ATTENDANCE

• Bakerloo branch – Malcolm Taylor, Jim McDaid
• Camden No.3 branch – Geoff Palmer, Pat O'Brien
• Central Line West branch – Vaughan Thomas (meeting chair)
• DLR –
• East Ham – Gary Lazell, Clare Reilly, Chris Baillie, Unjum Mirza
• Finsbury Park branch – Peter Hartshorn, Dave Rayfield, Dean O'Hanlon, John Noonan, Frank Curtis, Chris Matthews
• Hammersmith & City branch – Dave O'Hare
• Jubilee South & East London Line branch –
• London Taxis branch – Dave Vigeon
• LU Engineering branch – Paul Jackson, Andy Littlechild, Lewis Peacock (meeting secretary), Simon Cottington, Frank Murray
• LU Fleet branch – Chris Hutchinson
• Morden & Oval branch – Bob McMunn, Mark O'Donnell
• Neasden branch – Nigel Eivers, Ross Marshall, Gerard Vickers, Adrian Rowe
• Piccadilly & District West branch – Neil Hodgson, Andy Leach, Raj Vyas
• Retired Members branch – Jack Gautami
• Stratford No.1 branch – Adrian Finney, Lee Kanzaria
• TfL No.1 branch –
• Thames Riverboats branch –
• In attendance – Steve Hedley (Regional Organiser), Olly New (Council of Executives member)

1. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

Janine Booth, John Reid, Linda Wiles, Gwyn Pugh, Gary Fitzpatrick, Arwyn Thomas, Mick Crossey, Terry O’Neill, Glenroy Watson

2. MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING

Proposed by Stratford No. 1, Seconded by East Ham. Agreed as accurate.

3. MATTERS ARISING

None.

4. RECRUITMENT AND ORGANISING

No Report.

5. GUEST SPEAKER: FARYAL VELMI, TRANSPORT FOR ALL

Apologies for non-attendance.

6. GUEST SPEAKER: BOB CROW

Bob Crow reported on:

• brief overview of LU dispute – solidly supported
• European day of action – build united resistance to cuts
• public sector cuts – 23rd October demo; assemble 11am Unity House
• SERTUC Rally – 23rd October, Congress house
• trade unions need to build the resistance against the public sector cuts
• need for generalised action against cuts

Questions/Discussion followed:

• SERTUC rally
• European Demo Brussels 29th September report
• need to promote a political alternative
• robust action needed
• co-ordinated action needed with FBU in November

The General Secretary was thanked in the normal fashion

7. COUNCIL OF EXECUTIVES/REGIONAL ORGANISERS REPORTS

Olly New reported on:

• lack of TUC action over public sector cuts
• DLR – working arrangements ballot
• LU Fleet – maintenance capability ballot
• Central line (Liverpool Street to Bethnal Green) asbestos dispute
• Alstom dispute
• LU dispute – undermining of safety by management during strike
• ACAS talks
• Tube Lines job cuts
• train driver safety issues – management withdrawal of proposals
• new LU disciplinary proposal
• Lobby of Parliament for Workers' Rights, Wednesday 13th October

Steve Hedley reported on:

• LU dispute – possible court injunction
• media coverage of impact from overtime ban
• safety breaches – need to be challenged
• Alstom dispute – support the pickets at Morden, Golders Green and Stratford Market depots
• Fleet maintenance – District Line concessions safety issue
• lift permit breaches – Caledonian Road station

Points raised in discussion:

• Trains Safety Council challenging fleet maintenance management concessions
• no 'babysitting'stations – clarity requested
• area reports on LU dispute
• Central line asbestos dispute – matrix to be drawn up of members affected
• tactics of LU dispute can be reviewed for future
• keep reporting safety breaches during dispute to the media

8. RESOLUTIONS

1. RMT Membership ‘App’, submitted by Neasden branch (following consideration of amendment from Finsbury Park branch)
This Regional Council notes the introduction of mobile technology and believes it could be used to improve communication with our 80,000 strong membership.
The app would be a useful tool for individual members, reps and activists. At the touch of a button, a member could update their details and see their terms and conditions. An activist or representative recruiting could check members details to confirm that all are correct, especially now the anti trade union laws are getting even worse.
We request that the union’s executive, investigates the possibility of getting an ‘app’ designer, ideally with a trade union background, to look into the viability of an RMT Members App.
This should be set up with appropriate security levels regarding access being agreed in advance.

For 8 Against 1 Abstentions 0 Carried

2. RMT Website, submitted by Neasden branch (following consideration of amendment from Stratford No.1 branch)

This Regional Council notes the sterling work carried out by the webmaster at RMT, with the provisions of the current RMT Website, RMTV and RMT Junction.
We feel that the RMT website as it is, is outdated, difficult to use, and not effective enough to communicate with our members.
We request that the EC investigates the possibility of giving our website, the first thing that members see when they join online, a major overhaul and bring it into line with, and to be better than, other trade union websites.

For 11 Against 0 Abstentions 0 Carried Unanimously

9. CORRESPONDENCE

Correspondence file circulated. Nothing raised.

10. OTHER REPORTS

• LU Pensions RMT Representatives upcoming election
• Taxi drivers – Rear window RMT advertisement proposal and Hackney Carriage Act amendments

11. REPORTS ON PROGRESS OF RESOLUTIONS

None.

12. AOB

None.

Meeting closed at 18:30.