TUC YOUTH AWARD WINNER

RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: october 2014 :: RMTnews 14 George Waterhouse, 25, is the latest RMT winner of the prestigious TUC Youth Award, an endorsement of the union’s positive work in engaging, developing and educating the leaders of the future. George, who works as a train manager on Cross Country services out of Manchester Piccadilly, has been an RMT member since he joined the railway four years ago. In that time he has held a number of union positions and is currently the local representative for guards as well as being the Vice Chair of the Manchester South branch. This year he also won the RMT John Cogger Youth Award at the union’s annual general meeting and sits on the RMT’s young members advisory committee , using his own experience to help steer the future work of the union. A member of Manchester South branch, George has been heavily involved in the campaign against the McNulty cuts programme. “As a train guard I share members’ concerns about the increase of driver only trains. “I’m ready to fight back against cuts,” he said. George is a steeped in the traditions of rail industry trade unionism with a pedigree that stretches back several generations. His great, great grandfather George Thaxton was the president of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants (ASRS), the forerunner of the NUR and RMT, and oversaw the union during the turbulent times of the Taff Vale judgement when the anti-union laws of that era were used to try and break the working class. “Of course I carry that history with me and am very proud of my family’s history and traditions and carry that with me as a major influence. “It is a big honour to win the TUC youth award this year and my message to young people working in the transport industry is very simple – join RMT!” he said. TUC YOUTH AWARD WINNER George Waterhouse is the latest member to win the annual TUC Youth Award