ATTENDANCE

• Bakerloo branch – Malcolm Taylor, Clive Steadman
• Camden No.3 branch – John Reid, Pat O’Brien, Chris Grice
• Central Line West branch – Vaughan Thomas (meeting chair)
• DLR –
• East Ham – Andy Izard, James Wong-McSweeney
• Finsbury Park branch – Dean O’Hanlon, Glenroy Watson, Dave Rayfield, John Kelly, Derek Bishop, G. Doyle, G.N.Akinyemi, Bosede, Rasheed, Mudashiun
• Hammersmith & City branch – Keith Watts, Sandra Hunt, Josie Toussaint-Pinnock
• Jubilee South & East London Line branch –
• London Taxis branch –
• LU Engineering branch – S.Brennan, Paul Jackson, Lewis Peacock, Andy Littlechild, Jackie Darby, Val Barzey
• LU Fleet branch –
• Morden & Oval branch – Bob McMunn, Paul Schindler, Albert Nelson
• Neasden branch – Ross Marshall, Adrian Rowe, Dave Phillips, Barry McCormack
• Piccadilly & District West branch –
• Retired Members branch –
• Stratford No.1 branch – Adrian Finney, Janine Booth (meeting secretary)
• TfL No.1 branch – Carol Foster
• Thames Riverboats branch –
• In attendance – Steve Hedley (Regional Organiser), Craig Johnston (Council of Executives member), Bob Archer (National Shop Stewards' Network), Derek Crago (Willesden Rail branch)

1. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

Linda Wiles, Paul Rutland, Lindsey Rutland, Les Bruty, Jennie Rose, Nick Smith, Mac McKenna, Olly New, John Kennedy, Terry O'Neill, Nigel Eivers, Will Reid, Arwyn Thomas, Joanne Parry, Jared Wood, Frank Curtis

The meeting agreed to suspend Standing Orders to allow a brief address from Bob Archer (NSSN) regarding a planned demonstration at TUC Conference in Manchester on Sunday 12 September.
Janine Booth proposed that the Regional Council support the demonstration and fund a coach to take members. Agreed

2. MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING

Ordinary meeting, May: proposed by Stratford no.1; seconded by TfL no.1. Agreed.
Emergency meeting, June: proposed by TfL no.1; seconded by Stratford no.1. Agreed.

3. MATTERS ARISING

None.

4. RECRUITMENT AND ORGANISING

Dave Rayfield reported:

• Branch membership secretaries' training day, previous Monday - very successful, will repeat for those branch membership secretaries unable to attend
• Calculation of membership densities in various grades / locations. Proposed - Gavin Bowtell (Stations & Revenue Grades Committee Secretary) to be funded for unpaid release from work to complete the density calculation.

Janine Booth supported this proposal, and additionally proposed that the Regional Council produce an attention-grabbing notice for workplaces encouraging members to report change of details to the union.

Both proposals agreed.

Derek Bishop asked about provision of ballot papers to members who had changed address.

5. COUNCIL OF EXECUTIVES AND REGIONAL ORGANISER’S REPORTS

Craig Johnson advised the meeting of the tragic death of Brother Alex Holden. the meeting held a minute's silence in tribute.

Craig Johnson (Council of Executives, standing in for Olly New, who was on leave) reported on:

• Tube Lines dispute
• DLR dispute
• LU ballot
• White City dispute re sacked driver
• government attacks
• political campaigning against job cuts
• resolution to GLA against job cuts - would have be passed, but Tories walked out, leaving meeting inquorate!
• John McDonnell's Private Member's Bill to prevent ballot being injunction on the basis of technicalities - second reading, 22 October

Steve Hedley (Regional Organiser) reported on:

• LU ballot - affects all grades; need to name series of strikes, plus action short fo strikes
• maintenance optimisation
• Alstom: ballot over 2% pay offer
• LU: state of industrial relations
• LU management threat to withdraw 'no compulsory redundancies'
• Tube Lines dispute
• Machinery of negotiation
• Olympics

Points raised in discussion:

• John McDonnell's Bill - lack of support from Ed Miliband
• 'Olympic Advisers'
• LU dispute
  • TSSA not balloting RCIs or managers
  • we should target grades more likely to scab
  • so far, there has been Regional Council literature for each grade; now need literature for all grades
  • disabled groups have written to Mayor opposing job cuts
  • station rosters are shocking - having big impact in the workplace
  • LU is planning to cut platform duties despite saying it wouldn't; affect on drivers
  • seen as 'station staff dispute' by engineering members
  • strike rally organised for 24 August
• government cuts
  • facts re the rich and the cuts
  • drastic effects eg. on children's services
  • need for RMT branches/activists to get involved with local anti-cuts campaigns
• Tube Lines victory in court
• machinery of negotiation; health & safety machinery
• LU attacks on safety standards in engineering
• meetings with LU management now very difficult
• Stations H&S Council union reps making lengthy submission to management - dismissive response

Reply - Craig:

• Ed Miliband is atrocious - refused to defend Jarvis or Vestas workers
• John McDonnell was unfairly excluded from the ballot
• opposed to 'Olympic Advisers'; need proper staffing
• working-class people did not cause the recession, but we are being made to pay for it

Reply - Steve:

• danger of Labour Party being rehabilitated because ConDems are so bad
• leaflets for all grades were important: want to record appreciation to Janine for hard work producing them all
• RMT and our reps are being treated badly by management - but that proves we are doing something right!

Ross Marshall proposed that in tribute to Alex Holden, the Regional Council:

• send flowers or a donation (according to family's wishes)
• place an advert in the Morning Star on the day of the funeral
• fund transport to the funeral for members from the Region, within reason

6. RESOLUTIONS

1. and 2. (debated together, voted on separately) Conduct of London Underground Functional / Tier 2 elections, submitted by Stratford no.1 branch, seconded by TfL no.1 branch
1. That elections for single seats on these councils be conducted by branch block vote using the Alternative Vote system (rather than first-past-the-post, as at present).
2. That each branch's block vote in these elections shall be the number of members of that branch employed in the relevant function (rather than total branch membership, as at present).

Following lengthy debate, the vote on both resolutions was as follows: in favour, 3; against, 3; abstentions, 3

The President declared that he would not use his casting vote due to the nature of the resolutions, and that therefore they fell. He recommended that the resolutions be resubmitted next year and that branches discuss them in the meantime.

3. Operational Refresher Training, submitted by Finsbury Park branch, seconded by TfL no.1 branch
This region calls on the national union to hold a conference of all grades within the LTRC to discuss significant concerns our members have regarding the reduction and quality of our operational refresher training. We believe this is an attack on the value of our jobs and on safety.

Carried unanimously.

4. Humanitarian Aid to Gaza, submitted by TfL no.1 branch, seconded by Camden 3 branch
This LTRC condemns the recent attack on the ships carrying humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza.
We call upon the RMT to join with the international community to demand that there is an independent enquiry into the incident.
We insist that Israel is not part of this ‘independent’ enquiry, but that they have an enquiry of their own.

Carried unanimously.

5. Mario Joseph, submitted by TfL no.1 branch, seconded by Finsbury Park branch
Haiti humanitarian lawyer Mario Joseph was a guest speaker invited to the UK to appear at various venues, including the RMT Black and Ethnic Minority Committee. He was refused entry into the UK for the most obscure of reasons.
The refusal to admit Mario Joseph is an insult to all who care about Haiti and its people.
The LTRC ask the RMT to call upon the trade union movement, with their relevant contacts within the political arena to show their displeasure at this taking place.

Carried unanimously.

6. It's a normal working day!, submitted by TfL no.1 branch, seconded by Stratford no.1 branch
This LTRC request the RMT announce its disgust at the cold and callous behaviour of the Mayor for London, Boris Johnson.
On the 7th July 2005 London Underground was bombed as well as a London Bus. 52 people lost their lives and more than 700 injured.
This event shocked and appalled the British nation as well as the rest of the world. Many RMT members were at work on the day aside the emergency services. London suffered the trauma collectively.
Boris Johnson said ‘it’s just another working day’ in a radio interview on the morning of 7th July 2010.
There was a ceremony where a wreath was laid by both Peter Hendy (TfL) and Mike Brown (LU). Boris was again absent and this is an insult!

Carried unanimously.

EMERGENCY RESOLUTION

E1. Maintenance optimisation, submitted by LU Fleet branch, proposed by LU Engineering branch, seconded by Stratford no.1 branch
This Regional Council fully supports the request submitted by LU Fleet branch for a ballot for industrial action short of strikes over 'maintenance optimisation'.

This was accepted as an emergency resolution.

Carried unanimously.

7. CORRESPONDENCE

Nothing raised.

8. OTHER REPORTS

• Glenroy Watson - reported on his ongoing legal case with LUL.

Meeting closed at 18:50