The Conversation (0)
Kate Plummer
Jul 15, 2022
RMT confirm rail strikes will go ahead on Thursday
Indy
RMT has sent another person out to the media to represent them and people are comparing him to Mick Lynch for his superb interviewing skills.
Eddie Dempsey, senior assistant general secretary at the union is justifying further strike action the RMT is taking and, as they did with Lynch, people think he is doing an iconic job.
In one interview on Jeremy Vine, when asked to discuss whether striking union were "greedy", he turned the question on its head and said "profiteers" were the greedy ones.
He said: "I have to tell you, it's a bit of a cheek having a programme asking if a trade union is being greedy for asking for a pay rise.
"The FTSE 350 top companies in this country - their profits have gone up 73 per cent since 2019. When are we going to ask if they are being greedy?
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"What about the railway companies that have been ripping this country off for years?"
"We have the highest fares in Europe because profiteers have been robbing this country blind for years," he added. He said that energy prices are increasing and RMT workers will suffer from that.
It comes after RMT announced further strike action on 27 July as well as on 18 and 20 August over jobs, pay and working conditions. It follows strike action in June which was justified in a series of brilliant performances from Lynch.
Dempsey also called on the cost of living crisis to be addressed and for price caps on energy companies.
"The people at the top of the economy are having a disco and everyone else is being told that they've got to carry the can and tighten their belts. It's not on."
And he also told Channel 4: “The general public know they’re being mugged. Profits are through the roof, corporate pay is obscene and the only ones being asked to tighten their belts are working class people.”
People loved what he had to say:
\u201cGreat stuff from Eddie Dempsey. It\u2019s outrageous that people in this country are told they are being greedy when we have a govt that has siphoned off billions to cronies and privatised rail & energy companies that make Mr. Burns look like a philanthropist.\n\nhttps://t.co/yy0lBMdNlD\u201d— Billy Misanthrope for PM \ud83c\uddec\ud83c\udde7 (@Billy Misanthrope for PM \ud83c\uddec\ud83c\udde7) 1657867978
\u201cEddie Dempsey from the @RMTunion: "Its a bit of a cheek asking are trade unions being greedy asking for a pay rise. The FTSE 350 top companies profits have gone up 73% since 2019 - when are we going to ask are they being greedy?". Well said!\ud83d\udc4f\ud83c\udffd\ud83d\udc4f\ud83c\udffd\u201d— Saul Staniforth (@Saul Staniforth) 1657812908
\u201cEddie Dempsey and Mick Lynch @RMTunion have done such a fantastic job informing the public, and decimating those that come up against them doing media rounds. This is because the points they are making are irrefutable facts.\n\nRunaway company profits are the problem, not wages.\u201d— Max Colbert (@Max Colbert) 1657864007
\u201c\u201cPeople in government are having a disco\u201d, says Eddie Dempsey from the @RMTunion (rubbish guest-list though).\u201d— Layla Maghribi (@Layla Maghribi) 1657869745
\u201cEveryone stopped inviting Mick Lynch on shows because he was absolutely destroying everyone. So they wheel out Eddie Dempsey and he just continues to do exactly the same \ud83d\ude02\ud83d\ude02 you just can't disagree with a single thing he says here\u201d— Mark Mills \ud83d\udd36\ufe0f\ud83e\udd89 (@Mark Mills \ud83d\udd36\ufe0f\ud83e\udd89) 1657871550
\u201cI like that straight talking Eddie Dempsey takes no nonsense from ExTory/Ukiper flag waving Brexteer all round awful screeching Ann Widdecombe !\u201d— Sir David Hendry \ud83d\udc99\ud83c\udff4\udb40\udc67\udb40\udc62\udb40\udc73\udb40\udc63\udb40\udc74\udb40\udc7f\ud83c\udff4\udb40\udc67\udb40\udc62\udb40\udc77\udb40\udc6c\udb40\udc73\udb40\udc7f\ud83d\udc9c (@Sir David Hendry \ud83d\udc99\ud83c\udff4\udb40\udc67\udb40\udc62\udb40\udc73\udb40\udc63\udb40\udc74\udb40\udc7f\ud83c\udff4\udb40\udc67\udb40\udc62\udb40\udc77\udb40\udc6c\udb40\udc73\udb40\udc7f\ud83d\udc9c) 1657865982
\u201cBetween this fella and The Rt Hon Lord & Saviour Mick Lynch, I think I've found my new political heroes.\n\nCan I vote @RMTunion at the next election?\u201d— djw1882 (@djw1882) 1657874734
RMT sure does have some media talent.
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