This resolution was unanimously agreed by RMT's National Women's Advisory Committee on 11 November, having been submitted by Bakerloo and Central Line West branches. It will now go to the union's Executive for their consideration.

This union is appalled at the announcement by Peter Mandelson that the government's plans to extend flexible working rights to parents of all children under 16 have been put on hold due to the economic crisis.

It is disgusting that while the government can find hundreds of billions of pounds of public money to bail out bankers who have lost their investment gambles, it can not bring itself to make a small improvement to workers' rights that would benefit women especially but men as well. Workers should not be made to pay the price of an economic crisis caused by bankers, bosses and the capitalist system.

We ask the Council of Executives to:

• issue a statement condemning Mandelson's announcement
• include an article about this issue in RMT News
• jointly with other interested unions and campaigns, organise a protest action
• request the union's Parliamentary group table an Early Day Motion on this subject
• give the union's survey of members' experience of flexible working a higher profile and publicise the results
• submit a resolution in line with this policy to TUC Women's Conference 2009