NEW NOTTS AND DERBYSHIRE BUS BRANCH LAUNCHED

RMT helpline 0800 3763706 :: september 2009 :: RMTnews 9 RMT intends to play a full and active role in the International Road Transport Action Week on October 7 to 13 and urges road transport and bus members and branches to get involved. The theme of the action week, organised by the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) will be the necessity of shorter working hours in a safety critical industry. RMT is drafting its submission to the Department of Transport’s consultation on Domestic Drivers Hours Rules. The rules are largely unchanged for 50 years, cover issues including maximum driving time, breaks, rest time, daily and weekly rest, record keeping and enforcement. Vans not exceeding 3.5tonnes and buses/coaches operating on regular routes up to 50km come under the scope of the rules. The week of action will culminate in a demonstration and leaflet outside the Department for Transport in London on October 12 2009 and the union’s submission to the consultation will be hand-delivered. Regional Councils are also encouraged to organise events locally. Please advise Alastair Gittins in the RMT National Policy Department if you wish to hold a leafleting session/demonstration in your area and materials can be provided: a.gittins@rmt.org.uk or 020 7529 8281. R MT general secretary Bob Crow attended the official opening of the new Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire bus branch recently. The new branch, which has over 200 members, was set up after a long battle for union recognition with the help of branch chair Stanley Waplington and branch secretary Joe Galea. Joe joined the union in May 2007 while working for Dunne line coaches, which has since been taken over by Veolia Transport UK. “I decided to join because we seemed to have no rights at all at work. “At the time there were a couple of other drivers who were union members but we had no organisation,” he said. Things came to a head in February last year when Joe was disciplined for a trivial matter and went into the hearing with no representation and no real idea of his rights. “I received a final written warning for this offence and when I came out I decided that I would be the last driver to be treated like that,” he said. Joe got in touch with long- standing RMT activist Graham Geliher who was East Midlands Bus branch secretary at the time and launched a recruitment drive. “With his help and the invaluable help of Gerry Hitchen and the recruitment team I started to encourage workers to join RMT,” said Joe. Before long they had signed enough members to approach the company with a petition for trade union recognition. Originally the company refused to recognise RMT because they already had recognition agreements with another union. “We insisted on the freedom to choose which union we wished to join because we were a separate bargaining unit from their other depots,” he said. After a long struggle and a few delaying tactics from management, Veolia finally relented and RMT won recognition earlier this year at the Nottingham, Heanor, Anston and Tuxford depots. Previously members had been organised within the East Midlands Bus branch but it was decided for logistical reasons to form the new branch, which today also includes members from K&H Doyle’s Coaches of Alfreton. “I would like to thank all the people involved in our fight for recognition including Graham, Gerry, Alan Heath, Ken Usher and especially Peter Trend who was our lead organiser and the members for joining the union and placing their trust in us to fight for their rights at work,” said Joe. Branch meetings are held on the first Tuesday of every month at 1930hrs at The Beacon Public House, Aspley lane, Nottingham NEW NOTTS AND DERBYSHIRE BUS BRANCH LAUNCHED CALLING ALL ROAD TRANSPORT AND BUS BRANCHES Join the ITF International Road Transport action week next month