Notes from Regional Council Executive 13 April 2010

Present: Janine Booth, Nigel Eivers, Neil Hodgson, Adrian Rowe, Gavin Bowtell, Carol Foster, Micky Hyde, James Wong-McSweeney, Adrian Finney, Glenroy Watson, Pat O'Brien, Andy Littlechild, Mark Harding

In attendance: Steve Hedley, Regional Organiser

1. RECRUITMENT AND ORGANISING

  • Dave Rayfield not in attendance - on demonstraiton in Lille.
  • Last Regional recruitment & organising day; poor attendance - alternative suggestions requested and agreed :
    • combine leafleting passengers against job cuts with visiting workplaces (stations and trains)
    • mobilise region to support branch recruitment & organising days (in May, these will be Stratford no. 1, Camden and Finsbury Park branches)
  • Stations & Revenue Grades recruitment and organising plans endorsed, with the exception of proposal for an activists' badge - to be held over
  • reminder to other grades - please agree and submit a recruitment and organising plan

2. REGIONAL ORGANISER'S REPORT

Steve reported on:

  • job cuts - problem with matrix/ballot; leaflets for public; branches to link with passenger groups; future attacks on station supervisors
  • former Metronet
  • Tube Lines
  • CBS Outdoor transfer of staff to ISS
  • anti-BNP meeting
  • bus workers / ATCU - one member has resigned; disciplinary action recommended against another
  • requested that £500 donation to two TUSC candidates be sent immediately, without waiting for Executive decision on which further TUSC candidates to back - agreed.

Issues raised in discussion:

  • jobs cuts:
    • Leaflet with ASLEF - station job cuts affect drivers
    • enamel 'SOS' badges
    • film being made by 'Reel News' to promote SOS campaign
    • campaign committee
  • need for alternative legal opinion re CBS Outdoor
  • reopening of extended East London Line as London Overground + affiliation of LO branches to LTRC
  • LU pay bonus

Agreed to:

  • show the campaign film at the start of the Regional Council meeting
  • request a deputation to see the General Secretary about the ballot - Janine, Vaughan, Roy, Malcolm, Paul J
  • invite AGS Sikorski to the Regional Council meeting
  • submit the following resolution to the Regional Council meeting: This Regional Council is very frustrated by the lack of progress in carrying out the union's decision to ballot our members for industrial action to stop London Underground's plan to slash 800 jobs. We understand the problems caused by the anti-union laws. However, we believe that the union can and must, as a matter of urgency, prepare and carry out this ballot. We remind our national officers that 800 jobs are at stake.

3. NEXT REGIONAL COUNCIL MEETING

Resolutions accepted onto agenda:

  • Contacting pressure groups - Finsbury Park branch
  • Appeal against decision on election candidate - Stratford no.1 branch

Proposals for guest speakers:

  • Tetra expert, suggested by Finsbury Park branch - rejected
  • Latin American Workers' Association, suggested by Regonal Organiser - accepted

Guest speaker slot to be five minutes, towards the end of the meeting, with no questions.

4. CORRESPONDENCE

Agreed to buy May Day adverts in Solidarity (£30), Socialist Worker (£40) and Morning Star (similar amount).

5. GLENROY WATSON COURT CASE

Glenroy reviewed what had happened, and asked the Regional Council to write to branches, advising them that if RMT refuses to pursue a legal case, to ask for reasons and in particular to seek assurance that the refusal is not due to threats from employers to pursue the appellant for costs. Agreed.

6. OTHER BUSINESS

  • Branch affiliations - The Executive expressed disappointment that head office had refused to transfer branches' affiliation fees to the Regional Council in instalments - Secretary to write to GS
  • STUC Black Workers' Conference - November
  • RMT Young Members' AGM course - encourage branches to send delegates
  • Pensions committee - one member is no longer in RMT, so we will be looking for a new candidate