27 Mar 2006 -
International Railway Workers' Action Day 2006

18:00 GMT

Morocco
The UMT started its activities on 26 March in Casablanca by holding a meeting for all participants to the union Regional Congress that was being held at the time to explain the Action Day Campaign, the role of the ITF, the importance of globalising solidarity and workers' safety. On 27 March, under the slogans "Safety First!" and "Health and Security of Railway Workers is Not for Sale!", union activists were mobilised to visit railway stations and depots in big cities around Morocco. Approximately 5,000 leaflets in Arabic and French were distributed to railway workers and the public in the morning. This afternoon a round table meeting on workplace safety, social dialogue and the Action Day has been organised. Almost 200 union representatives have heard witness statements from workers about safety and discussed the issues. (Phone report by Mohamed Haytoum)

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Romania
USLMA started its safety campaign last month with meetings where workers raised their issues. Based on the results of these meetings, the union sent a letter to the Ministry of Transport requesting a meeting. (Email report by Marinela Bratu)

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Russia
Posters and information on the Action Day Campaign in Russian were distributed by the Trade Union of Railwaymen and Transport Construction Workers of Russia nationwide from Kaliningrad in the West to Khabarovsk in the Far East in advance. The President of the Union also informed union activists in all parts of Russia about the meaning and importance of the Action Day in his regular address during a telephone conference. As a result of these activities, information meetings and press conferences were held in all the union's local committees and directly in the railway enterprises. Articles were published in the main union newsletter as well as in regional and local union newsletters. About 600 railwaymen and trade unionists are expected to arrive in Moscow tomorrow to attend the union's 29th ordinary Congress. The meeting will deal with safety as one of its main topics and will provide delegates with a good opportunity to exchange experiences, in particular as delegations from other railway unions in Europe are expected to attend. (Email report by Mikhail Lyakhov, ITF)

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Great Britain
The RMT used the ITF Action Day to promote its campaign to persuade the government to drop its plans to remove railway fire safety regulations that were introduced after the 1989 Kings Cross fire that claimed 31 lives. A lobby by rail workers outside the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister was held and union members were joined by Tube workers who were on duty and assisted on the day of the 7 July 2005 terrorist attacks. The delegation submitted a protest letter to the government on this issue. The union also asked its members to send letters to Members of Parliament asking them to sign a parliamentary motion in support of the campaign. (Email report by James Croy)

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