EMEMBERSHI P I S HERE

RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: march 2016 :: RMTnews 24 KEEPING YOUR MEMBERSHIP DETAILS ACCURATE ONLINE (SCREEN SHOT 1) Are you one of the thousands of RMT members whom regularly visit the RMT website and login to the area exclusively available to you? If you are, you will know that you have the ability to check and amend the details RMT holds for you on the membership database by clicking on ‘Your Profile’. It is in everyone’s interest that the union’s records are up to date, particularly your contact and employment details, absolutely vital for safe industrial action ballots and elections and to ensure the Union keeps in contact with you, especially when there is a need to urgently advise you of anything that directly affects you as a member. So if you don’t already do so, you are urged to login to the members’ area as often as you can. Apart from keeping your membership details up to date, there is a whole host of other information and news available to you as an RMT member. The current web membership facility has been in operation since early 2008 and has proven invaluable in RMT’s efforts to maintain accurate records. Apart from members keeping their own details up to date, branch and regional council officials have been able to access and maintain the records of their members and use the information to help organise and recruit as well as communicate with activists, reps and individuals. On the back of an extensive training programme over the past seven years, it has been a huge success. MOVING FORWARD Technology moves on and the union does not stand still when it comes to improving efficiency and the service provided to members and officials. Under the banner of the NMS, (New Membership Software), Project, a major upgrade to the union’s membership records system is being developed, using the very latest web technology which should provide the union with future-proofing for the next ten years and beyond. It is equivalent to having a completely new membership system for a small fraction of the cost and the new web membership facility, (eMembership), is the first phase of the development. SO WHAT’S CHANGED? Members The first page a member sees, setting out their contact and employment detail on the membership system, contact and meeting details of their branch and with links to the branch and regional council website where available, will look different but still holds the same information. Members will still need to confirm or amend their detail before proceeding, once a month. The big change is instead of having to select various menu items to find the detail you require to amend, in eMembership, the main and important detail can be viewed and amended in one screen with additional information in one other area. Much simpler and easier to edit. (SCREEN SHOT 2) You will also be able to view the training courses programme and see a record of your own attendance as well as any Union benefits you have been paid. BRANCH/REGIONAL COUNCIL OFFICIALS The current web membership is already a powerful organising and communication tool. To say that eMembership is essential to organisation, recruitment and retention and vital to the day to day running of a branch would be a very bold statement to make but it is fair to say this would not be too far wide of the mark. For this reason, the union has decreed that at least one official from every branch must attend a training course in the extensive programme, scheduled to take place over the next couple of years. Whereas in the current facility it is more or less necessary to output lists for any number of purposes, eMembership almost entirely removes that requirement and most tasks can be carried out on-screen. You select what data columns you want to see and you can easily move to the details of members in the list for editing. This applies to maintaining activists within the branch and regional council too. If it is absolutely necessary to print a list, (see data protection below), you output what you see on screen so again the columns are under your control. (SCREEN SHOT 3) For communications you no longer have to output lists and go through the mail merge routine. You can simply write to members or e-mail them, (or both), directly from eMembership. You can see totals in groups and categories within the Branch and view and print pie charts, (other graphs to follow). One of the main benefits is that eMembership can be easily used on i-pads and other tablets. There is much more in the new facility and branches and regional councils will have already received details, including the training programme. It really is necessary to get every Branch using eMembership and those attending courses will be urged to spread the word amongst their branch and regional council colleagues. RMT will promote eMembership and the training programme at every opportunity. DATA PROTECTION The Union has always taken the security of data extremely seriously and confidentiality is the watchword. For some time now, RMT has been undertaking a comprehensive review of its IT and data protection policies and eMEMBERSHIP IS HERE! Web Membership is Changing