PRESIDENT’S COLUMN

RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: july/aug 2025 :: RMTnews 27 I am honoured to open our annual general meeting in Glasgow which is the engine room of this union because the decisions we make matters to every single member and their families. The truth is our industries are changing. Technology, ownership models, legislation, climate demands, and workforce expectations are not distant issues. We can either wait to be shaped by change, or we can organise together and shape it ourselves. Our strength lies not just in numbers, but in experience, in skills, and in our collective voice. We don’t resist change out of fear. We engage with it because we know the cost of being excluded. We may need to evolve, to change, be brave, and consider partnerships that will strengthen us through common endeavour. We’ve seen what happens when workers are left out. When coal and steel communities were dismantled without a plan. When public services were carved up and sold off. When contracts were awarded to the lowest bidder, and workers were expected to make do with less. But we can see what happens when we act together. Public ownership is back on the agenda because we made it impossible to ignore. Now we face the challenge of making sure it’s a real shift in priorities: decent work, investment in skills, and a need to end outsourcing. Outsourcing has done untold damage as it fragments workforces, drives down pay and conditions, and allows employers to shrug off responsibility. Many politicians now in positions of power have told us they agree—have told the public they too want to end outsourcing. But words are not enough because ending outsourcing isn’t just the right thing to do—it’s a necessary step toward rebuilding a fair economy. We cannot allow ourselves to become complacent or distracted because the forces of deregulation, casualisation, and fragmentation have not gone away. They have merely adapted. Our task is to stay alert and unify our collective strength across all sectors we represent. That is how we honour our founding principles. And that is how we build a union not only fit for the future, but capable of shaping it. As we gather here, the world continues to face instability and violence. Nowhere is this felt more deeply than across parts of the Middle East, where innocent civilians are paying the highest price for conflicts they did not choose. As a union grounded in solidarity, we reaffirm our commitment to peace, to justice and to the protection of human life, wherever it is under threat. I would like to thank conference delegates who are representing branches with pride and purpose and to our dedicated union staff at Unity House and up and down the country. This union is what it is because of your work—seen and unseen. On behalf of all our members. So let us face the future with renewed energy and optimism in our collective ability. Thank you. George Welch This is a truncated version of the president’s AGM speech. President’s Column OPENING AGM to provide a safe working environment. His injuries included damage to the chest wall, right shoulder, left hip, right foot, and neck. The employer went on to accept responsibility for the incident, and our member later received an out-of-court settlement which reflected the severity of his injuries and the impact that they had on him personally and professionally. This case and the legal outcome demonstrates the importance of employers to maintain safe and well-lit staff facilities to protect workers from preventable accidents. Road traffic accident An RMT member who suffered whiplash injuries to her neck, shoulder and back has received compensation following a road traffic accident. The member was injured when another driver’s negligence caused a collision, leaving her with painful soft tissue injuries and disrupting both her personal life and work. Following her ordeal, the RMT member instructed personal injury experts at Thompsons Solicitors to bring a claim for compensation against the other driver’s insurers. The Defendant insurers were not prepared to meet a realistic value of the members claim and despite efforts to negotiate proceedings were issued in an effort to obtain a fair settlement. The Court assessed the claim, and the member was awarded a settlement of £2,700, which reflected the severity of her injuries and their impact on her day-to- day activities. Importantly, no deductions were made from this sum thanks to her union membership. Cases such as this underscore the value of the union’s legal service in supporting members who are injured both in and outside of the workplace.