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Has Bob Crow bitten off more than he can chew?
Dick Murray11 Jun 2009
He is the glowering, shaven-headed union bruiser who has steered the RMT through dozens of industrial disputes in the past seven years.
He may be no friend of the London commuter but there is no doubting the respect afforded the skilful leadership of Bob Crow by the union movement.
The hefty six-footer has a reputation for picking his battles well and the RMT is one of the few unions with a growing membership.
According to the latest TUC figures it has 75,906 members.
But after the half-cock response to the latest 48-hour Tube walkout serious questions are being asked about his judgment.
Aslef, the rival Tube union, said today: "It seems Bob Crow is now doing his best to annoy fellow trade unions." Officially Aslef describes the strike as "premature" but the private language is more colourful.
A hint of RMT rebellion emerged in the voting figures. Of 10,000 eligible to vote, just 2,810 supported the strike call with 488 against.
The rest took the easy way out and didn't bother -although they will, of course, accept any increased pay and working conditions improvements won by the union.
Just before the strike started Mr Crow said: "We know that it will receive solid support from RMT members across the Tube network." No, it hasn't. It was a rare misjudgment by Mr Crow.
The last two Victoria line strikes, in support of sacked train driver Carl Campbell, have closed the line completely.
It's a different picture now: Mr Crow quietly slipped in a third strike on the Victoria line today to run in conjunction with the main dispute. This strike was only announced to LU, as the union is legally required to do, and not to passengers.
The Victoria line is an RMT stronghold but today trains ran along a major part of the route - Victoria to Seven Sisters - where Mr Crow was on early morning picket line duty.
Past network-wide strikes have seen a total shutdown. Compare that with today: during this morning's peak 120 trains ran out of a possible 522; by lunchtime the figure had increased to 140 out of a usual 420.
London Underground boasted: "We have had lots of drivers turning up." Did that include RMT members? "It must do by the number of people who have reported for duty," said LU.
This could encourage even more staff to return to work today, the second half of the stoppage. Union observers ask whether Mr Crow has been bounced into a self-defeating dispute by his even more far-Left fellow officials.
There seems to be no immediate threat to his leadership in the absence of a credible alternative.
But his reputation as a union general who chooses his battle grounds wisely and normally delivers a victory will be badly damaged.
Reader views (26)
i would like to know what bob crow would do about the economy,he would probably say he is not in government,yet he is encouraging people into industrial action against the cuts which could so easily tip us back into recession leaving more people out of work, this man has no common sense!!!
- john moffat, carlisle cumbria, 13/09/2010 16:48
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i would like to know what bob crow would do about the economy,he would probably say he is not in government,yet he is encouraging people into industrial action against the cuts which could so easily tip us back into recession leaving more people out of work, this man has no common sense!!!
- john moffat, carlisle cumbria, 13/09/2010 16:17
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Bob Crow reminds me of a Munchausen by proxy parent who poisons his children, keeps the attention on himself, strikes just the right balance between killing the child and keeping it alive, and while reveling in the ensuing chaos. It is a deeply pathological and disturbing process to watch.
- Henry, London, 12/06/2009 07:33
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Piers
I work for LU on the gates and we work so hard to keep the network moving helping people as much as we can. This is despite the fact that most passengers are very rude to us.
Also, your point about counters being empty. That is because LU are reducing the hours ticket offices are open and trying to shut them down in favour of machines. Then you will see what queues are really like.
- Terry Amber, London, 11/06/2009 15:57
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So while times are hard for everyday families Bob Crow thinks its justified to demand pay increases and hold the city to ransom, losing us over 100m in revenue.
He doesn't have respect from the majority of workers or travellers. He is consigning London to a laughing stock. I fear for the olympics... and yet I believe he is probably rubbing his greedy hands in glee.
- Clint, London, 11/06/2009 15:45
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I'd urge any RMT members who didn't agree with the strike, to resign from the RMT and join one of the other unions. That would get your message across, and maybe save you losing any more days' pay for ... what, exactly?
- Nigel, London, 11/06/2009 15:26
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Whatever the ins and outs are and whatever Bob Crow is striking about now, London transport is badly run. The staff at the stations are almost always shockingly rude and unhelpful. Most of them seem to stand around doing nothing and the counters are normally empty, resulting in huge queues. The reason for this is that the staff are lazy and incompetent and they also like upsetting commuters and going on strike because they basically have chips on their shoulders.
- Piers, West Kensington, London, 11/06/2009 14:36
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I think Bob's wife is supporting him (eh Joannie)?Bob needs to go and take his cronies with him. If he's that upset over salaries why dosen't he take a pay cut so that his colleagues can get the increase he's supposedly fighting for? I just want to thank all the staff who have gone into work and made our journey yesterday and this morning a pleasant surprise. Thank you.
- Lorraine, London, 11/06/2009 14:19
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As a union official he has to look after the interest of his members however with such a low number of his members voting for industrial action he is clearly taking a risk that "his" strike will succeed in gaining real benefits for the workers. It would appear that Bob Crow is out of touch with the majority of his membership or they would have voted in far bigger numbers for the industrial action.
- Mike M, Bedford England, 11/06/2009 14:16
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Crow is a workshy good for nothing union man who hasn't done a hard day's graft in years (if ever). He is a perpetual striker and gets paid handsomely for it.
How can anyone say that he represents anyone but himself? If the RMT are gaining members then I'm afraid it relects the attitude of the modern train driver.
Sack them and let someone else have a go!
- Gareth, Hampshire, 11/06/2009 13:55
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Fighting for his members, Ted? Fighting them into a complete melt down of the tube and their replacement by foreign workers initially, robot driven trains eventually. Meanwhile he'll continue to ship in the six figure salary. I wonder if he's given up 2 day's salary over this?
- Paul, London, 11/06/2009 13:55
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Its so very easy to criticise. What I would like to know is over 8 years under Ken - how many strikes were threatened - (quite a few) and how many strikes actually happened (not that many!!!) - Boris - strike threatened - strike delivered!!! I think the record is not shaping up very well.
Interesting this is happening just after Tim O'Toole has left and with Boris. I don't think Mayor's Office or TfL have enough stature at the moment to take on and win.
So far this year - Boris's record - Snow stops buses (1st time ever!) and now major tube strike. It is indeed worrying for 2012.
- Jc, SE1, 11/06/2009 13:40
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This whole sorry mess started with Ken Livingstone and his spineless responses to the RMTs overinflated pay and conditions claims whilst he was Mayor. His answer was to interfere with the day to day management of LU and just cave into Crow and his militant drivers by agreeing to whatever they demanded and bunging the extra costs onto the ratepayers of London. This is hardly a no strike agreement, unless you are using the same blinkered glasses and flawed logic that Livingstone uses. It is not negotiation it is complete capitulation. At least in Boris we have a Mayor with some backbone, who will stand up for the travelling public against Crow and the rest of his militant thugs on the Executive Committee of the RMT. RMT members are being treated like lap dogs and poodles, rather than grown up men and women. They should resign from the RMT on mass and join the less confrontational and more responsible members of the ASLEF Union.
- Pete, South London, 11/06/2009 13:26
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One rule for the fat-cat greedy Bob Crow on £115,00 per year plus expenses and another for the unpaid striking workers!
- Joe, Thornton Heath, UK, 11/06/2009 13:10
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He's fighting for his members. That's his job.People who are criticising him because they have lost their jobs, and saying this makes the timing wrong should be wishing they'd had someone like Crow to fight their corner.
- Ted, London, 11/06/2009 12:28
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This man's activities must be curtailed through whatever legal route can be found. His strike action is ill founded and poorly supported and his position has become untenable.
- Patricia, LONDON, 11/06/2009 11:54
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According to latest union figures, membership has increased by 1.8% over a year. Hardly spectacular.
Bob Crows renumeration package however is up by 14%.
The fat-cat world of greedy union bosses.
- Joseph Yossarian, London, 11/06/2009 11:45
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It seems Bob Crow is now doing his best to annoy fellow trade unions."
This from ASLEF !
As a retired NUR , BR worker , with 30 years service , I can remember the many times ASLEF were in dispute and did not seemingly give a toss about other unions who stayed working .
- Alan Baker, essex .uk, 11/06/2009 11:42
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If Livingstone had had the spine to take on Crow during his 8 years as Mayor, we would not have to endure the annual threat of tube strikes.
The only legacies of Labour administration - either in SE1 or SW1 - are political, economic and bureaucratic minefields that successive leaders need to clear.
- Nobby Clark, Perth, the Scottish one, 11/06/2009 11:38
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Aside from the churlish and childish personal remarks aimed at Bob Crowe, I would remind people that in any dispute there are two parties, and tfl are by no means lilly white in all of this. Firstly, it is wholly unreasonably to insist RMT members adopt a 1.5% pay policy, when tfl bosses historically award themselves double-figure rises and bonuses. A level playing field is essential in today's financial climate. Secondly, tfl and RMT made a 'No compulsory redundancies' agreement, and therefore tfl should stick to this, and only renegotiate if there are independently agreed reasons for doing so. Lastly, you would have thought that by now someone in County Hall would have had the knowledge and skills to negotiate a 'No Strike' agreement with the tube unions. It's not impossible, and if the tfl hierarchy were doing their job properly, they would be working with the tube unions towards such an agreement. The attitude of 'all unions are troublemakers' and 'all managements are efficient and squeaky-clean' will not resolve the problems both parties are facing. Thus, in the words of WS Gilbert "Quiet, calm deliberation disentangles every knot."
- Joannie, London, England, 11/06/2009 11:37
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Bob Crow has picked the wrong time to annoy the working public. He has brought forward the day when driverless trains are normal on the underground. Whatever short term gain for his members, in the medium to long term they're jobs will be gone.
- Cary, London, 11/06/2009 11:34
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Crowe's mouth has always been bigger than his brain. He is of the old '70's style trade union leader stuck in a vacuum like Scargill. If he had half a brian he could have negotiated his way through the current situation and become a winner instead of a loser. But, like Brown, he is a bully. Bullying, shouting, thumping the desk, throwing objects and glaring at the opposition is a person who has not the wit, the wisdom nor the intelligence to do otherwise. Note how Brown surrounded himself with likewise bullies in the past and is doing so still - aka Sugars. Brown will NEVER change his inbuilt character. He is trapped inside it.
- Albert Hall, hove england, 11/06/2009 11:23
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What odds are the betting shops offering for a tube strike during the 2012 Olympics. I suppose that depends if Crow is still in charge?
- William Grierson, Kimpton-UK, 11/06/2009 11:13
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Fingers crossed it is the beginning of the end for Bob Crow. Lets keep the 70s "Life On Mars" on TV not our daily lives.
- Dave Davies, Basingstoke, 11/06/2009 11:09
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"Has Bob Crow bitten off more than he can chew?"
Looking at the size of his gut, he can chew a fair bit, I reckon dairy herds hide in fear when he passes.
- Bob, Cheam, 11/06/2009 10:51
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No one would be sad to see him go, except poor Mrs. Crow who would have him at home all day. Then again I pity her already!
- Amy, Clapham, 11/06/2009 10:44
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