REMOTE ACCESS PROJECT

www.rmt.org.uk :: february 2007 :: RMTnews 27 R MT News recently reported on the union’s successful bid to the government’s Union Modernisation Fund for money to introduce a new web-based membership records system. Since that report, the project has progressed, with detailed work being done to design, develop and test the system, and, if all goes to plan, it will ‘go live’ in April this year. Evidence of the project can be seen in the newly-opened Education Centre at Doncaster, where highly-specified IT and printing equipment, including fully networked computers, high speed data lines and wireless facilities for fast and uninterrupted access to the internet have been installed. As soon as the new system is up and running, Branch and Regional Council Secretaries will have the opportunity to be trained in its use, and so will be able to access and amend their membership records; maintain Branch web pages and use the system to communicate with members more speedily. In this way, it is intended to improve the service available to individual members, which is the whole point of the project. Project manager Peter Waters is pleased about the progress made so far but says there’s a huge amount still to do. “We have learned many lessons from past installations. That is why we have specified in great detail what we want and we are making sure everything is tested and tested until we are absolutely sure it is working how it should. “The other essential element is training users and you can be sure we will not be scrimping on that,” he said. Peter believes that the true measure of a good membership system is the accuracy of its records. He maintains that the new system giving wide opportunities to easily update records, directly onto the database, which means the union will have the most accurate and up to date system around. “Along with all the other improvements, it will mean better reporting and we will be able to equip officials and representatives with up to date information and a better and faster means of communicating with members. “We will also be able to respond more quickly and cater for members’ needs,” he said. Members will be kept informed of the progress of the Remote Access Project through RMT News. In the meantime, if there is anything else you would like to know about it you can contact Peter at rmtproject@rmt.co.uk Dear editor, In December last year Southeastern Trains were forced to run an open election for their Drivers Company Council as, for the second time, RMT fielded two candidates Alan Pierson and Ken Slade. For me, this was the second attempt as I had run for office three years ago with Brian Whitehead who is now relief regional organiser for the South of England. For Alan it was his first attempt. However, he was not fazed and with the help of the org unit, we managed to put together a really good package to try and win a seat on this one of the most prized Company Councils on the railway. We used some of the information and knowledge gained from our previous attempt and some other innovative stuff like beer mats with our names and vote RMT on either side as well as posters. A sound battle plan was crucial with an affordable list of demands for Drivers from T&Cs, rostering to diagramming of work. Like all good plans this was thrown into confusion when, after there had been agreement between RMT drivers lead officer Brian Whitehead and SET over the implementation date, SET put the ballot papers out a week earlier than agreed and not allowing us release until the following week. However, the ASLEF were out on the day the papers came out, work that out if you can. We were released for three days the following week, a week after the ballot papers had been issued. We were out in the very early hours and it was a 03.00 start and a drive to meet Alan and too as many depots as possible. We met many drivers who were very impressed and said that they only wished they had met us the week before. We did manage to gain some votes and some friends for next time, many of these drivers also said that they only wish they could meet the sitting company council at that time of day, I said elect us and you will. Alan was the real beneficiary with 116 votes, I scored 102. However, we did manage to recruit eight new drivers into RMT and pick up votes from drivers who did not know that there was an election taking place. Although we did not win a seat, RMT drivers on Southeastern have been able to force our TOC to have an open election enabling all drivers on the franchise to have a vote on who represents them. We urge all RMT drivers in every TOC to go for election to LDR/LDC and Stage Two/Company Councils. Regardless of the number of driver members in each depot, RMT is entitled to have elected by the branch a Health and Safety representative in every depot. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all those drivers who voted and supported us. This has given us some real motivation to carry on the fight to have an RMT representative elected onto every Company Council in every TOC in the country. Ken Slade and Alan Pierson Both RMT Drivers and Health and Safety Representatives on SET REMOTE ACCESS PROJECT DRIVING HOME THE MESSAGE AT SOUTHEASTERN Calling notice for LGB conference The 2007 conference for lesbian, gay and bi- sexual members will be taking place in Manchester, Mechanics Institute on Friday May 11. This is an ideal opportunity for lesbian, gay and bi- sexual members to discuss formally and informally issues concerning your work and the union in general. If you need any further information contact your branch secretary.