ATTENDANCE:

• Bakerloo: Malcolm Taylor
• Camden 3: John Reid, Pat O'Brien, Clara Osagiede
• Central Line West: Stefan Melnyk, Vaughan Thomas (meeting chair)
• DLR: Andy Izard
• Finsbury Park: Dave Rayfield, Will Reid
• Hammersmith & City: Mark Harding
• Jubilee South & East London line:
• London Taxis: Mike Tinnion, John Kennedy
• LU Engineering: Lewis Peacock
• LU Fleet: Linda Martin
• Morden & Oval: Bob McMunn
• Neasden: Dave Phillips, Nigel Eivers, Ross Marshall, Damian Franklin
• Piccadilly & District West: Neil Hodgson, Raj Vyas, Brenda Sutton
• Stratford no.1: Unjum Mirza, Adrian Finney, Terry O'Neill, Janine Booth (meeting secretary)
• TfL no.1 branch: Carol Foster
• Olly New (Council of Executives), Steve Hedley (Regional Organiser), Phil Boston (Organising Unit)

1. APOLOGIES

Mark O'Donnell, Arwyn Thomas, John Kelly, Dean O'Hanlon, Paul Schindler, Paul Jackson, Andy LIttlechild, Glenroy Watson, Becky Crocker, Joanne Parry, James Wong-McSweeney, Adrian Rowe, Josie Toussaint-Pinnock, Jackie Darby, Neil Cochrane

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING BUSINESS

2. REGIONAL COUNCIL OFFICER AND EXECUTIVE ELECTIONS

The President reported on the candidates who had been elected unopposed.

Contested elections:

• Financial Secretary: Ross Marshall 9; Ash Malik 2 - Ross Marshall elected
• Young Members' Officer: James Wong-McSweeney 8, Agata Weiwora 2, abstentions 1 - James Wong-McSweeney elected

Vacant posts:

• LGBT Officer - Peter North, nominated by Janine Booth, seconded by Mark Harding - elected
• Executive Officers - Gary Lazell and Mark O'Donnell nominated - elected. There is one vacancy remaining.
• Trustees - Glenroy Watson and Olly New nominated - elected
• Auditors - Lisa Wilton and Jared Wood - elected

3. FINANCIAL REPORT AND AFFILIATION FEE

Damian Franklin, outgoing Financial Secretary, reported on the Regional Council's finances. A summary sheet will be emailed to the Secretary.

Vote to accept the report and thank Damian for his years of sterling custody of the Regional Council's finances. Unanimous.

Damian proposed that the Regional Council's annual affiliation fee from branches be increased to £1 per member. Agreed unanimously.

4. RECRUITMENT AND ORGANISING PLAN

Dave Rayfield proposed the plan on behalf of the Regional Council Executive. Phil Boston also spoke in favour. Questions were asked and answered about organising in specific grades (eg. cleaners) and about the effect on branches' activities.

Dave Rayfield replied, and proposed that the Regional Council write to the General Secretary urging improved staffing of the union's helpline. Agreed unanimously.

5. PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO STANDING ORDERS

(a) Strengthening Grades Committees - proposed by Janine Booth on behalf of the Executive

THIS REGIONAL COUNCIL BELIEVES THAT:

1. grades committees can perform three important roles:

improving RMT's recruitment and organisation within the grade
bringing local reps and activists from different locations together for mutual support, exchange of information and ideas
providing a forum for guidance to and accountability of level 2 / tier 2 reps

2. we need to organise both cross-grade in localities (branches) and cross-location for grades (grades committees); these are complementary.

WE THEREFORE RESOLVE THAT:

1. The Regional Organiser should request the employer to release all local reps quarterly to attend. While a grades committee may meet more often than this eg. monthly, all reps should make every effort to attend the quarterly meetings. If the employer refuses paid release, then reps should use other methods of being available, including branches funding unpaid release within reason.

2. Each grades committee to ensure that, together with the level 2 / tier 2 reps, regular newsletters are produced and that grade's website section developed.

3. Any grades committee that has not held an Annual General Meeting within the last year shall hold one within the next two months.

WE RESOLVE TO AMEND THE REGIONAL COUNCIL'S STANDING ORDERS AS FOLLOWS:

In Standing Order 11, after "all branch secretaries and chairs", ADD "all grades committee secretaries and chairs, "

ADD new Standing Order 21:

21. The Regional Council will establish grades committees where appropriate.
(a) Each grades committee should adopt standing orders governing its functioning, including titles and roles of appropriate officers, which should be endorsed by the Regional Council.
(b) Each grades committee must hold an Annual General Meeting during the same month as the Regional Council AGM, with a Regional Council officer in attendance. The AGM will elect the grades committee's officers, and the election result will be reported to the Regional Council AGM.
(c) Each grades committee should agree a recruitment and organising plan at its AGM each year, and submit it to the Regional Council for endorsement and appropriate resourcing.

Questions and contributions from delegates from Camden 3, Hammersmith & City and East Ham branches.

Carried unanimously.

(b) Timed Agenda - submitted by TfL no.1, seconded by Hammersmith & City

That there is a ‘timed agenda’ and if the time is ended then a request must be made through the Chair to continue talking on this item.

Moved and seconded formally.
A delegate from Camden 3 spoke in favour.

Carried unanimously.

(c) Executive and Regional Organiser reports - submitted by TfL no.1, seconded by Hammersmith & City

That the EC Member give their report about all matters, the RO give their report about all local issues. That there should be no duplication of items. Once both reports are given then the chair will ask for a show of hands for questions.

Moved and seconded formally.

Carried unanimously

(d) Questions to Executive and Regional Organiser reports - submitted by TfL no.1, seconded by Hammersmith & City

The questions to either the EC Member or the RO should not be longer than 2 mins.

Moved and seconded formally. Various delegates spoke.

Vote: 10 in favour; 0 against; 1 abstention. Carried.

(e) Points of information - submitted by TfL no.1, seconded by Hammersmith & City

Any point of information to either the EC Member or the RO should not be longer than 2 mins.

Moved and seconded formally.

Carried unanimously.

(f) Speakers' timings - submitted by TfL no.1, seconded by Neasden

Any speaker to a resolution shall be limited to 2 mins.

Contributions by delegates from Camden 3, LU Engineering, TfL no.1, Neasden, Hammersmith & City

Vote: 4 in favour; 0 against; 5 abstentions. Carried.

(g) Right of reply timing - submitted by TfL no.1, seconded by Stratford no.1

The proposer of any resolution shall be limited to 3 mins for their right of reply.

Contributions from delegates from Neasden, Camden 3, Stratford no.1

Vote: 7 in favour; 3 against; 1 abstention. Carried.

ORDINARY BUSINESS

6. MINUTES OF LAST (January) MEETING

Proposed by Stratford no.1, seconded by Hammersmith & City. Agreed.

7. MATTERS ARISING

The Secretary reported on the decision of the Executive to pass several resolutions referred to it by the last Regional Council meeting, and to refer others back to this meeting.

The Secretary also advised that should the Regional Council wish to submit an appeal against the Council of Executives' decision to decline our resolution requesting a second Regional Organiser, it would need to vote to do so at this meeting.
Hammersmith & City proposed, Neasden seconded - that the Regional Council appeals decision CE109, 4 November 2009. Vote: 10 in favour; 0 against; 1 abstention.

8. COUNCIL OF EXECUTIVES REPORT

Olly New reported on:

• London Underground's threat to stations jobs
• £5 minimum ballot
• DLR ballot re 3-car trains
• DLR referendum on pay
• London Underground grievance procedure - accepted
• referendum of London Underground duty managers, recommendation to reject grade progression proposals

9. REGIONAL ORGANISER'S REPORT

Steve Hedley reported on:

• public support for campaign against station job cuts
• delegation of bus workers to General Secretary
• LTDA attack on our London Taxis branch
• Bakerloo drivers' sackings
• establishment of panel of reps
• election of Nigel Eivers to Trains Health & Safety Council
• victory in signals dispute
• our record of winning disputes when we have serious strategy rather than token protest action

Points raised in discussion

• grievance procedure should have been circulated for wider consultation before being agreed (Olly's reply: it was drawn up over a lengthy period, involving a rep for each of stations and trains functional councils; the consultation was reported at several meetings and the draft sent to Functional reps for comments)
• requirement for staff lists to update membership information
• LTDA attack on RMT - requesting legal advice
• signals dispute
• update on talks on new machinery of negotiation
• station & revenue grades meeting next week
• need for more feedback from local reps (Steve's reply: pursue them with phone calls and visits)
• £5 minimum ballot (Olly's reply: will go ahead when membership info ready; Steve's reply: this is part of fight to defend jobs, not separate from it)
• more action needed for cleaners: TubeLines contractors still not paying London Living Wage; Initial taking over contract from ISS; need paid release for reps for recruitment; may need industrial action ballot (Steve's reply: agree; we need a rep in every depot or recruitment days are not productive; have held legal advice surgeries; we can not fund recruitment unless it is part of a strategy)
• threat to TubeLines jobs; possibility of maintenance coming back inhouse but renewals remaining private
• removal of safety-critical licensing
• station staff are weak - alternative view: this is not helpful; station staff defeated ticket office closure plan two years ago
• mystery shopping surveys

The meeting voted to suspend standing orders to extend the meeting.

10. RESOLUTIONS

(a) Train reps' numbers, submitted by Central Line West, seconded by Stratford no.1

This Regional Council instructs the Regional Organiser and the Trains Functional Council representatives to enter into negotiations with LUL to revise the numbers of local trains representatives. This revision to be in line with the documentation provided by TFC member Vaughan Thomas and discussed at the Train Grades meeting held on January 6th.

A delegate from Morden & Oval spoke against.

Vote: 8 in favour; 1 against; 3 abstentions. Carried.

(b) Train grades organisation, submitted by Bakerloo, seconded by Central Line West. Bakerloo accepted the amendment submitted by Finsbury Park.

This Regional Council agrees that the train grades committee will meet at 14:30 hours prior to meetings of the London Transport Regional Council except during the months of February, May, August and November. During those months the train grades meeting will commence at 13:00 hours and all level 1, tier 1, TFC and THSC representatives must make every effort to attend. We request that the Regional Organiser makes arrangements with LUL to release our level 1 and tier 1 reps on a quarterly basis to attend these meetings so that there can be reports and consultations with our level 2 representatives. If management fail to agree then all reps must use existing release arrangements or rest days to attend, or as a last resort request unpaid leave from which branches should within reason reimburse lost wages. Any RMT representative unable to attend must make apologies for non attendance to the secretary of the train grades committee and the Regional Organiser. All RMT train driver members and activists are welcome at all meetings and will have voting rights. Resolutions from branches can be taken from the floor and will be dealt with in accordance with the norms of our movement.

Vote: 11 in favour; 0 against; 1 abstention. Carried.

(c) TFC Agreement 2009, submitted by Bakerloo, seconded by Hammersmith & City
This Regional Council notes that the following resolution was agreed at a train grades meeting on January 6th 2010: "This train grades committee notes that the TFC 2009 agreement was imposed on LUL depots by LUL/ASLEF despite lack of agreement from RMT reps on the Trains Functional Committee. The reduction in spare duties and pool staff will mean staff cuts in depots across the combine. This train grades committee agrees to oppose this imposition by LUL/ASLEF and instructs our representatives accordingly."
This Regional Council meeting endorses this resolution.

Olly New gave clarification that the resolution does not imply that we accept that the TFC 2009 Agreement must lead to job cuts.

Carried unanimously.

(d) Purchase of timer, submitted by TfL no.1

The LTRC purchase a timer for all to see (light box if possible)

The Secretary proposed that this resolution be referred to the Regional Council Executive to consider prices. Seconded by Hammersmith City branch. Agreed unanimiously.

Camden 3 branch proposed that resolutions (f) and (g) be debated together as a composite resolution, and resolution (e) be taken afterwards. Agreed unanimously.

Resolutions (f) and (g) - composited - General Election candidates - submitted by Neasden, Camden 3 and Stratford no.1 branches

This Regional Council applauds Bob Crow and those officials and members of RMT who have pledged their personal support to the Trade Unionists and Socialist Coalition at the next general election.
This region requests that the council of executives authorise the region and all of its branches to support Ian Page who is standing for the coalition at the next general election in the Lewisham Deptford constituency. Ian Page will be standing on the coalitions agreed core principles.
The region notes that the Labour Party candidate in this constituency is Joan Ruddock, who has no record of fighting for the interests of trade unionists or workers generally.
We wish to support the trade unionists and socialist coalition in this constituency, which offers workers an opportunity to vote for a pro-trade union candidate with socialist policies.

This Regional Council requests that the Council of Executives authorise the region and all of its branches to support Onay Kasab (Erith and Crayford) standing for the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition in the forthcoming council/general election on the core policies of that organisation.

This Regional Council also requests that the Council of Executives authorise the region and all of its branches to support Jill Mountford, a Workers' Liberty member standing as a socialist candidate against Labour's Deputy Leader Harriet Harman in the Camberwell and Peckham constituency.

We may back further Trade Unionist and Socialist candidates at a future date.

Camden 3 proposed. Seconded formally. Olly New explained the procedure for asking for support for election candidates. A delegate from TfL no.1 spoke for the resolution.

Carried unanimously.

(e) Special meeting on election candidates, submitted by the Regional Council Executive

This Executive Committee suggests that the LTRC organises a Special Meeting to discuss the standing of candidates, in any forthcoming Council/General Elections, under the umbrella of the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition. Branches should be asked to submit the names of any candidates who may want to stand.

Carried unanimously.

11. CORRESPONDENCE

The Secretary raised the issue of a letter from head office establishing the Young Members' Advisory Committee, but which stated that there would be only one nominee per region. Olly New to investigate.

Meeting closed 18:50.