Minutes: Regional Council meeting, 28 October 2010

ATTENDANCE

  • Bakerloo branch – Malcolm Taylor, Jim McDaid
  • Camden No.3 branch – Geoff Palmer, John Reid
  • Central Line West branch – Stefan Melnyk
  • DLR – Chris Ives
  • East Ham – Chris Baillie, Unjum Mirza, Andy Izard
  • Finsbury Park branch – Dean O'Hanlon, Richard Crane
  • Hammersmith & City branch – Mac McKenna
  • Jubilee South & East London Line branch – Jane Gwynn
  • London Taxis branch –
  • LU Engineering branch – Lewis Peacock (meeting chair), Jackie Darby
  • LU Fleet branch –
  • Morden & Oval branch – Arwyn Thomas
  • Neasden branch – Dave Phillips
  • Piccadilly & District West branch –
  • Retired Members branch – Carol Foster
  • Stratford No.1 branch – Adrian Finney, Terry O'Neill, Janine Booth (meeting secretary)
  • TfL No.1 branch –
  • Thames Riverboats branch –
  • In attendance – Steve Hedley (Regional Organiser), Olly New (Council of Executives member)

1. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

Ross Marshall, Gwyn Pugh, Will Reid, Bob McMunn, Bjorn Bradshaw-Murray

2. MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING

Add Glenroy Watson to Apologies for Absence

Proposed by Camden 3, Seconded by Stratford no.1. Agreed as accurate.

3. MATTERS ARISING

None.

At this point, Finsbury Park branch proposed to suspend standing orders to seek an explanation for the reported exclusion of the Regional Organiser from talks at ACAS. Seconded by Bakerllo branch; agreed.

Steve Hedley explained: reps had requested him to accompany them at ACAS as support; the AGS phoned and asked him to leave; Steve to meet GS tomorrow to discuss this.

Olly New added: This question really needs to be addressed to GS/AGS; "not best pleased" with situation; emphasise strike going ahead next week.

Contributions from delegates from Bakerloo, Hammersmith & City, Camden, East Ham branches, and Regional Council Secretary.

The meeting unanimously agreed that the Regional Organiser should attend ACAS talks; Regional Council Secretary to write to GS expressing our views and concerns.

4. RECRUITMENT AND ORGANISING

Janine reported that Cleaners' Grade Vice-Chair had submitted a draft organising plan, which was circulated to delegates, and proposed that this be referred to the next meeting of the Regional Council Executive for a thorough discussion. Proposed by Stratford no.1; seconded by Finsbury Park; agreed.

Olly New pointed out that we need to hold a 'spheres of influence' meeting to confirm which workplaces are in which branches. Janine to ask the Membership Secretary to convene this.

5. GUEST SPEAKER: FBU

Did not attend.

6. COUNCIL OF EXECUTIVES/REGIONAL ORGANISERS REPORTS

Olly New reported on:

  • John McDonnell's Lawful Industrial Action (Minor Errors) Bill - fell
  • fighting cuts; demonstrations
  • DLR – strong vote for industrial action; leagl challenged; DLR is closing pension scheme to new starters and has sacked two members
  • LU Fleet – maintenance optimisation; strong ballot result; work-to-rule called
  • LU job cuts dispute – variation to action; need for solid strike next week
  • victimisation of reps
  • FBU strike - refusal to work on safety grounds
  • will be on sick leave from next week

Steve Hedley reported on:

  • FBU strike - latest letter from LY; media attacks
  • march last Saturday - 4,000 people
  • need for more fight from TUC
  • rise in state retirement age
  • LU job cuts disputes

Points raised in discussion:

  • fighting cuts - model resolution calling for TUC demo circulated
  • LU dispute:
    • need to escalate
    • war of attrition doesn't work
    • but some grades/areas not ready for escalation
    • should provide strike pay
    • stagger action?
    • need strike committee meeting
    • problems with overtime ban - need personal letter by post explaining action short
    • talking while still striking is good
    • need more co-ordination with FBU
    • next week's strike is crucial
    • disappointment at calling off engineering OT ban
  • FBU strike
    • will get 'domino effect' of refusal to work
    • need to counter LUL propaganda
    • reps need to be present in depots etc

Olly's reply:

  • explained changes to action short
  • agree: need to look at escalating
  • apology from 'The Sun' re Bob Crow's house/car
  • leafleting tomorrow

Steve's reply:

  • OT ban on engineering - needed to be replaced by work-to-rule
  • have refuted LU management re FBU dispute
  • very good discussion here re dispute - tactics have been right up until now, but now we need to escalate

7. RESOLUTIONS

Emergency resolution from Morden & Oval, Stop Victimisations, accepted as emergency (proposed Stratford no.1, seconded Bakerloo)

1. LU attendance policy, submitted by Morden & Oval, seconded by Bakerloo
Amendment from Finsbury Park branch: add "and give clear guidance to our representatives" - accepted by Morden & Oval
This Regional Council notes that management are pressurising members to sign agreements regarding their attendance performance. This has led to our members who have failed to meet this attendance target level being dismissed.
The Regional Council reaffirms its opposition to management's attendance policy.
It is the policy of the Regional Council that our members do no sin for any warnings or individual agreements regarding attendance performance. The Regional Council should make this policy widely known to all our members, and give clear guidance to our representatives.

Carried unanimously.

2. Escalation of industrial action, submitted by East Ham, seconded by Camden
This Regional Council notes:
The 24hr strikes and the action short of strike on London Underground have been a very successful in shifting the dynamic between the workforce and LU management.
The co-ordinated action between the RMT and TSSA has been both industrially successful and politically significant in boosting morale and organisation of the rank and file across all sectors.
The fact that a significant number of Aslef rank and file members refused to cross picket lines durng the second strike should be applauded and built on.
The current dispute is part of a wider, generalised attack on our class from the Coalition Government that is set to announce a massive attack on us all in its Spending Review on 20 October.
The Coalition Government, as well as the Tory Mayor of London, are nasty but weak.
The TUC conference in Manchester has called for co-ordinating industrial action between unions, across industries, where possible, to fight job cuts.
This Regional Council believes:
We must build on the successes thus far and develop a strategy to win this dispute.
With the Fire Brigades Union presently balloting for strike action, further co-ordination with the FBU could facilitate a significant escalation of our dispute and victory whilst, at the same time, assisting a quick victory for the fire-fighters too.
For instance, an approach to the FBU could negotiate co-ordinated action whereby we up the ante and strike for 48hrs commencing noon on a Monday to noon Wednesday whilst the FBU strike between Wednesday and Friday. During the FBU strike the lack of fire cover would force London Underground staff to seriously consider refusing to work on the grounds of health and safety.
This could see London brought to a standstill for the entire working week.
Such co-ordinated action could facilitate quick victories for both unions.
This Regional Council resolves:
1) The CofE and Region approach all rail unions and the FBU for a mass rally in Central London prior to the November strike dates;
2) The CofE to make arrangements for at least 4 such regional meetings, North, South, East and West of London;
3) The unions begin to twin branches to discuss organising co-ordinated action at a local level;
4) Official leaflets and propaganda is produced displaying all union logo's and an address from General Secretaries similar to the RMT/FBU leaflets during the FBU's industrial dispute in 2002/3;
5) To openly discuss co-ordinating strike action as describe above where we can maximise our industrial effectiveness.

Amendment from Stratford no.1: delete paragraph beginning For instance, an approach .... East Ham branch did not accept the amendment.

Contributions to debate from delegates from Finsbury Park, LU Engineering, Stratford, Camden 3, Bakerloo, plus Regional Organiser

Vote on amendment: 2 branches for; 7 against. Fell.

Vote on unamended resolution: 9 branches for; 0 against; 1 abstention. Carried.

3. International Conference on Disappearances, submitted by the Regional Council Executive
That this Regional Council sponsors the International Conference Against Disappearances that is taking place in London from December 9 – 12 2010 and agrees to send delegates.
That we promote the Conference through internal mailings and amongst branches.
That we request the Council of Executives to sponsor the Conference and seek support from branches nationally.
That we make a donation of £100 to assist with the organisation of the Conference.

Moved by Steve Hedley. Carried unanimously.

E1. Stop Victimisations, submitted by Morden & Oval, seconded by Camden 3.
This Regional Council deplores the disciplinary action being taken against Arwyn Thomas, a dedicated and long-serving activist of this union. We fully support the call for industrial action on the Northern Line in support of Arwyn. We also support the campaigns against victimisation of other reps, including Eamonn Lynch and Peter Hartshorn.

Contributions from delegates from Bakerloo, Finsbury Park and Regional Council Secretary. Carried unanimously.

Standing orders extended for 15 minutes to allow completion of business (proposed: Stratford no.1, seconded Finsbury Park)

9. CORRESPONDENCE

Correspondence file circulated. Matters raised:

  • LU dispute (Regional Council Secretary) - Janine read out various letters of support and informed the meeting of donations
  • Murder of Argentinian striking rail worker (Finsbury Park branch) - agreed to send a message of support.

10. OTHER REPORTS

  • Jackie Darby reported on Joint Councils meeting.

11. REPORTS ON PROGRESS OF RESOLUTIONS

Janine reported: she had submitted the two resolutions carried at last month's meeting to the General Secretary, but had received no update on progress.
Olly reported that he has been pressing the issue of improving RMT's website for some now.

12. AOB

Janine reminded delegates that we are considering a new venue, and proposed that a definite decision be taken at the next Regional Council Executive meeting. Agreed.

Meeting closed at 18:45.