RMT WINS JUSTICE FOR NETWORK RAIL MANAGER

RMT Three Bridges branch secretary Dave Crawford has represented dozens of union members over the years in his capacity as a lay official of the union. But it is not often that a union member gets to advocate on behalf of one of his former managers. “It is certainly one of the more unusual cases I have had to represent someone in,” says Dave. “But what happened was so unfair and unjust that it there was never a question that I wouldn’t take on the role of advocate”. Dave explains that problems began for the member – a local operations’ manager at Network Rail – before Christmas, when he went into what he thought was a routine meeting with his manager. The meeting was anything but routine as the member was asked to see another manager and before he knew it was suspended from work. The issue revolved around the fact that the member was responsible for managing a trainer. The trainer found that he would sometimes turn up for days he was booked in and there would be nobody to teach. Clearly there had been a problem, but it wasn’t so simple, the member had himself been on training courses or leave on some of these problem days. The member thought that within a short time he would be called back into work and the problem would be sorted. After all, in all his 41 years in the job he had an unblemished disciplinary record. When he wasn’t called back into work within a few days the member phoned the union’s helpline to get advice. Through that phone call he was put in touch with local officials. Dave was meant to represent him at the disciplinary hearing but they arranged it for when I was on leave. It isn’t the first time something like that had happened so, as a backup plan, Adrian “A.J.” Yates, South London branch secretary represented him. Adrian did a “fantastic job” but the member didn’t see justice at that point. Two witnesses, who it had been agreed with Network Rail were to attend the hearing, were not there on the day. Rather than reschedule, the hearing went ahead anyway. Adrian pointed out that there were five relevant pieces of information that had been requested which had not materialised from the company. Between this evidence and the lack of witnesses this led to a further 28 procedural irregularities. The outcome of the hearing was that the member’s job was to be downgraded from local operations’ manager to shift manager. With the support of the union the member vowed to fight on. APPEAL An appeal hearing was held in January at which Dave represented the member. “At first I was sceptical,” he recalls, “nobody seemed very optimistic about the case. “But we were listened to by someone independent, from outside the area,” he said. As a result the decision to downgrade the member’s job was overturned. Finally, after being suspended over the Christmas period with no communication or knowledge of his fate he had got justice. Importantly, since the case has been dealt with, the member reports that management have made real efforts to put the issue in the past and ensure that he is back doing the job that he loves to do, as usual, without any acrimony. Dave says that the company seemed unaware that the member was in the union originally. “They were even more surprised to see a relief signalman represent a manager. “But from our point of view this was a terrible injustice against a longstanding RMT member and we had to make it a win for fairness,” he says. “All the work was worth it to see our member’s face when he got the decision and rushed to ring his wife to tell her the good news. “The case sends out a strong message that no matter what grade you hold RMT will stand shoulder to shoulder with you,” a smiling Dave says. RMT helpline 0800 3763706 :: february 2010 :: RMTnews 14 RMT WINS JUSTICE FOR NETWORK RAIL MANAGER RMT Three Bridges branch secretary Dave Crawford speaks to RMT News about an important case in defence of a Network Rail Manager