RMT GOES FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH

RMT helpline 0800 3763706 :: september 2008 :: RMTnews 28 RMT GOES FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH Alan Pottage of the Organising Unit reports on how RMT has been able to build a bigger and stronger union RMT’s latest membership figures contrast sharply with the figures released this month for all unions in the UK. RMT figures show a remarkable increase of 75,575 in 2007 up to 81,039 in June 2008, whilst the UK national figure showed a slight overall decline minus 0.3 per cent. Some of increase in RMT membership is made up of the 2,500 OILC members who merged with the union on May 1 this year, but despite that positive development the increase is still the largest over the last six successful years since the organising unit was set up. The unit was created in September 2002 to give the union a much needed focus on recruitment and retention. It has an office base in London and a new facility that has just opened in Doncaster. There are six organisers – Donald Graham, Gerry Hitchen, Rob Conlin, Carolyn Siddall, Phil Boston and Dave Marshall. All are nationally mobile and could be working anywhere in the country helping our branches and Regional Councils organising success is very much down to a genuine team effort. RMT has always had a proud tradition of rank and file activity. In fact, it is the bedrock that the union is built on for the last 140 years or so. So it was a natural thing to do - to develop our organising strategy