Organising

There are small group of reps and activists who are attempting to actively recruit cleaners and canteen staff in the london transport region.

Sodexo canteen workers have put in for a recognition agreement, their management have agreed dependant us on getting 50% +1 members, if we do not get the required number of members we will be barred from going for recognition again for 3 years.

Cleaners are to be balloted shortly due to a number of issues including an olympic recognition bonus which makes our task even more important.

We wish to map station staffing by collating the following information about each company
that operates stations:

We note that following the resolution from our LU Engineering branch, a meeting has taken place with GGC members and representatives of our Telent/MJ Quinns members. We affirm the views of our representatives that the situation facing workers on this contract is intolerable, with bullying, inadequate pay, and management refusing to allow employees to take leave during the Olympic period.

We therefore instruct the General Secretary to:

That we note that a meeting was held today with our reps and that a meeting with management is being held in Warwick on Thursday 19th April 2012 to discuss this issue.

From London Transport Region Black & Ethinic Minority Officer Glen Hart

To assist providing RMT members with the latest news and campaigns from the Black and Ethnic Minority Member’s Committee, we are in the process of updating the BEM mailing list.

This will ensure that every RMT member interested with fighting the struggle for equality and against racism are aware of the campaigns.

We all face tough, difficult and daunting times ahead of us. How we organise together in solidarity, will be a determining factor.

RMT General Grades Committee decision:

We note the report from our Regional Organiser on the productive meeting held on this matter. We welcome the detailed plan drawn up by our representatives.

RMT General Grades Committee decision:

We note the correspondence from Accord, refusing our application for a voluntary recognition agreement despite the large proportion of employees in the bargaining unit who are members of RMT.

We instruct the General Secretary to press ahead with the application for statutory recognition, and with attempts to secure the support of Unite and the TUC for this application.

RMT General Grades Committee decision:

We note the resolution from our LU Engineering branch, and welcome the many new members who work on maintaining the lifts on Tube Lines.

These members have been under attack from a fierce and anti-RMT management and company called Accord, and have responded by joining RMT and organising through the branch into a fighting unit to hit back at these attacks, and holding a mass meeting last week.

Accord's response to this meeting has been to state that it now intends to recognise Unite from 4 April.

The RMT Young Members Conference took place last month. RMTv have produced a video of the event showing why it so important for young people within the union to get involved and how the conference both educates members on how to steer debate, and the way the conference can set the agenda and union policy.