Stockport
& District Branch
Newsletter
Issue 9
February
2016
20 years since privatisation 4 February 2016
RMT calls for an end to "legalised larceny" on the tracks
as today marks twentieth anniversary of rail privatisation.
General Secretary Mick Cash said "Today marks
two decades of privatisation and the legalised larceny on our
railways which has bled billions of pounds away in profits while
passengers are condemned to travel in rammed-out, unsafe,
clapped-out trains.
Training Courses for Reps
RMT has invested in training reps and activists across the UK, both
at the Bob Crow National Education Centre (Doncaster) and at
Regional Offices.
At the new North West Regional Office in Liverpool,
the next new & potential reps course is 24 & 25 February.
The next Network Rail advocacy course is 7 & 8 September.
North West Regional Office–John MacDonald training suite
"Twenty years of profiteering
by greedy private operators has left Britain, the nation that gave
the railways to the world, jammed in the slow lane. The only answer
is a reversal of the great rail rip-off and a return to public
ownership."
Branch
meetings Thursdays
11 Feb, 10 March
7 April, 5 May,
9 June, 14 July
6pm.
Armoury
Inn, Shaw Heath
Congratulations
for 40 years’ membership in 2015
William
Flitcroft, Edgeley 2 Signaller
Robert
Briggs, Edgeley 1 Signaller
Paul
Royce, Snr Telecoms Technician
David
Birchall. Telecoms Technician
Tommy
Blower, Guide Br Relief signaller
25
years’ membership
Gerald
Carr, Longsight OHLE.
Stephen
Beer, Piccadilly S&T
Neil
Burton, Stockport S&T MANCHESTER STOCKHOLM ROAD
Jason
Kilner, Manchester ROC
Robert
Gardner, Manchester Piccadilly SCC
Matthew
Spooner, Stockport MDU
John
Barrington, Stockport MDU
Lee
Middleton, Manchester South SCC
David
Clare, Longsight OHLE. MANCHESTER LONGSIGHT OHL DEPOT
Contact numbers
North West Regional Office
0151 236 3912
Branch Contacts
[email protected]
Bob Cross Secretary 07860
500819,
Stuart Reid Chair 07976
423577
Signalling - Martin Russell
07769597853
Maintenance -Dave Whittingham
07825375124
Women’s Officer -
Marian Spittlehouse 077917 69418
Union Learning -Pete Gaskell,
07811 713274
Representation
Your RMT reps continue to represent members day in, day out, across
the area with individual grievance cases, and at harassment, welfare
and discipline hearings as well as giving advice and help. Make sure
you have your RMT rep’s contact number to hand should you need
them and never go into an investigation without a trained rep.
PDTA rates – Network Rail
On Operations the daily cap is £18.24 as from July 2015. The
mileage rate is 52p.
Maintenance rates are capped at £11.82 per day and 33p / mile
and have not been increased for years but RMT continue to press for
rates to be standard across NR. Maintenance are currently treated as
the poor relation.
A long standing PDTA claim was progressed in the autumn with backpay
of over £7000 paid to our member.
PDTA cases for the closure of King Street (May 2012) are still being
dealt with by your union.
All affected members are now advised to fill in a L2 legal claim
form and return it to Regional Office.
Ex Jarvis Operative rates of pay.
A further 60 claims for Wilmslow members were
settled via Thompsons, the RMT Solicitor. Around 30 outstanding
claims are still being processed by the union. The correct Operative
rate of pay for NW1416 Trackman 1 is £21,880. Any
remaining members who are still on the lower NW1415 Trackman Basic
rate should contact their rep ASAP.
Promotion – Claiming
the rate of pay
The
Signaller’s Restructuring Initiative 1994 (part of conditions
of service) entitles a signaller to claim the grade of their new
location 13 weeks from the date the job was first advertised. The
union are finding more members are in this position due to the
length of time NR recruitment processes can take.
In one recent case a member was
able to claim over £1500 backpay which was refused before
being taken to a higher level by the union.
Legal representation
Recently two members dismissed have had a tribunal hearing and been
represented by RMT legal team. They were successful with their
cases and achieving a fair settlement. Remember RMT covers members’
legal costs which are out of the reach of most working people. Unity
is Strength.
H&S conference 2016
A number of local H&S reps have booked for this conference –
the theme this year is Cancer at Work, Cancer at Home. Each year the
conference has a different theme to help reps support members in the
workplace.
Most employers support the role of H&S rep and grant paid
release and accommodation for reps to attend this important training
event and conference.
Ill Health Severance Quotes
All Ill health Severance quotes should be checked by RMT Regional
Office.
A recent quote on maintenance was increased from £8k to £26k
then further to £34k when it was checked and challenged by RMT
Officials.
Reps Vacancies
Wilmslow PWay Industrial (Production) Rep
Guide Bridge PWay Industrial and H&S Rep
Deal Street PWay Industrial and H&S Rep
High Peak Signallers – Local Rep
Macclesfield & Stockport Stns –
Virgin West Coast – Local Reps
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