ORGANISING SIGNALLERS

RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: march 2022 :: RMTnews 16 T he national industrial organising conference of signalling and operations grades launched a new strategy to organise signallers, crossing keepers, Mobile Operating Managers (MOM), Shift Signalling Managers (SSM), Area Operation Possession Controllers (AOPC), roster clerks operations clerks, Trust Delay Attribition Clerks (TDA) and even major station staff. Moving the motion to set up an organising committee Bob Cross, Stockport and District said that the primary role of conference under Rule 12 (4) was to report and make recommendations to the union to increase membership penetration. This included measuring the strengths and weaknesses of union structures which have a role in organisation, making resources available for organisation and education work, increase data handling skills and best practice for early recruitment via schools and first contact. “An important feature of this work is the mapping exercises required to measure the density of membership. “For instance, if 15 out of 30 signallers in an area are members are members then density would be 50 per cent and I’m sure we can all do better than that,” he said. He also covered the important of data protection as trade union membership was a private matter and, as a result, care should be taken to delete old lists and membership records should be kept up to date. “We must also cover all inductions at signalling schools and local reps must speak to new starters when they arrive in an area as a matter of course,” he said. RMT assistant general secretary Eddie Dempsey backed the call by warning that maximum membership would be required in the upcoming fight for jobs and decent conditions as the government was demanding a reduction of state funding to Network Rail by two billion pounds. ORGANISING SIGNALLERS Signalling and operations grades to discuss recruitment, training and organising