Blogs

BELGIUM

Women trade unionists are supporting the Justice for Jimena Lopez campaign and are increasing the representation of women within the union.

SPAIN

DOCKS / PORTS

The Social Dialogue Committee for Ports had adopted a document about women's employment, including recruitment and working conditions for women. Women's employment has increased as technology has led to much port work becoming less physical.

Now the document has been adopted, it needs to be implemented. The strategy is based on raising awareness and changing the image of port work rather than on imposing quotas. Some trade unions have objected to this initiative, as they see women as "taking men's jobs".

Our cleaning reps are being targeted by ruthless cleaning contractors who are given contracts by LUL, part of those contracts would appear to include a clause to systematically route out troublesome RMT reps.

We have a cleaner rep at Hainult depot suspended on entirely spurious grounds.
He has been on full pay at home for months.
Who picks up that tab?
Get him back to work.
Put up or shut up.
If it takes so long to fabricate a case against our member it's likely there is nothing to it.
Even unscrupulous anti trade union managers must accept that.

The European Transport Workers' Federation's Women's Committee meets twice per year to discuss issues facing women transport workers across Europe and to drive forward the programme of work agreed by the four-yearly ETF Women's Conference.

WOMEN'S HEALTH AND SAFETY AT WORK

Please download, print ,display and distribute around your workplace.
Hard copies available from Unity House

KAREN GUYOTT – SACKED FOR HAVING A DISABILTY

“Tube worker Karen Guyott 'sacked for having epilepsy', say MPs”

Karen has worked for LUL for 8 years as a CSA. She has a condition that requires reasonable adjustments. LUL have used the FFFS medical questionnaire to ruthlessly sack Karen because of her epilepsy.
Karen was dismissed on Tuesday Feb 24 and her case was raised in a debate on epilepsy in the Houses of Parliament on Thursday 26 Feb by Kate Hoey MP

Today myself and senior RMT ( functional council) reps attended and represented the union at what was the third meeting we've had now since we submitted our claim for a substantial pay rise and improved terms and conditions for all of our members across all areas of employment in London Underground Ltd 2015

The management presented to the meeting a working document. Also they stated that it was their view that Night tube would feature in their thinking around this pay negotiation .However ....despite myself pressing them to ...LUL made no offer .

London Underground are the stellar employer of London. They set the moral and ethical tone for all the others to follow.

On Monday February 23 LUL were in the media, on TV, on the Radio highlighting the virtues of making the stigma of workers with disabilities a thing of the past.
A good thing you must agree.

On Tuesday February 24 LUL dismissed a young girl because she had a disability.
An absolute disgrace.
After 5 years of reasonable adjustments in place to allow her to continue in her role, they decide it is no longer "sustainable"

By Daniel Randall, LTRC Green Officer

RMT branches across the country are already discussing, and passing, policy on environmental issues. Some months ago, Brighton and Hove City RMT submitted a motion to their local Trades Council about "fracking" (hydraulic fracturing, a means of extracting gas by drilling into the earth) taking place in their area.

It shows how environmentally unsustainable processes are often accompanied by abuses of workers' rights, and a cavalier attitude to health and safety.

Stonewall has announced today that it will begin campaigning on Trans issues. Stonewall is a charity which works to achieve equality and justice for lesbians, gay men and bisexual people. In 2013 the RMT LGBT conference passed a resolution on Stonewall which included the call that "Stonewall should stop perpetuating the exclusion of transgender people and campaign on trans issues in England and Wales, not just LGB issues."

You can read about Stonewall's decision to begin campaigning on trans issues here.

Support for the Bus Workers taking strike action

The RMT London Regional Council send messages of support and solidarity to the Unite workers taking action against the employers across London’s Bus services.
We salute the action named from 00:01 to 23:59 hours on Thursday 5 February, Friday 13 February and Monday 16 February as being bold and laying down in no uncertain terms to all the employers your determination to prevail in your demands.

We shall be asking our members and activists to visit your picket lines in a show of solidarity.