Nottingham MP donates £2,000 of salary to rail strikers

A Nottingham Labour MP has donated £2,000 to the strike fund of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union. Nadia Whittome, who represents Nottingham East, joined striking rail workers outside Nottingham Station on Thursday and spoke at a rally on Saturday, June 25.

RMT members were staging their third strike of the week in a bitter dispute over jobs, pay and conditions. When Ms Whittome was elected, she pledged to share her MP’s salary with local causes in Nottingham.

She has previously made donations to the local branches of other unions – the IWGB Couriers and the App Driver and Couriers Union – as well as a range of charities, not-for-profits and grassroots groups. She takes home £35,000 per year after tax, donating the remainder.

Read more: Train strike supporters gather in Nottingham as third day of action takes place

Commenting on her donation to the RMT, Ms Whittome said: “Rail strikers are leading the way for workers in the cost-of-living crisis – demanding decent pay and conditions to keep up with the cost of soaring inflation.

“It’s workers like them who need a pay rise, not MPs. That’s why I’m donating £2,000 from my salary to my local RMT branch strike fund. When workers go on strike they don’t get paid. So this money will help to ensure that no-one faces hardship as a result of standing up for themselves at work.”

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