BRANCH SECRETARIES MEET IN GREAT YARMOUTH

RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: july/august 2011 :: RMTnews 28 The annual conference of branch secretaries took place in Great Yarmouth this year, hosted superbly by Broadlands Branch Branch Secretary Alan Brooks and the owner of the Hotel Victoria John Hemsley. Conference president Peter Daniels welcomed delegates who were treated to a trip to a local micro-brewery and an entertaining visit to the Nelson Museum. Peter Daniels invited the general secretary Bob Crow to give a state of the union address with questions. A guest speaker from Unity Bank Laurie Bell outlined the role of the bank, which is specifically designed to service the trade union movement from national unions to branch accounts. Mr Bell sparked a debate after outlining plans by the big banks to get rid of the use of cheques by 2018. Peter Daniels said that many branch secretaries relied on the use of cheques to carry out branch business. Tony Donaghey from the union’s Credit Union said that the abolition of cheques was also a serious issue for pensioners and many people that did not use credit cards. Peter Waters outlined developments in the union’s membership department. He explained that increasingly hostile anti-union laws and legal judgements had made it harder to ballot members for industrial action. Under these conditions any tiny discrepancy in the ballot could be exploited by employers to ban strike action through the courts. Web resources for branch officials were being developed which would allow them to update web pages themselves. He said that full training would be provided. RMT solicitors Thompsons representative Simon Clarke revealed the union had won £5.7 million in damages for members last year. However he warned that the government planned to attack the ability of unions to offer free legal representation with no deductions from their damages. The Jackson review, announced by the Tory Justice Secretary Ken Clarke, would end the system of the losing defendant in a personal injury claim – usually an employer – having to pay towards a fund to cover costs. Lawyers will instead be expected to deduct a proportion of those costs - up to 25 per cent - from claimant’s compensation for the injury and things such as loss of wages. RMT will be working with its Parliamentary group and campaigning with other unions and injury victim support groups to fight these proposals. Conference was slightly overshadowed by the sudden death of Angus McPherson from Drummond Miller Lawyers in Scotland. Angus had been a regular attendee to conference for over 20 years and his presence would be sadly missed Delegate Jim Philp said that Angus had he brought a different approach to the delegates attending conference with a Scottish aspect to the law. Delegates showed their appreciation to Angus and others who had passed away by observing a minutes silence. It was recommended that conference donate £100 to the memory of Angus McPherson for all the work he has done for this conference over the years. Tayside Mountain Rescue Association was the charity recommended by the family. Steve Smart the Regional Organiser for the area was thanked for his contribution to conference and the Les Roberts Memorial collection for the Widows and Orphans fund raised £55.45p. In closing conference president Peter Daniels invited all branch secretaries to attend next year’s conference taking place in Bristol. BRANCH SECRETARIES MEET IN GREAT YARMOUTH R MT general secretary Bob Crow presented a 40-year medal to longstanding Broadlands branch member Jonathan Ward. Speaking at the union’s branch secretary’s conference in Great Yarmouth Bob said he was pleased to make the presentation to John, a bus driver whose work had taken him from London to Great Yarmouth over the years. A GREAT YARMOUTH AWARD