Report: RMT Women's Conference 2011

Report from Val Barzey, delegate from LU Engineering branch:

Tim Wilkinson - Gloucester Branch welcomed the guests to Cheltenham Spa.

Bob Crow - General Secretary

  • The Court of Appeal has handed down its decision today (4 March) in NURMT v Serco & combined cases, in which it overturned injunctions against strikes in both the RMT and ASLEF cases.
  • Some aims of the RMT is to have a high denser of membership, increase in educational activities and fill all positions for reps and branches.
  • Advertising the benefits of the Credit Union and encouraging Reps to grow the membership.

Questions to Bob Crow

  • Joanne Parry TFL1 – TOCS saying priv tickets will be taken away, have you heard anything? NO
  • Janet Cassidy North Clyde - Is the Mar 26 demo based in London only? Belfast is having a demo.
  • Margaret Thompson Sheffield and District – Should we lobby our local MPs re Mar 26? YES

Last year’s resolutions –

  1. Women’s Safety –Wearing of Name Badges – Carried - AGM - Janet Cassidy, North Clyde mentioned that a male colleague had just been disciplined for not wearing his name badge.
  2. Adverse Weather Conditions – Employers’ Policies and Disproportionate effects on Women- Carried – AGM There was a group discussion around this subject with many women coming up with staff personal experiences. Janine Booth suggested sending in a record of these bad experiences to the Women’s Advisory Committee in order to build up a dossier.
  3. Sexism in the Transport Sector – Council of Executives -A survey is currently being drafted and will be sent out in the RMT News.

Janine Booth – Council of Executives Report back on 3 resolutions which were carried

  • A two page document was handed out with details of the subsequent progress. Document to be requested if required.
  • International Women’s Day 8 March 2011. Different events are taking place around the country this month.
  • Janine encouraged all to write resolutions for the Women’s Advisory Committee.
  • Everyone to mobilise women to defend our public services especially attending the National TUC Demonstration against the cuts.

Resolutions 2011

  1. Women Against the Cuts – regarding austerity cuts particularly pregnant women and single mothers. Carried
  2. Violence against Women at Work – regarding Female Seafarers. Carried – not put forward to the AGM – See www.itfglobal.org for more information.
  3. Women’s Refuges – being grossly underfunded and underappreciated, which is escalating due to the increased stresses of modern living. Carried

ELECTIONS AND VENUE FOR 2012

  • Chairperson - Janet Cassidy, North Clyde
  • Vice Chair – Tracey Darker Bassetlaw
    Liaison Committee – Thandie Mabodoko Surrey & Hants, Erika Kennedy Dorset Rail, Deborah Rios
  • Alonso Waterloo
  • Venue – Weymouth subject to approval

SPEAKERS

  • Rita Buhanda – Community Programme Co-ordinator, FORWARD Introduction to Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). Context and Issues. For further information, E-mail: forward@forwarduk.org.uk Tel: 0208 960 4000 Web: www.forwarduk.org.uk
  • Alex Gordon – RMT President. Addressed the group and encouraged women reps to get more members involved in activities to support the Union.
    Joanne Parry TFL1 – stated that the RMT were not forward thinking in technology. She suggested that we should take advantage of the many people on face book and twitter. Also a business case should be set up to drive the business forward using the latest technology.
  • Juliet Lyon – Prison Reform Trust - Speaking about Women in Prison and the support from the Woman Centre Forum. For further information Web: www.criminallawandjustice.co.uk/blog/women’scentreforum
  • Sharon Allen – Union Learning Representative - Educate, Organise and Agitate. All members should look at their learning needs and journey. Employers now are looking for qualifications and not work experience or time spent in employment. ULR will be putting on more workshops for basic skills in computing. Suggestions for other courses welcome.

WORKSHOP - Organising Women into Membership and Encouraging Women’s Activism
A PowerPoint presentation was put forward by Gemma Brady – Central and North Mersey and Mary Herbison – Glasgow 1 &2. Discussions took place sharing strategies in encouraging women to be more active in the union.