MORE WOMEN ATTEND AGM

www.rmt.org.uk :: june 2006 :: RMTnews 23 Adrian is a local RMT signallers representative at Victoria. Following an alleged minor operational misdemeanor, he was charged with gross misconduct and downgraded from a grade eight to a grade four position. The minor incident, made under very difficult working conditions, was Adrian’s first in over 25 years in the job. However, management increased the charge and suspended him pending a hearing, which was also outside of normal practices. Adrian’s colleagues and fellow workers across Sussex believed that the punishment was far too severe for a first offence of this nature and had more to do with him being an effective health and safety representative. Over 40 colleagues signed a letter of protest pointing out that that other staff in the area have been involved in similar incidents yet have not been disciplined. It is also highly unusual for the charge to be “gross misconduct” and it is appears that this had been done to make it easier to have him removed from the box. As a result, RMT branches, including South London, Three Bridges and Croydon No 1, submitted requests for the union to ballot all signalling and supervisory members on the Sussex route for strike action. Meetings were also organised for members to discuss the implications for industrial relations in the region if management were allowed to victimise staff in such a way. After a lot of campaigning, the punishment was finally rescinded at Adrian’s appeal hearing. Adrian thanked local rep Bill Dickson and Jack Jones from the RMT executive committee for doing an excellent job representing him at the hearings and thanked the members that worked hard to see justice was done. He said that membership had grown since the incident as staff had saw the importance of RMT membership. Adrian has since been elected as an RMT zonal rep. Five women will attend this year’s Annual General Meeting in Dublin as delegates next month – two more than last year. Julie Cooney of Birmingham Rail Branch and Michelle Rodgers of Manchester South Branch, who both attended for the first time last year, are returning. Julie says that she enjoyed the experience last year so much that she asked her branch to send her again and she is looking forward to welcoming her fellow female delegates. Janet Cassidy of North Clyde Branch, representing Region one at the AGM, has twenty years’ experience as a union activist and last year she was elected chair of the STUC Women’s Committee. However, she has never before been a delegate to the AGM. She was nominated last year but was narrowly beaten in the election, so decided to try again this year, with success. Janet is pleased to be one of a comparatively high number of female delegates. “It is encouraging to see that women have turned the tide and are getting more involved” she says. Also attending the AGM as delegates for the first time are Linda Wiles and Josie Toussaint-Pinnock, both from London and representing Area 26. Linda joined the union when she started working for London Underground, ten years ago. Three years ago her job was ‘TUPE’d’ over to Transport for London and she was instrumental in the formation of the Transport for London Branch, bringing together the TfL employees who found themselves dispersed across different London Underground branches. As branch secretary and a workplace representative, she was soon leading the first ever strike in Transport for London’s history. Linda is a regular attender at her Regional Council meetings - she was recently elected to the position of Vice-President - and decided to stand for election to the AGM. “I want to be a part of the future of how our union goes forward and also to gain a better insight into its structure. “We need more women to attend these meetings if we want things to change. ,” she says. Linda is looking forward to meeting up with old friends and making new ones and having the chance to discuss and debate common issues and, as she says, “of course, Dublin is a lovely city”. Josie Toussaint-Pinnock is a local rep for train drivers at a London Underground depot. She has attended AGMs in the past as a visitor and so knows what she is letting herself in for: “I enjoyed the experience of being a visitor and was very interested in the goings on. “I decided I would like to play a part in it so decided to put myself forward this year,” she says. RMT News wishes them all the best. MORE WOMEN ATTEND AGM UNITY SIGNALS VICTORY The determination and unity of signal workers has forced Network Rail to reverse an ‘unprecedented and unfair’ decision to downgrade RMT member Adrian Yates