furious was particularly enraged yesterday.

As described his last post, Rail company First Capital Connect were forced to cancel virtually all services for the day, as Drivers – members of Trade Union ASLEF - all decided not to show up for work, in a protest over pay. Read it and rage.

This on the one day in the year when Veterans, Soldiers and Military families wanted to travel to Remembrance Services. Many were unable to attend, for the first time in years.

Since posting, Union apologists have tried to pin this on a 'lack of organisation' by First Capital Connect: surely, they bleat, they should have had ‘some other arrangement’ in place. Bollocks. The '4 days a week plus whatever overtime you fancy' arrangement has been in place for years. And yet this 'problem' has never occurred before. Funny, that.

This mass absenteeism was not a co-incidence. No. It was a centrally-managed-by-ASLEF, old-fashioned 'work to rule'. Cynical, selfish and a slap in the face for the public.

Keith Norman is the current General Secretary of ASLEF, having been with the Union for 42 years. He is also - of course - a member of the Labour Party. So you just know that no-one in Government is going to utter a fucking peep about this disgraceful, devious back-door strike.

So it’s over to us.

On Wednesday this week, after the 2 minute silence, CF is going to remove the Poppy from his jacket, and send it to Keith Norman:

     General Secretary
     ASLEF
     9 Arkwright Road
     Hampstead
     London
     NW3 6AB

With a note.

Yes, Keith, its a Poppy. Try to think, Keith, if you're able, about what the Poppy means, what we're celebrating and mourning on Remembrance Sunday.

Then think about whether it was right for your members, the 'brothers', to refuse to work and to deliberately disrupt travel on that day.

How do you and your members feel knowing that - thanks to them - some veterans will have been forced to watch the ceremonies on television alone rather than being there, with comrades, friends and families?

And all because you and your members feel that 38 grand a year for a 4 day week - and 50 grand a year with overtime - is just not enough money.

CF would be like to think that even a bigoted and blinkered Trade Union leader might feel some shame.

Why don't you all do the same?

_