TUC Vulnerable Workers Conference

FIRST EVER UNION CONFERENCE FOR RMT VULNERABLE WORKER OFFICERS

Thursday 8th December TUC Congress House Grt Russell Street London WC1B 3LS

Places for the course are very limited - you can register at a.mcfadden@rmt.org.uk to reserve a place at the Conference.

General Secretary Bob Crow on the conference

All of us in the union are familiar with the precarious nature of employment at the present time and the many reasons that engender a real sense of vulnerability amongst workers generally across the UK. It is also fair to say that some workers in the industries that we seek to organise are especially vulnerable and need particular support and assistance from a Trade Union like the RMT and it is important that all our officials and members understand the issues vulnerable workers face and how, through the union organisation support and assistance, we can improve their working lives. Those who we see as especially vulnerable are cleaning and catering grades whether or not their jobs have been outsourced as well as agency workers.

As part of this work the RMT secured funding through the Union Modernisation Fund (UMF) for our vulnerable workers project. One key element of the projects work is awareness education courses for our officials and members on the issues involved and how to begin to plan to support vulnerable workers in all our workplaces, with the aim of appointing a vulnerable worker officer in every branch of RMT to assist vulnerable workers and where necessary recruit to RMT to ensure the protection of every worker within every workplace.

As a result of this work the RMT vulnerable workers project has organised the first ever union conference of newly elected vulnerable worker Branch Officers and vulnerable worker representatives from the workplace

AGENDA

• 10-10.30(provisional)
  Registration

  10.30-10.45

• Chair Alec McFadden: (Manager RMT Vulnerable Workers Project)
  Opening remarks and setting day out.

  10.45-11.05

• Pat Sikorski: RMT Assistant General Secretary

  11.05-11.30

• Questions from the floor

  11.30-11.50

• Alan Pottage: ( Head of the Education & Organising Unit)
  of Vulnerable Workers DVD

  Launch

• 11.50-1200

  Ivor Riddell: (Union Learn)

• The role of Union Learn Reps

  12.00-12.45

• Workshops

  12.45-1.00

• Plenary Report Backs

  1.00-1.45

• LUNCH

  1.45-2.15

• John McDonnell MP: (Chair of RMT Parliamentary Group)

  2.15-3.45

• Workshops

  2.45-3.30

• Plenary Report Back and contributions from the floor

  3.30

• Chair’s closing remarks

  During the course of the day the following will speak

  • Ronnie Ash on the successful wage negotiations at Carlisle Cleaning, and,
  • Clara Osagiede on the continuing campaign to recruit vulnerable workers