AWARDS/MEDALS

RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: january/february 2025 :: RMTnews 28 RMT Cardiff Rail branch held a special event for Kelvin Lewis who has reached 60 years in membership. RMT assistant general secretary John Leach presented a special award and certificate with great pleasure. “Members like Kelvin are the bedrock of this union and feel honoured to be asked to present such an award,” he said. Kelvin started as an oiler in Tondu, straight from school all the way back in 1964! He went on to work as a guard on both freight and passenger and a station supervisor and most recently as a replacement bus coordinator. The group photo is all the other members of the branch who received 25-year badges including John Whitehead and Andrew Piper and10 year badges to Leighton Bryan, Mike Davies, Dave Barber and Juan Rodriguez also featured is Cardiff Rail branch chair Sean McCarthy. RMT Crewe No.1 branch celebrated a year of growing activity and recruitment with outgoing RMT president Alex Gordon at a Long Service Awards evening for two valued RMT members. Sally Vickers, a Guard with Transport for Wales, received her 10-year badge. RMT President, Alex Gordon presented Robert Brown, a Network Rail Signaller with a 40-year badge and medal as a mark of respect and gratitude for his loyalty to the union. Robert recalled that he had started work with British Rail in 1984 as ‘Messenger Boy’ and worked his way up. Alex congratulated Crewe No.1 branch secretary Rebecca Stokes on rebuilding a thriving all-grades RMT branch and bringing together rail workers including outsourced cleaning staff, Unipart Rail members fighting derecognition and RMT Reps from West Midlands Trains, Transport for Wales, Avanti West Coast and Network Rail. RMT North Wales Coast branch chair Paul Wild presented signaller Stuart Cawthray with his 40-year membership badge at his Llandudno Junction signal box recently. Paul said that one of the first questions Stuart asks any new starter or anyone new to our area is ''are you in RMT'' such is his dedication and support to our union. “During his forty years Stuart has worked in most of the signal boxes along the North Wales Coast.  “Thank you, Stuart, for your support to the union and good luck for the rest of your career,” he said. R MT branch chair Steve Loeber presents Tony Byrne, a member of Network Rail Ops based at Liverpool Street, with his badge for forty years of loyal membership. 60 YEARS! CREWE AWARDS WALES AWARD COLCHESTER AWARD