YOUR UNION

RMTnews :: april 2006 :: www.rmt.org.uk 14 F or most members, the branch is the main point of contact with the union’s formal structures. Each new member is sent details of the branch they have been allocated to, including the date and venue of meetings, with their membership card. A distinction is made between ‘General Grades’ and ‘Shipping Grades’ branches. This is a reflection of the history of the union, specifically the merging of the National Union of Railwaymen (General Grades) and the National Union of Seamen (Shipping Grades) to form RMT. MEETINGS Most branches meet monthly on a weekday evening, usually in a social environment. A typical branch agenda includes reports from the workplaces covered by the branch, on recruitment and on individual cases being pursued on behalf of branch members. There is also correspondence to be dealt with such as circulars from Head Office, appeals for support from other labour movement organisations and motions. If branch motions are agreed by the majority of people at the meeting, they are submitted to the Council of Executives for consideration. For example, Glasgow Shipping Branch recently discussed how the 1966 seamen’s strike should be commemorated during its fortieth anniversary year and, as a result, a motion was sent to the Council of Executives proposing ways in which this event could be celebrated. Attendance at branch meetings enables members not only to keep themselves informed of what is happening in the union at local, regional and national level but also to keep the branch informed of what is happening in workplaces. Well-run Branch meetings are where the nitty gritty of union organisation takes place such as allocating recruitment tasks, organising picketing or leafleting duties. They also provide a base for local representatives - the union presence in the workplace - supporting them and, if necessary, calling them to account. Branches are fundamental to the decision-making processes of the union, as they not only nominate delegates to attend conferences but also send in resolutions to be discussed at those conferences. In recent years, the union’s debates on the use of the Political Fund and our relationship with the Labour Party were very much led and shaped by resolutions on these subjects from branches across the country. CONFERENCES For Annual General Meeting (AGM) elections, branches are grouped together into areas (general grades) and regions (shipping grades) and the number of delegates per area/region depends on the number of members they have. Each delegate attends the AGM as a representative of the group of branches in their area/region, and the AGM is, in the words of the rule book, “the supreme government of the union”. There are other conferences to which branches may send delegates, such as grades conferences. These are conferences that address issues of specific interest to particular areas of work such as road freight, buses, train crew, catering or engineering. These conference are entitled to submit two AGM resolutions. In addition, the RMT runs the following national advisory conferences: health & safety, retired members; young members, women, black and ethnic minority members and lesbian, gay and bisexual members. The only way to get to these conferences is through your branch. Branches are also where nominations are made for all the nationally elected positions in the union (such as the president, general secretary, assistant general secretaries and members of the council of executives) and delegates to TUC conferences. Branches can make appeals to the Council of Executives against decisions that the general secretary or the council of executives has made and on behalf of members who have been refused a benefit or legal representation. Branch Secretaries are responsible for making applications for benefits such as accident benefit and for legal representation and, should these applications be turned down for whatever reason, the branch can appeal against that decision if it wishes to. The Branch is the cornerstone of the union and the interface between the member and the union, helping members to find their way through the structures, providing assistance and advice and the opportunity to participate in the union at all levels. RMT constitution officer Lucy Douch kicks off a series of articles explaining how your union works Your Union