WOMEN AND SCOTTISH RAILWAY HISTORY

RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: february 2021 :: RMTnews 18 RMT Learning Scotland in partnership with The Open University in Scotland last month launched a project to support a group of women RMT members from across Scotland who are committed to address the relative absence of women in much of recorded Scottish railway history. With a focus primarily on women’s role in trade unions and in struggles in the wider railway industry, the goal is to produce a collection of learning resources that will be accessible to all RMT and other trade union members as well as the wider public. The relative scarcity of materials will hopefully be overcome by the generation of different kinds of learning and resource materials including text, images, video footage, interviews and so on. The group of women historians will undertake a programme of supported study with Open University tutors who will guide them in different research techniques, the presentation of materials, writing creatively with a commitment to ensuring that materials are accessible to all. The ultimate goal is to produce a collection of materials that will be hosted on The Open University’s OpenLearn website which provides free access to a vast array of learning and study materials. (https://www.open.edu/openle arn/). This project emerges from a successful partnership between The Open University and Scottish Union Learn which led to the creation of a collection of online resource and learning materials on the theme of ‘Red Clydeside’ (https://www.open.edu/openle arn/red-clydeside-collection). The Women and Scottish Railway History Project is being funded by Scottish Union Learning and RMT Learning Scotland. RMT Learning Organiser Scotland Dennis Fallen said that the inspiration for this course developed through having a Zoom webinar showing a documentary presentation by Jennifer McCarey chair of Glasgow Trades Council on the history of women activists during campaigns for justice and equality. “During the Zoom meeting Mary Jane Herbison mentioned Sister Ann Henderson who works under Elaine Smith MSP at the Scottish Parliament. “We made contact with Ann asking if she would give a talk on her previous roles working on the railway and being one of the first women train drivers in Scotland along with Sister Janet Cassidy. “Ann was happy to give up her time to support the initiative and inspired the current pioneers to enrol on the course,” he said. RMT national executive committee member Mary Jane Herbison said that as an RMT member she very happy to link up with Open University to construct this course. “The history of Scottish women in the railway and the influences they made in our industry and union is the reason why there are more and more women joining the railway as a career. “The information gained during this course can be used as a way of documenting the terms and conditions that Scottish women were integral in fighting for and retaining,” she said. Project leader from the OU in Scotland Dr Gerry Mooney said that this was hopefully only the start of what will be a longer lasting initiative. “The aim is to create a living resource, something that can be added to by future groups of union members. “This first group of researchers are the pioneers, creating the basis for further work and it is also hoped that this will encourage RMT members in other areas of the country to follow suit and work with the OU to generate materials on the role of women in railway history in other regions. “For this initial group, the research and writing they undertake may encourage them to further studies on OU modules and courses,” he said. WOMEN AND SCOTTISH RAILWAY HISTORY RMT Learning Scotland launches new history project with Open University