Gordon Brown Makes Case For Staying IN even as RMT Says Vote Leave

by Benson Agoha | Greenwich

Even as the EU IN-OUT referendum gathers momentum, it would appear that the European Union is not doing itself any favours to keep Britain IN.

As the argument on both sides of the divide thickens, the EU has reportedly imposed a rail privatisation programm across the block, which it says will deliver better rail services to passengers within the region.

Clearly however RMT Workers Union does not think so and even as former Labour Prime Minister, Gordon Brown makes his 'I intend to make a positive case for staying in Europe' speech at the #CERbrexit event in London Thursday night, RMT is campaigning for Britain to Leave the Block.

In a statement, RMT said the European Parliament’s decision, this week, to back the opening up of all rail routes across the EU to more competition for private operators, was just one more reason to vote Leave on June 23.
The transport union said it is urging its members to Vote Leave because under the proposals in the EU’s so-called Fourth Railway Package, train operators would have complete access to the networks of member states to operate domestic passenger services.

RMT said the European Council had already agreed that mandatory competitive tendering should be the main way of awarding public service contracts.

Mick Cash, RMT general secretary, said the failed Tory privatisation of rail over twenty years ago using EU directive 91/440 was now being imposed on 500 million people by EU diktat without a mandate.

“This rail package is designed to privatise railways across Europe and its proposals are remarkably similar to the McNulty report on the future of GB railways, imposing further fragmentation and attacks on workers.

“McNulty, the Tory government and the EU share the business-led mania for privatisation and agree on the need to jack up fares and attack jobs, pay and pensions to pay for it, no-one has voted for that.

“It is impossible to make changes to this privatisation juggernaut inside the undemocratic EU so the only solution is to get out by voting Leave on June 23,” he said.