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RMT LGBT Conference 2012 Motions

There were six motions at the LGBT conference this year. All were passed. The motion "International LGBT Rights" and "Diversity Role Models: tackling homophobia through education" were voted to go before the unions AGM. The others will be discussed by the unions Executive.

RMT LGBT Conference 2012 Report

RMT LGBT Conference at Jury’s Inn, Southampton 18th May 2012 Report by Jo Parry.

A total of 23 delegates took part in this year’s conference the largest delegation that I can recall in the last few years. (29 were registered to attend). 7 delegates where from London Transport Region. 4 female delegates were on the list to attend; however, yet again I was the only female delegate to actually turn up.

Stratford No 1 Branch Minutes April 2012

Original branch minutes are attached below

Branch Secretary: Terry O’Neill. Branch Chairperson: Adrian Finney ,
Branch Minutes: Thursday April 12 th 2012

17.10 hrs Meeting opens.

Previous Minutes Adopted

1. Matters Arising:
Branch Balance & end of year and future financing. £1000.00 Out £900 in Branch Banner to be considered in late 2012 Reliability Rainbow guidelines. Tommo to email Rainbow. E-mail TFC for information Two Retirments in May, Glasses and globes plus £100 each Order retirement forms for Reps.Ray Johnston and Mike Beament

Gay Cure Adverts Banned From London Buses

An advertising campaign was to be run on TfL buses promoting a supposed 'Gay Cure' for Christians who wanted to be straight. The ad would have been worded "Not gay! Post-gay, ex-gay and proud. Get over it!" This was in response to Stonewalls recent bus campaign 'Some people are gay, get over it!'

The adverts were booked by the 'Core Issues Trust' whose leader, Mike Davidson, believes "homoerotic behaviour is sinful".

UN Secretary General Says 'Time Has Come' To End Violence And Discrimination Against LGBT People

Earlier this month UN General Secretary Ban Ki Moon told delegates of a Human Rights Council meeting that the time has come to end violence and discrimination against LGBT people around the world.

All Out, who campaign around the world for LGBT freedoms have made a remix video of the speech.

Moon said "We see a pattern of violence and discrimination directed at people just because they are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender. People have been imprisoned, tortured, even killed."

RMT to Include Sexual Orientation Option on Membership Form

Council of Executives decision:

We instruct the General Secretary to make the following amendments to the draft membership form.

  1. Number the new section ‘Sexual Orientation’ ‘5’, and renumber subsequent sections 5 and 6 as 6 and 7 respectively.
  2. Replace the sentence ‘If you wish for the RMT to contact you with information about union LGBT activities, then please tick here’ with ‘If you wish RMT to contact you with information about union activities for lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender members, please tick here’

Unions Oppose TfL Attempt to Divide Equalities

RMT General Grades Committee decision:

We note the documentation on file regarding TfL’s proposal to divide its Equality and Inclusion team into two parts, one for staff issues and one for service delivery. We endorse the objections that staff side have raised to this proposal. We further believe that this division inaccurately implies a significant difference between equalities issues facing workers and those facing passengers, whereas workers and passengers share similar a interest in an accessible, non-discriminatory transport system.

RMT Membership Form – Disclosure Option Of Sexual Orientation

The RMT have written to other unions to find out whether they ask for disclosure of members sexuality on membership forms. This follows a motion which passed through the LGBT conference in 2011 asking that a voluntary question be added.

Of 54 unions asked, 27 responded. 11% ask the question on the membership form with a further 11% asking members in other ways such as through an equalities questionnaire.