This is the proposed LTRC 2011Recruitment and organising plan which will be submitted for approval to the London Regional Council meeting on 31st March.

LONDON TRANSPORT REGIONAL COUNCIL RECRUITMENT AND ORGANISING PLAN 2011

Organising team

Two years ago LTRC set up a ‘recruitment and organising team’. This year, we should develop this, adding new activists and overseeing the implementation and review of this plan. The Membership Secretary should convene the recruitment and organising team. The team will consist of a member from each branch (ideally the Branch Secretary or membership secretary) within the region and will meet at Unity House. An up-to-date regional membership list will be available at the meeting.

*Making reps into more effective recruiters

We should aim to make every workplace rep into an effective recruiter. We will endeavour to: address whether stage 1 reps’ training adequately addresses the rep’s role as recruiter - re-run our 90-minute training workshop on ‘recruitment, retention and managing membership information’ - ask every branch to host the session, which can be run by Regional Council officers - assist and support reps in: carrying out a quarterly audit of membership in their area; asking every new worker in their area to join; maintaining up-to-date membership information and sharing it with the branch membership secretary; having membership forms always available.

*Increasing RMT profile in the workplace

All workplaces should have an RMT notice case - where these are not provided, reps should raise this with the employer, supported by their second-stage rep.
Notice cases should contain: contact details of local reps - details of the branch, its meetings and officers - details of relevant second-stage council reps - up-to-date newsletters and circulars

*Printed materials

The Regional Council will continue to produce newsletters, leaflets, posters, stickers, etc to promote and assist recruitment and organising, and encourages reps and branches to suggest ideas.
We will produce a notice encouraging members to inform the union if they change job, work location, address or other personal detail. We will seek feedback from Branch Membership Secretaries and will arrange to meet the Membership Department to discuss issues brought to our attention.
We will ask for space at Unity House to store leaflets and other recruitment materials.
We will encourage reps and activists to use our website www.rmtlondoncalling.org.uk as a resource from which to download material for printing.
There has been a welcome increase in branches and reps producing printed materials. We can always improve this, both in quantity and quality! The Regional Council will run training days which will which will help to producing effective printed materials Every item of printed material - notice, leaflet, newsletter etc should include a ‘Join RMT’ box telling people how to join.
We will review the materials that are available for new employees, new members, and workers changing grade or location.

*Why people don’t join

We should systematically record and consider the reasons that staff give for not joining, or for leaving the union. This will enable us to develop arguments and materials to counter these reasons.
The organising team should regularly review this.
Branch membership secretaries will be provided with the leavers/joiners list produced by the membership department. Members of movements committees will assist the Regional Council Membership Secretary with regular information about staff movements.
Branches
We urge, and will support, all branches to: adopt a recruitment and organising plan, after reviewing their previous year’s plan and carry it out during the year ahead.
Discuss recruitment and organising as the first item on the agenda of all branch meetings - calculate the density of membership (ie. percentage of staff who are RMT members) in each area and company within the branch and identify weak areas to target. Hold at least two major organising days per year, visiting all areas covered by the branch, with the Regional Council mobilising activists from around the region to participate .Hold an organising activity on the day of every branch meeting, targeting a specific area within the branch’s area. Elect a membership officer if they have not already done so, and pass his/her contact details to the Regional Organiser and Regional Council. Provide resources (such as funding unpaid release) for the branch membership secretary to implement the branch’s recruitment and organising plan - encourage attendance at branch meetings in order to increase activism and thus improve recruitment. Make branch meetings more attractive and accessible in order to achieve this.
The Regional Council Secretary and Membership Secretary will be available to help branch officers to do these things.

*Grades Committees

The Regional Council Executive will encourage and support the setting up and running of various Grades Committees. Grade Committees will be asked to feedback to the Regional Council with their recruitment plans and suggestions for their particular grades. Funding for setting up of the Grades Committees and any recruitment and retention activities can be sought from the Regional Council.
We look forward to endorsing and resourcing recruitment and organising plans for: stations & revenue; trains; service control; cleaners; MATS; and any other grades that wish to form a committee. Branches may make donations to assist the financing of the plan.

*Recruitment, retention and campaigning.

Recruitment and retention must be tied in with the union’s demands and campaigns. Some people will not necessarily join a union just because of the general principles and benefits of doing so, but will join if they think that in doing so, they could win an improvement in pay and/or conditions, or fight off an attack from their employer.
Therefore, we must ensure that our campaigning on issues such as job cuts, safety standards and ticket office closures continually emphasises the importance of being a member of RMT. Efforts to unionise new areas, or to revive in areas that have become weak, should be linked to workers’ demands for improvements eg. a renewed drive for recruitment of cleaners should be part of a claim for better pay, conditions and RMT recognition.

To assist with any auditing or membership details funds will be made available for loss of earnings of any individual identified to assist with these tasks e.g. prior to balloting members. Any such requests must be approved by the Regional Council Executive.

Given the ever increasing use of anti Trade Union laws to discredit our legitimate ballots it is vital that membership details are updated promptly and accurately.In order to assist with this the LTRC will fund any loss of earnings and childcare to enable Branch and Membership secretaries to attend training courses on recruitment & retentions and the use of the Union’s membership database.In addition where it is not possible for Branch and Membership secretaries to attend training courses at locations such as Doncaster the LTRC shall endeavour to arrange and facilitate a similar course in London