TRADE UNIONISTS FLOCK TO LEIGH FOLK FESTIVAL

RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: sept 2014 :: RMTnews 27 EDINBURGH NO1 AND PORTOBELLO BRANCH NOMINATES RITCHIE VEITCH FOR COUNCIL OF EXECUTIVES WISHAW AND MOTHERWELL BRANCH SUPPORTS MICK HOGG FOR REGIONAL ORGANISER" WISHAW & MOTHERWELL BRANCH NOMINATE RICHIE VEITCH FOR COUNCIL OF EXECUTIVES (SCOTLAND), AND ASKS THAT ALL MEMBERS SUPPORTS THIS EXCELLENT CANDIDATE WATFORD BRANCH NOMINATES BRIAN WHITEHEAD FOR RELIEF REGIONAL ORGANISER SOUTH NORTH EAST SHIPPING BRANCH NOMINATES GRAHAM WALLACE FOR THE COE REGION FOUR BAKERLOO BRANCH NOMINATE EAMON LYNCH FOR COUNCIL OF EXECUTIVES BAKERLOO BRANCH NOMINATES BRIAN WHITEHEAD FOR RELIEF REGIONAL ORGANISER NUNEATON BRANCH SUPPORTS KEN USHER FOR MIDLANDS REGIONAL ORGANISER O ver ten thousand revellers flocked to the trade union- backed Leigh Folk Festival in Essex, the largest free event of its kind in Britain. Southend Trades Council, RMT and PCS are just some of the labour movement organisations that support the popular festival. STUC chairwoman Rachel Heemskerk said that the trade union presence increases every year and encouraged more to come to the three-day event in 2015. “This is a family and community event and we are here because we support the values and ethos of this special event and its better than Glastonbury which always falls on the same dates. “This is also an opportunity to tell people what trade unions can do for them and to encourage them to take the final step and join up,” she said. Festival musical director Paul Collier welcomed trade union involvement in the planning of the festival. “This year was very poignant because Bob Crow often joined us as part of his commitment to the Leigh folk festival and we all have memories of him enjoying the music in the sunshine,” he said. R MT won commendations in best campaign and best website categories at the annual TUC communication awards. Judges agreed that the union’s “powerful” campaign to win pay justice for cleaners on Tyne and Wear Metro used “innovative” methods to win an unprecedented pay rise of over 20 per cent. “It garnered support from customers and from local and national politicians to put pressure on the company for decent levels of pay,” they said. They commended the RMT website for having a “very interactive site” which worked well on mobile devices. Judges also agreed that the union’s journal RMT News was “hard-hitting, uncompromising and punching well above the union’s weight. “From safety and pay to transport fares and the skills crisis, the magazine tells members exactly how it is-as newsy as it is punchy,” judges said. They found that an RMT News feature attacking EU demands for rail privatisation offered a “blow-by-blow expose” which highlighted the EU’s “outdated and ill-thought- out proposals” and included a “useful timeline”. COMMENDATION: RMT webmaster Andrew Brattle accepts TUC award. DOVER AND DISTRICT BRANCH NOMINATE GARRY HASSELL FOR COUNCIL OF EXECUTIVES RMT COMMENDED AT TUC COMMUNICATION AWARDS TRADE UNIONISTS FLOCK TO LEIGH FOLK FESTIVAL