VULNERABLE WORKERS CONFERENCE

RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: february 2012 :: RMTnews 26 Since its launch in April 2010, RMT’s Vulnerable Workers project has helped fight against the exploitation and bullying of vulnerable workers. Vulnerable workers are, according to the Trades Union Congress, people working in an environment where the risk of being denied employment rights is high, and who do not have the capacity or means to protect themselves from abuse. Project manager Alec McFadden spoke about the stories he had encountered of workers being racially abused and instances of assault that had gone unreported due to workers fears of being dismissed from their jobs. In 2010 RMT conducted a survey to identify where there were vulnerable workers in the transport sector and the problems they face. Although the results were worse than the union expected it allowed RMT to develop regional vulnerable workers training courses for union officials. RMT has built a dedicated website and produced a DVD on the subject. RMT assistant general secretary Pat Sikorski said that the union is winning pay victories at MITIE and Carlisle showing how RMT is fighting back and gaining improved conditions for its cleaning, catering and gateline members. Ronnie Ash, a cleaner working for Carlisle, from Liverpool No. 5 branch spoke of how union membership at his depot had increased from just seven people to 35 after the union was asked to intervene on behalf of cleaning staff. Clara Osagiede, an RMT rep employed by ISS Facility Services, spoke of how it was a key issue for RMT to convey news of its victories to vulnerable workers so that they can see how important it is for them to join the union. Richard Crane, another ISS worker from Finsbury Park branch, told the conference of a recent incident at Euston station where management had decided to leave the headless corpse of a suicide victim in the cleaners mess room. Alan Pottage of RMT’s organising unit launched a new Vulnerable Workers DVD aimed at highlighting the issues affecting vulnerable workers in the workplace. Alan hoped that all branches would make this their top priority and said that if you “remove the word vulnerable from vulnerable workers they are just workers”. Ivor Riddell from RMT Learning spoke to conference about the difficulties people face in the workplace if they struggle with literacy and numeracy issues. He quoted Nelson Mandela when he said “education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world” and that although people don’t want to admit to their educational deficiencies to their employers there were lots of opportunities for people if they engage with their union.Labour MP John McDonnell spoke about the RMT parliamentary group and how it can help vulnerable workers. The groups’ key role is to support members by advocating their positions and by advising members on how they will be affected by changes to employment rights. He said “vulnerable workers have the least representation, the least strength within the workforce and employers know they can be isolated and picked off as they have done historically. “Through training reps we are now better equipped to tackle these issues and indeed, the strategies employed by the RMT are now filtering through to other unions,” he said. He asked that members supply the Parliamentary group with the “raw materials”, evidence of employer exploitation and abuse, so that they can write to employers and threaten to name and shame them on the floor of the house. VULNERABLE WORKERS CONFERENCE RMT recently held the first ever trade-union organised conference for vulnerable workers at Congress House in London.