RMT's Annual General Meeting took place in the Isle of Man at the start of July. The delegates from London Transport region were: Bill Teale (LU Fleet branch), Bob Law (Jubilee South and East London Line branch), Brian Munro (Bakerloo line branch), Glenroy Watson (Finsbury Park branch), Janine Booth (Stratford no.1 branch), Linda Wiles (TfL no.1 branch), Mick Crossey (Camden 3 branch), Paul O'Brien (LU Engineering branch), Vaughan Thomas (Central Line West branch). In addition, several activists from our region attended the young members' course that runs in parallel with the AGM.

Here is a summary of what happened, with the highlighted words providing links to articles that give more details. To read some of the linked articles (the more controversial stuff that was discussed in 'closed session'!), you will need to be logged in.

I've tried to be as factual and unbiased as possible, but this is my personal report, so it is from my point of view, and does not cover every single thing that happened at the AGM! You can read my rather more subjective, political report here. Other delegates are welcome to post their own reports.

• The first business that the AGM discussed was resolutions from RMT's equality conferences.
  • The AGM passed the two resolutions from RMT's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Members' Conference; the first, demanding an end to the deporation of LGBT foreign nationals, saw LT region young member Adrian Rowe outline the issues to the AGM; the second, 'Proud History', was moved very effectively by our Regional Council President Vaughan Thomas.
  • Finsbury Park branch delegate Glenroy Watson successfully moved a resolution from the Black and Ethnic Minority Members' Conference asking for the union to send a larger delegation to the TUC Black Workers' Conference;
  • TfL no.1 branch delegate Linda Wiles successfully moved a resolution from the union's Women's Conference condemning human trafficking.
  • Two resolutions from the Young Members' Conference were also passed.
• The General Secretary presented the Annual Report to the AGM.
  • You can read and download the full report on our regional website here, together with particular excerpts concerning London Overground, our dispute with LUL, legal services, black and minority ethnic issues, women's issues. More will be added.
  • I questioned why the report omitted to mention last year's AGM's decision to promote your right to refuse to work on safety grounds, and why this policy had not been implemented.
• A resolution from Stratford no.1 branch about Attendance policies provoked extensive discussion, and was passed unanimously.
• The AGM passed several other resolutions moved by branches from our region, including: the People's Charter, council housing, asbestos, equality in society and the workplace (Bakerloo), civil liberties, pensions, unemployment and precarious work, migrant workers (LU Engineering), jobs and the economic crisis (TfL no.1)
• Other resolutions from branches in our region were not voted on as they were considered to be "covered" by other resolutions. Some delegates have concerns about this way of doing things.
• Several international guest speakers addressed the AGM.
• The AGM voted to continue the union's opposition to Israel's oppression of the Palestinians, and its commitment to an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel, but to reverse one aspect of the policy passed last year and advocate a boycott of Israeli products. The resolution was passed 43-19, with some of our Region’s delegates voting and speaking for, some against.
• Michael Livingstone, of Piccadilly and District West branch, was presented with the John Cogger Young Member Award.
• RMT's young members hosted a fringe meeting about miscarriages of justice, and the AGM unanimously passed a resolution on this subject.
• Our region appealed the Executive's refusal to consider two of our resolutions concerning our jobs / pay / justice dispute - it was a heated debate that prompted the closest vote of the week!
• In order to ensure that the union's Orphan Fund could meet its responsibilities, the AGM voted to re-allocate funds away from the national Disputes Fund. I expressed concern about this and asked the Executive to consider alternative means of fundraising for the Dispute Fund.