Section 10.1(a) of the Employment Relations Act 1999 states:

Right to be accompanied

(1) This section applies where a worker—

(a) is required or invited by his employer to attend a disciplinary or grievance hearing, and

(b) reasonably requests to be accompanied at the hearing.

Click '2 attachments' / file names to download this guide as a PDF, and to download the level 1 referral form.

As a Representative you are entitled to have a Level 1 meeting with your employing manager (GSM/TOM/SCM) four times a year ie. every three months. Ensure that the GSM/TOM sticks to this schedule.

Look at the details of how the job-cuts plan affects your group.

• You can download the group reorganisation plan here: http://www.rmtplatform.org.uk/node/714.
• You can see the planned ticket office opening (or closing!) hours on LU's intranet.
  

To all RMT workplace representatives

Want to communicate more effectively with the RMT members you represent? Want to be able to report back on negotiations and other union duties, explain how management's latest plans affect your particular workplace, put together an attractive newsletter? Maybe you understand the importance of effective printed material but feel you don't have the skills to do it yourself?

Venue: Exmouth Arms, Star Cross Street, near Euston

This workshop is a must for all workplace RMT representatives. Go through the basics of being an effective workplace representative if you are new in the post - and polish up your skills if you are long in the tooth!

This training workshop will look at:

• the various duties of a union rep
• where you can get help, advice and support
• how the machinery of negotiation works
• what a 'referral' is and how to fill one in
• the role of your branch and your grades committee

And there will be useful materials for you to take away with you.

This workshop is also running on the following afternoon in east London - details here.

Today I received a new leaflet from Steve Headley of which I have printed out around a 1000 of I will be handing these out on the trains on the way to work and slipping them inside of copies of the metro as and when i get a chance.

Dear Colleagues,

I am hearing more and more reports of members being called to attend fact-finding interviews whilst being denied RMT representation.

I have recently been given a document which comes with a message from the General Secretary on one side, and a proforma on the other. I have copied the proforma into a word document and attached it below. As soon as I am able I shall attach a pdf document with this blog entry. Please find the attached word document, and use it whenever necessary.

GENERAL REPRESENTATIVES TRAINING 2010 - EDUCATION, ORGANISATION & AGITATION
National Education Centre, Doncaster

Bob Crow writes ...

I have arranged a series of training courses for our elected representatives that will be held throughout the first quarter of 2010.

The courses are for our reps who have never attended a five day RMT residential before.

Venue: ex-Services Club, Harvey Road, Leytonstone - map here.

All London Underground RMT reps (indusrial relations, not health and safety) are released from duty to attend our meeting to discuss London Underground's pay offer, as follows:

Tuesday 6 October, 11am
Mahatma Gandhi Hall, Indian YMCA
Fitzroy Square, near Warren Street

• Nominations open: Thursday 3rd September
• Nominations close: Wednesday 14th October
• Ballots open: Thursday 22nd October
• Ballots close: Wednesday 2nd December

To stand for the Stations and Revenue Council, you must be a level one representative. Two posts will be elected, both to serve a term of three years: 2010, 2011, 2012.

If management schedule a meeting with a member of staff at which s/he is entitled to be represented -
eg. LDI, case conference, grievance hearing, appeal, flexible working discussion, etc - on the local union rep's rest day, then either
(a) the rep will attend and be allocated an alternative rest day; or
(b) the meeting should be rescheduled to a day on which the rep is at work.

If you are a union rep, and management schedule your union duties outside you rostered hours - eg. arranging a member's LDI at 16:00 on a day when you are on an early turn finishing at 15:00 - then you should get "time off in lieu". Your union duties are part of the company's legal responsibilities, so should be carried out in their time, not yours.

This is London Underground's policy on facilities for union reps. If you are not getting all that you are entitled to, raise it with your employing manager, and also advise your branch secretary and Stations & Revenue Council reps.

It seems that some managers have decided that union reps have to keep their lips buttoned during disciplinary hearings, perhaps only allowed to say a few words at the end. This is not true.

Section 37 of the Employment Relations Act 2004 states that a companion is permitted to address the hearing in order to:
• put the worker’s case;
• sum up that case;

RMT has produced a series of briefings for reps to help you produce effective union newsletters for your stations or other workplace. Click on the following links to read and/or download the briefings:

• getting started
• grabbing attention
• ideas for content
• tips for text
• design tips

Regular Newsletter or One-Off Publication?

• A regular newsletter is, in general, more effective than a one-off publication. With a regular newsletter, you will build up recognition, interest and trust from staff. Staff become cynical if the union ignores them all year, then plies them with leaflets when there is an election or ballot coming up.
• As a workplace rep, you can improve union communication at a rank-and-file level.