Bob Crow – “Don’t mourn - organise, organise and again organise!”        

John Tilley RMT North West Regional Organiser

Around thirty trade unionists and socialists attended a memorial meeting for the late, great Bob Crow in the London Rd Social & Sports Club in Stoke on 3^rd April.

Local RMT members were joined by others from Burton RMT branch and union reps from NUT, CWU, NAPO, UNITE at this event jointly organised by North Staffs RMT and Stoke & Newcastle TUSC.

TUSC election candidate for Silverdale & Parksite, Ritchie Steele, along with “No2eu – yes to workers rights” candidate Many Marfleet, both came to show solidarity.

RMT North West Regional organiser John Tilley summed up the tone of the meeting when he explained that Bob Crow would not have wanted workers to mourn his loss but to “Organise, organise and organise again to build a strong trade union movement that could get rid of this government and the anti-trade union laws”.

 

North Staffs RMT president, Tim Breed, explained why RMT members and other working class people thought so much of Bob Crow as a man, a friend and a trade union leader. He also pointed out that the Labour Party no longer fights for working class people.



Andy Bentley

Andy Bentley TUSC agent and Socialist Party regional organiser thanked,

“Bob Crow and RMT members for being the most militant trade union in Britain and showing others how victories can be won.”

He finished by saying, “If we had Bob Crow at the head of all the key unions we would have had a 24 hour general strike by now, probably got rid of this government and much further down the line of building the new workers party that we so desperately need”.




Student Jamie Chatfield from TUSC said, “I personally see the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition that Bob Crow co-founded as so important. It is the only political organization in the country that offers a real difference to austerity. TUSC is currently only an embryo, but it is a vital embryo in the formation of a New Workers Party and I would encourage anybody and anyone to get involved!”