Disabled people and members

Shocking rise in hate crimes toward disabled people on the rail network shows we need more staff on stations and trains says RMT

The shocking rising level of hate crime toward disabled people travelling on Britain’s railways is a wake-up call to the industry to stop the cost-cutting that has emptied staff from trains and stations said RMT General Secretary Mick Cash today.

New figures published by the Department for Transport have shown that hate crimes toward disabled people traveling on the rail network have risen by 24% in the last three years. (1)

[held via Zoom]

The meeting was chaired by our newly-elected Chair, David King, and attended by sixteen Committee members from around the country. Ian Allen attended from the National Executive, but the General Secretary did not attend or send a replacement or apologies.

We began by paying tribute to DMAC member Steve Conway, who had recently died. The meeting was silent for one minute.

NEC REPORT

Dear Colleague,

OSIME BROWN: URGENT ACTION

The union is supporting the campaign to stop the deportation of Osime Brown, a 21-year-old, black, autistic, learning-disabled man imprisoned on a 'joint enterprise' conviction for being present when a mobile phone was stolen. Osime has been given a date of 7 October for his release from prison into the custody of the immigration service in preparation for his deportation to Jamaica.  We have to act urgently.

Seven resolutions were passed on from DMAC to the NEC from their last meeting (you can read them here).  The following reports from the Equal Rights Sub-Committee were noted and adopted by the National Executive Committee (24^th July 2020):

DISABLED MEMBERS IN SCOTLAND

Terms of reference / forum functioning

• The RMT equality audit is attached and can be downloaded to read and share.

We held a minute’s silence for people affected by Covid-19.

Updates on previous resolutions:

1. DISABLED MEMBERS IN SCOTLAND

2. REFLECTION ROOMS

3. DISABLED PASSENGERS AND TIMETABLE CHANGES

4. CENTENARY OF THE BLIND PEOPLE'S MARCH

5. CONFERENCE CHAIR'S EXPENSES

6. COVID-19, DISABLED MEMBERS AND CARERS

7. ONLINE TRAINING ON DISABILITY

1. DISABLED MEMBERS IN SCOTLAND

TfL’s Diversity and Inclusion team held an online meeting on 20 May. This was not a form Equality, Diversity and Inclusion forum, and included various participants as well as D&I management and trade unions.