RMT Young Members’ AGM training Course - 2010
Aberdeen, Sunday 27th June – Friday 2nd July

Last year we held a very successful ‘AGM Course’ for our young members. Sixteen attended – the largest course of its kind that we have organised. Our improved organisation for young members was further reflected when 30 delegates attended the recent National Young Members Conference, in Liverpool.

We are now looking for young active members to train on our 2010 course which shall run in tandem with our AGM in Aberdeen. Members must be under 30 years of age at the start of the course.

Applications need to be submitted by the 30th April 2010

Click 'Read More' to read the rest of the circular and '1 Attachment' to download the circular and application form

This year has seen the biggest ever number of prospective delegates to the 2010 Young Members Conference.

BUT... There is still time for members of YOUR branch or regional council to be nominated as a delegate to the Conference, which is being held in Liverpool on the 26th and 27th February, with a social event on the 25th February 2010.

Hello Everyone,

The National Young Members Conference is in February 2010.. The Circular is attached, please ensure that you take it to your branch meeting and get yourself nominated for the conference.

If you have any problems with your application, please let me know as soon as possible.. Branches and Regional Councils can nominate up to 4 delegates each, so get your workmates nominated too...

In Solidarity,

Adrian Rowe
National Union Of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers (RMT)
•CHAIR - National Young Members Advisory Committee 2009/2010

Venue: Unity House

Within the next few months, RMT will hold conferences for young members, women members, black and ethnic minority members, and lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender members.

Members put issues on the agendas of these conferences by getting their branch to submit a resolution. But that can be a bit daunting, so the Regional Council is holding a workshop on how to write resolutions. We will discuss the issues that these groups of members face at work and in wider society, and learn the practicalities of putting it down on paper as a resolution.

Under RMT's rule book, a member could only stand for election as a delegate to the union's Annual General Meeting (AGM) once s/he had been a member for five years. Many union branches felt that this rule was unfair and out-of-date, and submitted a proposal to last Friday's Special Meeting to reduce the qualifying period to three years.

I am pleased to report that, following a lively debate and a close vote, the proposal was passed. Printed below is the speech I made in proposing the rule change, which outlines the reasons and arguments behind the change.

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I am pleased to advise you that we will be holding the RMT Young Members’ Conference in Liverpool on Friday 26th February & Saturday 27th February 2010, with a social event being held at 1900 on Thursday 25th February 2010.

Branches are invited and encouraged to submit resolutions to the conference. These must be relevant to Young Members in the union.

I am pleased to advise you that we will be holding the RMT Young Members’ Conference in Liverpool on Friday 26th February & Saturday 27th February 2010, with a social event being held at 1900 on Thursday 25th February 2010.

Branches are invited and encouraged to submit resolutions to the conference. These must be relevant to Young Members in the union.

This resolution, submitted by Neasden and seconded by TfL no.1, was carried unanimously by the September meeting of the Regional Council.

This resolution, submitted by Neasden branch and seconded by Bakerloo branch, was carried unanimously at the September meeting of the Regional Council.

This Branch recognises the importance of Young Members in our union.

We also note that the existing Young Members Banner fails to represent Youth, apart from the words “Young Member” and fails to represent all grades and the diversity of our union.

We request that the Young Members Committee design and produce the following organising items and that the funds for these are to be made available via Unity House.

This resolution, submitted by Neasden branch and seconded by TfL no.1 branch, was passed uannimously at September's Regional Council.

This Branch notes that absence of the Young Members Advisory Committee, in previous years, the young members conference has elected a Young Members Liaison Committee and this committee has been expected to carry out the duties of the Advisory Committee.

A team sponsored by Vestas is playing at Wembley. Campaigners will be taking this opportunity to voice our objections to the company closing Britain's only wind turbine factory on the Isle of Wight, at the cost of 600+ jobs.

Meet at Wembley Park tube at 11am.

More details from our Young Members' Officer, Becky Crocker.

On the Wednesday morning of RMT's AGM, we started off not knowing who the people we were introducing actually were. We watched a film called 'In the Name of the Father', and at the end of the film, there was complete silence, after we had witnessed what the Guildford Four had been through in 1970.

In December 2009, RMT young members in Central Line West Branch submitted a motion to the 2009 Young Members conference demanding the TUC allow motions from its young member’s conference to be debated at congress. Currently "statements" are agreed and the ratified by the TUC general Council which is appalling and stops young people getting involved in TUC democracy.

I'm pleased to be able to announce the dates for next years Young Members Conference, it will be held in liverpool on the following dates below. The Social event will start at 1900 on Thursday 25th February 2010 and the conference will start at 0900 on Friday 26th February 2010 at the Adelphi Hotel, Liverpool and End at 1500 on Saturday 27t February

Futher information will be published through Branch Circulars in due course.

We hope by advertising the conference early, we will be able to have the biggest ever delegation to this crucial conference.

Calling all Young Members (anyone under 30!)

The National Young Members committee would like to know what problems young members face in the workplace, or if there are alot of young members in your workplace that are not in the union.

The Committee will be holding a meeting in September, and we would like to know what to focus on for the next six months, or any areas that need attention.

it's also not too late to submit resolutions to the Young Members Committee, Speak to your Branch Secretary for more information.

From Becky Crocker, Regional Young Members' officer

Dear London Transport region

On Monday 3rd August, I visited the Vestas factory on the Isle of Wight, which its workers have occupied to stop its closure and save their 600 jobs.

Vestas is the only factory in Britain making blades for wind turbines.

Wind power is part of the government’s strategy for switching to 15% renewable energy by 2020. But the private company Vestas have calculated they can make more money by moving their factory elsewhere: profit comes first and jobs and the environment second.

In February of this year, the National Young Members Conference submitted two resolutions to the AGM.

I'm pleased to announce that both resolutions were carried unanimously and that they are now union policy

They were:

WHEN I'M 64
"As the government continues to increase the age at which our members will be entitled to; or be able to afford to retire this union notes the importance of defending our members' occupational pensions from further erosion by the government and business fat cats.

RMT Young Members Present a Nicaragua Benefit Gig @ Brixton Jamm - Saturday 13th June 2009

Including Guest Speaker Karina Gomez, Young Nicaraguan Trade Unionist

Live Acts - Oggie, Red Venom and Melody Boytoy

On the Decks Dirty Needlez DJs from www.flavourradio.com Skelly B and Locky Stylez with MC Flowz

Proceeds will help support the Linking Young Trade Unionists Project and projects run for informal sector workers by the CTCP Confederacion de Trabajadores de Cuenta Propia- Informal Sector Union in Nicaragua.

National Young Members Advisory Committee - The Past We Inherit The Future We Build

Are you a RMT member (young or young at heart)?

Are you in a band?

Do you want to showcase your talents in our battle of the bands competition (with the grand prize of recording time at the studio at Brixton JAMM??

Then we want to hear from you NOW!

The RMT Young Members are holding a benefit gig for the Nicaraguan Solidarity Campaign to commemorate the 30 year anniversary of their revolution at the Brixton JAMM on Saturday 13th June 2009.

Adrian Rowe, London Transport Regional Council delegate and National Chair of Young Members for 2009/2010 reviews the 2009 Young Members Conference in Birmingham.

Both the Young Members Advisory Committee and the Conference delegation would like to wish a speedy recovery to Ray Spy-Shute (Education Officer), and thank him for all his hard work in preparing for the 2009 conference. We would also like to thank Alastair Gittins from the RMT Policy Department for standing in for Ray as a secretary of our conference.

It’s a cold, February Saturday morning we are in the Comfort inn, in Birmingham; why?? Well…it’s the RMT Young Members Conference 2009.

It was really positive to see lots of new young enthusiastic faces and a row of observers at this years conference.