Of the Rails, for the Workers!
"Fair bloody pay, damned reasonable crew sizes, a day off every week, an' a small stipend ta pay out families, offer 'em a wee bit o' support when accidents do 'appen, 'eld in trust. I nary think we askin' t'at damn'd much! But if'n them damned rail barons so bloody 'tight' on their budgets that the idea o' a Rail Workers Guild bein' legally recognized will see 'em 'destitute, well 'ow abouts we sees 'ow shuttin' it all down treats 'em. Run the story, get it ta the press, Liam get yer friends at the post working, get it sent by magnegraph down the wire ta the other cities and on its way ta other papers. I want our manifest an' call ta arms in print in every city from 'ere ta Moss Bay by endweek. Pack yer partners and wee ones off ta family or trusted friends in the night me coaldust brethren. First t'ing tomorrow we blockade t'e railyards, sabotage tracks if needs must. Nothin' in or out, nae anyone workin'. We shuttin' it all down, and 'ere in Geata-Iarainn we'll be the first. Let 'em bleed, let 'em go broke, let 'em suffer. If its a fight they want, they'll find out all that coal smoke 'as made us tough bastards!"
One of the many calls for strikes in Geata-Iarainn the night before the 'Rail Riots' began, the beginning of the crisis that would see the idealist pipe dream of a Rail Workers Guild become reality.
Purpose
The purpose of the document was initially a quite civil proposal that was basically ran as public print and slander hit piece against the rail industry leaders at the time after the fact, when the government refused to even acknowledge the request for a hearing about gaining Guild Status. It was polite, but professional and quite direct, as well as brutally honest.
Document Structure
Clauses
There were many clauses in regards to pay structures for the various trades involved in a rail yard, as well as their agreement term limits, and rights of the guild to force a renegotiation, as well as rights of the rail company owners to do the same, all of which were quite generous terms, allowing either side to demand a renegotiation process every two years in regards to pay structures and the like.
Furthermore there were clauses in regards to how the guild would handle the dues it collected including setting up a fund, which the companies had to contribute to as well, to the tune of 1/50th, a trifling sum, of their payroll monthly that would be used to help families in worst case scenario accidents, a small stipend at least to cover funerary expenses. Furthermore very clear limitations of termination were put in place in the framework regarding missing work, illness and more, which whilst favoring the worker, were far from unreasonable.
It also laid out matter-of-factly that this was not a negotiation but a request for the peaceful route. It laid out the details collected from a year of keeping secret observations and witnessing the corruption and abuse of the rail systems and the owners and overseers upon their staff. Beyond this it outlined in full the plans for a general strike and total shutting down of Suranthi rail system should this framework not be presented to the government of Suranth and judgement of acceptance of Guild Status, even if the finer tenets and terms needed further negotiation, was not to be granted.
It was equal parts contract framework, press release, and manifesto. Though it did not fully have the intended effect immediately, this document, which was never assigned to one author, but simply to "The Rail Workers of Suranth" did undoubtedly help in achieving, eventually, the desired outcome.
Furthermore there were clauses in regards to how the guild would handle the dues it collected including setting up a fund, which the companies had to contribute to as well, to the tune of 1/50th, a trifling sum, of their payroll monthly that would be used to help families in worst case scenario accidents, a small stipend at least to cover funerary expenses. Furthermore very clear limitations of termination were put in place in the framework regarding missing work, illness and more, which whilst favoring the worker, were far from unreasonable.
It also laid out matter-of-factly that this was not a negotiation but a request for the peaceful route. It laid out the details collected from a year of keeping secret observations and witnessing the corruption and abuse of the rail systems and the owners and overseers upon their staff. Beyond this it outlined in full the plans for a general strike and total shutting down of Suranthi rail system should this framework not be presented to the government of Suranth and judgement of acceptance of Guild Status, even if the finer tenets and terms needed further negotiation, was not to be granted.
It was equal parts contract framework, press release, and manifesto. Though it did not fully have the intended effect immediately, this document, which was never assigned to one author, but simply to "The Rail Workers of Suranth" did undoubtedly help in achieving, eventually, the desired outcome.
Legal status
Now it is recognized as one of the Founding Documents for the Suranthi Rail Workers Guild and its various chapters in each major city with a railyard.
Comments