RMT London Calling

Venue: Exmouth Arms, Star Cross Street, near Euston

This workshop is a must for all workplace RMT representatives. Go through the basics of being an effective workplace representative if you are new in the post - and polish up your skills if you are long in the tooth!

This training workshop will look at:

• the various duties of a union rep
• where you can get help, advice and support
• how the machinery of negotiation works
• what a 'referral' is and how to fill one in
• the role of your branch and your grades committee

And there will be useful materials for you to take away with you.

This workshop is also running on the following afternoon in east London - details here.

Click '1 attachment' / file name to download the 'Brown Book', which sets out the rights of health and safety representatives.

On a personal note, the reason that I have posted this today is that the 1977 regulations, which gave these rights to safety reps, were brought in by Labour Secretary of State for Employment Albert Booth, my uncle, who sadly died this morning.

On 18th December 2009, First was fined £400,000 plus costs after it was found guilty of breaching section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.

Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 states that: "It shall be the duty of every employer to ensure, as far as reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of all his employees."

Colleagues:

We need to advise you that RMT Signal maintainers working for the former Metronet will be taking industrial action for 24 hours starting from 06.45 on Friday 5th of February.

Their dispute is over the imposition of unagreed rosters that change Monday to Friday workers to compulsory weekends

This dispute could have serious implications for the safety of the service that LU will be offering for the duration of the industrial action.

Click '1 attachment' / file name to download the newsletter; read the text below.

Proposed changes are afoot

We all know that there is a recession. We have witnessed it first hand with this year’s pay cut and the sacking of our members just to reduce staffing numbers.

RAIL UNION RMT have today welcomed confirmation that the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) have directly intervened with the Government over the safety issues raised by the union over the threat by Network Rail to axe 1500 maintenance jobs.

In a letter to Transport Secretary Lord Adonis, in response to a dossier on the safety implications of the cuts compiled by RMT, Anna Walker, Chair of the ORR says:

“I can assure you that we have been scrutinising Network Rail’s restructuring proposals for some time and we will continue to do so.

RMT members from London Transport Region joined fellow members from around the country at Parliament last Wednesday to demand that MPs stop Network Rail going ahead with plans to scrap 1,500 maintenance jobs.

These photos come courtesy of RMT's London Taxis branch, who sent a delegation to the lobby.

Former Metronet signals members voted massively in favour of both strike action and action short of a strike.

The First 24 hour strike action will take place between 06.45 hours on Friday 5th February and 06.45 hours on Saturday 6th February 2010.

Further 24 hour strike action will take place every weekend from Sunday morning into Monday morning. The first of these will take place between 06.45 hours on Sunday 14th February and 06.45 hours on Monday 15th February 2010.

The following resolution, submitted by Piccadilly & District West branch and seconded by Hammersmith & City branch, was carried unanimously at the Regional Council meeting on 28 January 2010.

This Union has not been consulted on the implementation of the £5 minimum top up at Ticket offices. We believe this policy is both an attack on customers, especially poorer people, and a threat to the future of ticket offices and jobs.

Click on the attachment to read/download the latest Monthly News.

In this edition:

1. Pay deal: the wages of disunity;

2. Green Park members plan fightback for Mercy Odisi;

3. Lies, damn lies and the missing CCTV - how LUL continues to victimise our Branch Chair, Glenroy Watson;

4. Miscarriages of Justice - members of Birmingham 6, Guildford 4 and Maguire 7 address branch, telling their story and talking about their work today for the Miscarriages of Justice Organisation (MOJO).

Click '1 attachment' / file name to download this newsletter. Please distribute widely to London Underground service control staff.

The new issue of our RMT London Calling newsletter highlights the threats to jobs across London's transport. It also includes articles on the Haiti earthquake, TubeLines/PPP crisis, signals dispute, sacked Bakerloo drivers, and more.

Click '1 attachment' / file name to download it. Please distribute it widely.

You can make a donation to help Haitian trade unions' reconstruction work by clicking the TUC Aid button here:





The statement below from the Haiti Support Group gives some of the social and political backgrond to the devastating loss of life in Haiti. It shows that although earthquakes are natural, the scale of their impact is largely down to social and political factors. Our thoughts are with the victims and their loved ones, and we are looking for opportunities to help trade unions and other progressive organisations in the mammoth tasks that face them.