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RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: october 2018 :: RMTnews 13 RMT member Chris Cuomo has won the prestigious TUC organising award for 2018 for his hard work organising cleaners and other workers in his region. Chris has been the recruitment officer for the union’s South East Regional Council for over eight years and in that time membership has increased by over 20 per cent to around 7,170 members. With Chris’s hard work the region has achieved this steady increase due to a growth in membership and improving organisation across most of the companies the union organises in not because of any great increase in the employment of rail and shipping workers. In fact train operating companies in the region are leaving many posts vacant. Chris works for Govia Thameslink Rail on train dispatch and customer care at Kings Cross station and is a union rep representing members of all grades in disciplinary and grievance hearings. He has made recruitment a priority for all 17 branches in the region working with workplace reps and activists emphasising the need for branch reps to be recruiters and organisers. An important part of this work includes mapping exercises and checking membership records with staff lists and sending this information back to reps so they can encourage workers to get the protection of their trade union. He also draws up the regional council’s annual plan for recruitment, retention and organisation as well as advising branches on their plans. This includes day schools for branch officers to formulate strategies suitable to their circumstances. Chris is most well-known for his persistent work organising cleaners, some of the most vulnerable workers in the transport sector. Train and station cleaners are often employed by outsourced companies and come from all over the globe and often do not have English as a first language. Some do not even have union recognition and, as a result, very low rates of pay. Chris played a leading role in the regional campaign to secure significant pay rises at two train cleaning companies Wettons, which clean Southeastern trains, and Churchills, which clean GTR Thameslink and Southern trains. RMT had recognition at both companies but a low density of membership. With Bill Paterson of the union’s organising unit, Chris visited all the workplaces, depots and stations to draw more workers into activism, identifying potential reps and organising special meetings, including night meetings, to explain the campaign for better pay. Chris says that retired RMT members also played a key role in organising and recruiting workers due to their invaluable long experience in trade union activism. As a result membership at Wettons increased from 30 per cent to over 60 per cent and Churchills members hip also increased significantly. RMT balloted Wettons members who voted overwhelming for industrial action resulting in a noticeable changes in attitude from the company and its client Southeastern trains. As a result union reps were able to secure real improvement in pay without action and members voted to accept the deal. Unfortunately a similar ballot on Churchills fell foul of the Tories new draconian anti-union laws as the turn-out did not reach new required thresholds. Chris was also a prime mover in setting up an annual organising conference for cleaning workers as other grades already enjoy by moving a motion at his own station and associated grades conference. He also runs workshops on the recruitment of outsourced and agency staff setting out their rights at work and how to go about campaigning for trade union recognition. He also represents these vulnerable workers at grievances and disciplinary hearings. He represented a member on a zero-hour contract with the STM agency of its refusal to grant him leave. He took this case through the grievance procedure and then on to a employment tribunal which forced the company to pay compensation. Chris says that he has a fairly simple approach to recruiting members which appears to be very effective. “I talk to workers about their issues and the benefits of trade union membership and if I see someone I don’t recognise I ask them if they are in the union and if not why not,” he smiles. That simple message has paid off dividends and is still increasing membership in his region. ORGANISING AND WINNING RMT member Chris Cuomo wins the TUC organising award ORGANISER: Chris Cuomo picks up his award from TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady