Notting Hill Gate's GSM has been refusing to implement a rest day roster for reserve staff, in the mistaken belief that he is entitled to do so unilaterally.

This section of the General Secretary's report to RMT's 2009 AGM about women's issues contains some issues particularly pertinent to London Underground station and revenue staff ...

Pregnant Women and Nursing Mothers - Rest Facilities

The lack of suitable rest facilities for pregnant women and nursing mothers was fully aired during the debate at last year's AGM. As a result of the resolution carried, I wrote to all lead officers instructing them to raise the points of the resolution to ensure all companies are complying with their legal obligations under health and safety laws.

If you are a full-time reserve member of staff, then it is possible that sometimes, you might work more or fewer than you contracted hours because your group's admin give you more longer shifts than shorter ones or vice versa.

This is dealt with by looking at your hours over 12-week periods.

If you are a member of reserve station staff, you get your advance duties, then go on annual leave, then come back from your leave and turn up to work to find out that those duties have been changed, you will know how difficult and frustrating this situation can be.

If a member of reserve staff works more than their contracted hours over a 12-week period, s/he is paid for the extra hours at overtime rate. At June's Stations & Revenue Council, RMT proposed that if the individual staff member wanted to, s/he should be able to take time off in lieu instead.

London Underground management has admitted that it does not employ enough reserve station staff to cover all the duties that need covering. This means that it either relies on existing staff doing overtime, or it leaves duties uncovered, sometimes resulting in ticket offices being closed, staff working alone, or stations left completely unstaffed.

This week, I have been out of London at RMT's Annual General Meeting in Nottingham. I am one of eight delegates from the union's London Transport region who met up with over 50 delegates from the rail, maritime and transport industries around the country to make the union's policies.

Over the next few days, i will post on this blog reports of what we discussed and decided. I'll report on my contributions to the deliberations - after all, since union members elected me to go and represent you, you are entitled to know what I got up to!

RMT's Annual General Meeting, a national gathering of delegates held in Nottingham this week, has passed a resolution demanding more rights for reserve staff. The resolution, which was submitted by the union's Women's Conference, is as follows:

• Duties, notice, changes
• Your working hours
• Where you work
• Facilities

RMT has produced Oyster-sized booklets telling reserve station staff your rights. The booklets set out the limits within which management can mess you around, and tell you your rights to notification of duties and several other issues.

If you have not yet got a booklet, get one from your RMT rep. Reps who need more copies can contact the RMT Stations & Revenue Council reps.