ORGANISING BUS WORKERS

RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: may 2023 :: RMTnews 10 The 80th national industrial organising conference of bus workers meeting in Torquay was opened by former RMT regional organiser Phil Bialyk and now Labour leader of Exeter council. “I am proud to say that I remain an RMT member as leader of the council just like previous council leader Peter Edwards who was also bus worker,” he said. RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said that the union was committed to the bus sector and organising bus workers. “This union is seeking to raise the profile of people working in the industry and highlight the damage that bus privatisation has done which is failing to provide a reliable and universal services. “The private companies you work for such as Stagecoach, First and Go-Ahead are familiar across the transport industry. “Therefore, the problems of privatisation and the drive to drive down wages in the pursuit of profit are the same. “As a result, we are creating alliances with user groups and politicians where possible to actively campaign to win a better deal at work as well as increasing membership density. “We are campaigning for justice at work and for a fairer society in general and this union is at the forefront of that fight,” he said. RMT senior assistant general secretary Eddie Dempsey said that under the union’s rulebook Rule 12, Clause 4 the role of the organising conference was to build membership in the sector, educating and training reps and developing organising strategies. He made a detailed presentation on union membership density by region and by company and the number of activists and representatives. “We need to understand where we are in the industry and how to improve RMT’s profile and organisation. “We need to build our power in the workplace to provide a better deal for bus workers,” he said. Conference unanimously called for the creation of an organising committee for bus worker recruitment. Ed Sturgess, Newport Isle of Wight No2 said that the union was required a committee with a member within the bus industry from every region to oversee the recruitment and retention of members across the entire country. “It can ensure that conference has a regular role in carrying out organising responsibilities as set out in the rulebook. “We need to plan, map and sustain regular activity around issues that bus workers feel strongly about,” he said. Jason Gosling, Poole and District said that it was a ‘no- brainer’ to set up such a committee in order to co- ordinate recruitment and retention efforts. Lee Rundle, South Devon said that such as national committee needed to include all bus workers including engineers and cleaners as well as drivers. Alan Pottage of the organising unit said that mapping was important to identify who were members who was not in order to build the strength of the branches across the country. Lee Rundle said that the union needed to recruit ORGANISING BUS WORKERS Bus workers conference delegates discuss safety, training and organising