13 Mar 2007 -
International Railway Workers' Action Day 2007

16:30 GMT (14 March 2007)

Macedonia
In Macedonia, the Association of Independent Trade Unions of Personnel in Traffic organised a rally at Bitola train station, attended by railway workers from the region. "Safety First!" posters were displayed on train station walls across the country in the week before the Action Day. The union also held an outdoor press conference at the beginning of the 17 kilometre stretch of missing rail track, which would connect the country with Greece. At the press conference the union stressed that the Government needs to invest in the railways and stop engaging in privatisation of the railways, which is resulting in mass redundancies.
(Email report by Goran Veskov)

Spain
Activists from ELA-Hainbat distributed 5,000 leaflets at several stations with information relating to railway safety and demanding better working conditions in the industry. At Barakaldo station, the union and the METRO Bilbao management got together to denounce physical and verbal violence against workers and to raise awareness that they have the right to work without passenger aggressions. Two short courses for were also organised on health and safety at work for the participants. (Email report by Esteban Pereda)

View more photos of the activities organised by ELA-Hainbat >>

Romania
Following a series of incidents that exposed the low level of safety and security on the metro system, USLMA in Romania organised two meetings on 13 and 14 March. As a result of these meetings, the union has established their strategy for the metro system, which the union will now take to the Metrorex management demanding that the company focus its agenda on safety.
(Email report by Marinela Bratu)

View more photos of the activities organised in Romania >>

Great Britain
To mark the Action Day, the RMT in Great Britain has asked its members to write two letters to their Members of Parliament. The first letter asks MPs to support the union's call for a public inquiry into the derailments that occurred in Grayrigg, Cumbria in February 2007 and Potters Bar, Hertfordshire in May 2002. The second asks MPs to support the campaign to keep the East London Line on the London Underground public.
(Email report by James Croy)

Philippines
The Bagong Kapisanan Ng Mga Manggagawa Sa PNR in the Philippines organised a medical mission on the Action Day for railway workers and their families at the union headquarters in Manila, together with the Television network GMA 7. This activity was also used to emphasize the importance of safety where union members who had suffered accidents while on duty spoke their experiences to the participants. (Email report by Edgar Bilayon)