Black and ethnic minority members

A letter from London Transport Regional Council's Secretary John Reid, to all members

The racist EDL is threatening to march through the streets of Walthamstow on Saturday the 27th October. They were stopped in September and we vow to stop them again in October and whenever they rear their ugly heads.

The EDL claims to be non-racist and non-fascist, yet their numbers are made up of many of the same people who have previously been in the ranks of fascist and racist organisations.

From London Transport Region's Executive Member Janine Booth

TRAINING COURSES

RMT is running weekend courses at the Doncaster National Education Centre, as follows:
Women's training, 16-18 November and again in 2013
Black & Ethnic Minority training: early 2013
Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgender training: mid 2013
The union also plans a week-long Equality At Work course.

RMT has developed a two-day Disability Awareness course, which will be offered to regions.

WOMEN

RMT activists took part in a rally to block the fascist far-right English Defence League from demonstrating in Walthamstow. Hundreds of anti-fascists, trade unionists, faith and community organisations also took part in the event in east London.

Members of the RMT - amongst them several LGBT activists carried the unions LGBT banner.

This RMT Executive decision maintains the same ratio of seats to members, but increases the maximum per region from 5 to 6 and introduces a minimum of 2:

That after reviewing the number of Black and Ethnic minority members, we recommend to the Council of Executives that for the period of office from 1st January 2013 to the 31st December 2015 there will be a minimum of two delegates and a maximum of six delegates per Regional Council Area based upon one delegate per 150 members.

National Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Advisory Committee

In the absence of statistics as to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender membership, we reaffirm the existing basis of election to this Advisory Committee as up to five delegates per Regional Council area. This is to be reviewed prior to the next election in 2015.

Branches, Regional Councils and current members of our National Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Advisory Committee to be advised.

National Women’s Advisory Committee

The following resolutions were passed at this month's regional council meeting.

London Underground Train Operations Support Managers chairing case conferences - Hammersmith & City branch
This regional council believes the new policy of allowing TOSM’s to chair case conferences is outside the current attendance procedure and we believe this to be the thin edge of the wedge.
It is not acceptable for LUL just to change a policy or procedure by sending a letter to head office and stating it has been agreed.

The regional BEM have requested that the union make available the RMT ‘Rail Cleaner Charter’, of which there are limited copies, until we get more printed please see and pass around the attached digital version or see: http://www.rmt.org.uk/Shared_ASP_Files/UploadedFiles/EEF98ADF-817B-49D0-...

The RMT is demanding that the cleaners, who do some of the dirtiest jobs often in appalling conditions to keep the tube running, should receive in return:

Several resolutions from equality advisory committees have been discussed by the RMT's Council of Executives at its Statutory Meetings, June 2012. These include:

• Relationship With The United Nations
• Rmt Representation At Btuc Lgbt Conference - Gender Quotas
• Venues Of Rmt Lgbt National Advisory Committee Meetings
• National Black And Ethnic Minority Members Adivsory Committee Deputy
• Role Of Local Black And Ethnic Minority Secretary
• Liaison Officer Post
• Police Brutality And Deaths At The Hands Of The Police
• Police Corruption
• Black And Ethnic Minority Executives

  continue reading to see the decisions made

We note the report, and that we can not consider this resolution in full.

However, we also note the sentiments and proposals in the earlier part of the resolution, and agree that RMT should seek to send a full delegation to TUC Black Workers' Conference.

The iconic image of John Carlos & gold medallist Tommie Smith making their protest against racism, poverty & injustice from the podium at the 1968 Mexico Olympics remains as powerful today as it ever was. On 21 May 2012, John Carlos addressed a meeting organised by RMT and spoke about what motivated him then & how things are today.