CURTAILED AGM MEETS

RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: november/december 2020 :: RMTnews 16 Working under very difficult conditions, RMT staff organised an on-line annual general meeting just days before a new Covid lockdown was announced at the beginning of November. Delegates had agreed to truncate the meeting due to the looming lockdown following a renewed spike in Covid cases across the country. Although some motions were dealt with by conference, delegates agreed to re-convene to finish most AGM business before February 28 2021. COVID CUTS Conference recognised that the Tory government would attempt to cut spending on rail, and use the reduced passenger count from the Covid outbreak to do it. Delegates were concerned at the threat of closure of stations or even whole lines, ticket offices and cuts to jobs. “Ticket offices are especially at risk because of the changes to the way customers are buying tickets. “Our union should campaign to keep stations open, to keep ticket offices open and to defend station staff jobs, pay and conditions. This can include working with community groups around campaigning to keep stations and branch lines open. And it can also include organising industrial action. “With climate change a reality, we should argue for the railway to keep on growing,” a successful motion said. Delegates also noted that with falling passenger numbers and advice not to travel, it was only a matter of time before train operating companies would attack all catering grades, as has happened in the hospitality industry since the start of this pandemic. “This conference believes that restructuring of catering crews, streamlining or a reduction in service will follow to some degree or worse still become extinct,” it said. Delegates backed a high profile campaign to highlight to the general public the importance of the grade and how railway catering staff have helped to keep essential workers fed and watered whilst travelling round the country despite the risks involved. VIOLENCE AT WORK Delegates backed a motion passed by the RMT London Transport Regional Council calling for a combine wide ballot of station grades members over London Underground’s failure to properly address the issue of workplace violence. Conference referred to RMT’s 2018 survey of Night Tube workers, which found that 88.2 per cent of workers had been verbally abused in the workplace, with approximately 1/3 women workers and 1/5 male workers having experienced physical assault. Delegates also noted RMT’s successful efforts to improve cab security for London Underground drivers, in response to workplace violence experienced by our members in that grade. They also believed these issues are not limited to London Underground, and are endemic wherever companies have de-staffed our workplaces, increasing lone working. Conference also said that external security measures, such as requests for increased police presences, more CCTV coverage, and body-worn video cameras, could not be relied upon. They opposed attempts by employers to address staff concerns around workplace violence by deploying externally-employed staff, including agency security staff, to workplaces. “We maintain that all workers employed to work on our stations should be directly employed, fully trained and licensed, and on equal terms and conditions to other workers,” a motion said. Delegates called on the union to reinvigorate campaigning for increased staffing levels, an end to lone working, for an adequate and accessible place of safety in all areas of the workplace, and for additional safety measures, including increased staffing levels, to be put in place for workers working night shifts and other unsociable hours where risks may be greater. Role of the guard Delegates placed on record the massive and historical show of solidarity by ASLEF members on Merseyrail by not crossing RMT picket lines at Birkenhead, Kirkdale and Southport depots in our fight to retain a safety critical guard on every train. Conference saluted their CURTAILED AGM MEETS Union holds remote annual general meeting held in camera due to Covid