The following motion was passed with all votes for except two abstentions at Sheffield Heeley Constituency Labour Party on 28 July.
- This CLP condemns the Labour Leadership’s position in choosing not to attend picket lines. We particularly condemn the order to the Shadow Frontbench Members not to attend the picket lines of the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT).
- This CLP supports the actions of many Labour MPs, Labour Councillors and Labour Party Members in attending the RMT and Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association (TSSA) picket lines on 27th July 2022.
- The CLP strongly condemns the decision of the Labour Leader to sack Sam Tarry, a Shadow Minister for Transport after he joined an RMT and TSSA picket line on 27 July 2022. We do not accept the Labour Leader’s comments in the print and broadcast media on 27th and 28th July 2022 that Sam Tarry was making up party policy “on the hoof”, especially considering the confused and contradictory statements made by the Labour Leadership in the media regarding our Party’s policy on nationalising of the railways made on Monday 25th July 2022.
- This CLP further believes that the actions of the Labour Leadership in respect of the above has damaged both Members and public’s confidence that our Party is a government in waiting.
- This CLP affirms our previous Resolution of 26th May 2022,
overwhelmingly passed, regarding the announcement of the RMT ballot result to take industrial action and our resolution to :
– to send a message of support to the RMT, including inviting a speaker to address a future CLP meeting and asking the union what support we can offer.
– to actively support any strike action through attending picket lines with our banner, discussing donating to a strike/ hardship fund if the RMT establishes this and by encouraging solidarity from our member
– to call on our MP to show solidarity including attending picket lines.
– to call on our party nationally to support this struggle including any strike action - This CLP demands that the whole party rallies around the rail workers – and other workers in struggle – by supporting strikes, not hiding away from them and punishing people for supporting them.
- This CLP Resolves:
a) To call on all Labour MPs, including our MP, Louise Haigh, to support the RMT and other striking unions in rail and other industries, and join future picket lines;
b) To send and publish a message to the rail unions supporting their struggles and their strikes;
c) To send a copy of this motion to the Labour NEC General Secretary and NEC CLP Representatives.