Voting papers are out soon in the RMT election for Assistant General Secretary. It is important that members vote whatever candidate they choose
However your branch has nominated Mick Lynch and would urge you to vote for him
For more information click the link below
Branches, Regional Councils & Regional Offices; Regional Officers
Dear Colleague,
ACAS EARLY CONCILIATION SCHEME UPDATE
Further to previous Circulars. In particular NP/038/14 AND NP/053/14 and the Conciliation Booklet prepared by our Legal Team with an Introduction from me I wish to draw your attention to the following changes.
Members who wish to submit an Employment Tribunal claim cannot do so unless they have notified ACAS of their potential claim and have sought Early Conciliation of the claim. They must do so before they can submit an ET1. They must get a Certificate of Conciliation from ACAS stating that they have tried to settle their case before they can submit an ET1.
Members must complete and submit an Early Conciliation Form (ECF) online. Please note this is separate form from an L2 (Union form requesting Legal Assistance) and an ET1 (Tribunal Application Form). The best way to register with ACAS is on line at: https://ec.acas.org.uk
Members who don’t have access to a computer may telephone ACAS to initiate conciliation on: 0300 123 1100.
When registering on line or by phone the member will be given a unique reference number e.g. R002979/15. If member does not have a reference then the case has in all likely hood not been registered.
Members do not need a certificate to proceed to a Tribunal from the ACAS Early Conciliation scheme in the following certain specified cases only:
It is essential that when completing a form or supplying information to ACAS the member uses the name and address of the employer that will eventually appear on the ET1, otherwise the claim could be rejected on the basis that the information provided is incorrect.
It is important that the Union meets the challenges that this system imposes and uses it to the benefit of our members. Therefore all Branches, Union Officers and Representatives must be vigilant and spot cases at the earliest possible opportunity. Early involvement of the Legal Department is vital if the Union is to avoid any complications.
You must refer the member as soon as practicable to your Regional Office after the member is dismissed and after the event complained of so that an L2 can be completed and sent to our legal team with the supporting paperwork. DO NOT WAIT UNTIL THE OUTCOME OF AN APPEAL before seeking Legal Advice.
Upon contact with the Regional Office the member will be provided with the L2 and associated forms, these will be sent to the Legal Department once signed off by the Regional Officer and he/she will be advised to contact ACAS by our Legal Team except in the case where the original time limit is close (within the week); in which case the Regional Staff will advise the member to do so to ensure that their claim is not out of time. It is easier to use online facilities wherever possible as there is then proof that ACAS have been contacted.
The Legal Department or Regional Office will supply the member with the details of the Union Officer who will be conciliating with ACAS on their behalf. If the member does not wish the Union to do so then they must do this themselves. The member will be required to give written authority for our Regional Officer to handle the conciliation. Please ensure that only a Regional Officer or person approved by our Legal Team is given to represent the member with ACAS. No other representative has authority to represent our member at ACAS unless approved. Unauthorised representatives should decline to act and if asked to represent must refer the member to the Regional Officer.
In response to feedback from users, ACAS have made some important revisions to the ACAS early notification form, both online and hard copy versions. These changes will make the process of notifying Acas faster and simpler.
They are:
The changes to the form have now gone live, and ACA will be posting regular updates on Twitter at @acasorguk (using the hashtag #earlyconciliation).
Initially when early conciliation was introduced The Union considered that the best way forward during this initial period was to have a specified team of Relief Officers who would be the Unions Conciliation Officers. Having reviewed the matter with our Regional Officers it has been agreed that with immediate effect our Regional Officers (set out below) will be responsible for conciliation with ACAS in liaison with our Legal Team.
No other officer or rep is permitted to do this on the Unions behalf without authorisation from me.
The Conciliation Officers are
Wessex; South West and South Wales: Mick Tosh; Brendan Kelly; Phil Bialyk.
London Transport; London Anglia & South Eastern: Brian Whitehead; Steve Smart; John Leach; Paul Cox.
Midlands; Yorkshire & N.East: Ken Usher; Dave Collinson; Micky Thompson.
Manchester; N.West; Liverpool & Scotland: John Tilley, Daren Ireland; Gordon Martin
It is always best to consult our Legal Team before contacting ACAS so that the Officers can ensure that the relevant and accurate information is given to ACAS so as to avoid future problems with an Employment Tribunal. Please note that the details of any ET1 form must match the details given to ACAS; so if a matter is not included in ACAS conciliation the member may have to make a further application for the ancillary matter; if it falls outside the limitation period it may be too late to do so.
Conciliation will take please within a month of notification. Our Officers must work closely with our Legal Team who, provided they get the paper work in time, will be able to assist our Officers with advice on the member’s case including its strengths and weaknesses and will be able to assist with settlement agreements and schedule of losses.
Should conciliation fail, the member will be given a certificate that conciliation is over. If the case is to proceed to a Tribunal this certificate must be submitted to the Tribunal with the ET1 and Remission form or fee. As soon as the member is given the certificate the limitation clock begins to run again; having stopped for the period of the conciliation.
Once a certificate of conciliation has been issued the ET1 must be submitted within 1 month or the period of the conciliation depending on when the certificate was issued. The calculation of this period can be complex and therefore it is important that if the legal team have not given an advice the papers are given to them immediately by the Regional Officer.
The primary limitation period of three months less one day stops whilst conciliation takes place. That is, the clock stops ticking for submitting an ET1 but begins again as soon as the certificate is issued.
Example 1:
Date of Dismissal /discrimination: 7th April 2015
Original Limitation: 6th July 2015
Date Early Conciliation lodged at ACAS 14TH April 2014 (DAY A): 15th April 2015
Date Certificate issued by ACAS (Day B): 12th May 2015
New Limitation date for ET1 to be lodged: 3rd August 2015
Example 2:
Date of Dismissal/Discrimination 7th April 2015
Original Limitation: 6th July 2015
Date Early Conciliation lodged at ACAS 12th May 2015 (Day A): 13th May 2015
Date Certificate issued by ACAS (DAY B):20TH May 2015
New Limitation date for ET1: 13TH July 2015
In order for this to work smoothly for the benefit of our members and to avoid problems with time limits and cases being struck out we need full cooperation from the Regional Offices; Officers; Branches and activists to reduce delays in seeking assistance from our Legal Teams.
Updated Training will be given to our Officers and Regional Office Staff where necessary. “The Employment Tribunal Process and Conciliation Guidance Booklet in procedure for regions reps and members” will also be amended to incorporate these changes.
I would be grateful if you could ensure that all your members and activists know this procedure please.
Yours sincerely
Mick Cash
General Secretary
Dear Colleagues,
The branch is holding a special meeting on Tuesday 20th January to discuss the below agreement with Tube Lines. It is vitally important that those affect try their best to attend so the branch can work and decide together the best way to take this matter forward. So if you are affected then please come and have your say in a democratic union.
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Dear Colleague,
CELEBRATING 100 YEARS OF WOMEN IN THE UNION
This year the union celebrates the 100th anniversary of women first joining the National Union of Railwaymen, one of the predecessors to the RMT. In 1915, with a backdrop of an increasing call for women’s equality and more women being employed within the industry due to World War I, the National Union of Railwaymen made the decision to recruit women. It is important that we use this anniversary, not just as a celebration, but to encourage women to progress within the union and to challenge discrimination that still lurks within our industries.
Many of our women members have stories to tell of the challenges they have faced being a woman in male dominated industries. Please do ask if they would share them with our Equal Opportunities Officer, Jess Webb (j.webb@rmt.org.uk), for publication in RMT News.
A logo has been produced for this year and I would ask that all activities by the union reference this celebration at every suitable opportunity throughout 2015.
| Yours,
Mick Cash General Secretary
|
John Reid has won the election for the post of Council of Executives for the LT Region by a massive majority
John romped to victory by some 1500 to 1000 and immediately thanked those that supported him and promised to serve all our members to the best of his ability.
The Branch and RMT Trade Union would like to wish everyone a prosperous, healthy and happy New Year
2014 has now passed and it is time to reflect on those friends that sadly left this life, Bob Crow and Tony Benn. Never forgotten, always missed and irreplaceable to the working class movement.
However, as 2015 is now upon us and the drive by the bosses and self interest based politicians to further attack our terms and conditions in the name of austerity will continue. We can save the bankers but if you work for City link and thousands of other firms, then you are alone. We are not in it together, the rich are in it for themselves and the poor up to their necks paying off a deficit whilst the rich just get richer. At the same time the gender pay gap has increased which surely after 40 years of the Equal Pay Act, must be a national disgrace. A political system that espouses equality must also show that it is and has achieved equality, otherwise it is just lip service
The only thing we can do is brush ourselves off, roll up our sleeves and get ready to defend what we have, get ready to fight for what we should have and show the ruling classes that they can stick their austerity where the sun doesn’t shine.
RMT Internal Structure
Further to Circular No. MF/131/14, 20th November 2014 and Decision No. CEww December 2014, the Council of Executives have agreed the enclosed consultation document at the statutory meeting in December.
The consultation document follows consideration to responses received up to 27th August 2014. The relevant documentation is also available on the Union’s website using the links below:
http://bit.ly/1kXxkU3 Circular MF/61/14 (with initial responses available to download as a PDF document).
http://bit.ly/1r0XDJd Reponses received after 1stNovember 2013 deadline.
http://bit.ly/1ymxxHI Reponses received to 27thAugust 2014.
http://bit.ly/1vmTgYY Consultation Document – Council of Executives’ Report following the December 2014 Statutory Meeting.
Should your Branch require a hard copy of the documentation above, please contact the Personnel and Constitution Department on 020 7387 4771.
In order to encourage participation in the consultation, the Council of Executives have endorsed the recommendation for regional councils to hold joint meetings of branches to allow council of executive members or national officers to brief branch chairs and secretaries. As previously advised, please liaise with the respective officers and members of the executive committee when arranging your meeting date.
Branch and regional council responses to the council of executives’ consultation document should be submitted to this office by Tuesday 24th February 2015 in order that they can be collated and presented to the executive committee at the Statutory Meeting in March 2015.
Yours sincerely
Mick Cash
General Secretary
LUEngineering Branch was proud to have the RMT General Secretary, Mick Cash, raise a glass to in remembrance to the sadly missed Bob Crow and Brian Munro prior to giving our branch members their long service awards. It has been a hard year for the union, but the loyalty shown by many of our members who attended to receive their awards shows the fighting spirit of our union is still going strong. There are actually 175 people due to receive a badge and the majority of the awards will be posted soon. However, it was nice to meet old friends and make new ones on what we hope was a night to remember for everyone.
John Reid would like to thank everyone for the massive support that he has so far received in his campaign to become the RMT Council of Executive Member (LT Region). He has already been supported by Branches representing the vast majority of members in our Region but now that needs to be turned into votes. He is getting excellent feedback and would like to thank those that have so far voted for him and would urge that everyone takes part in the democratic processes of our union. So if you haven’t voted so far then please send the form back asap
It has been brought to the attention of the branch that senior management figures (that are not members of the RMT) have a tendency to like to read our website to see what we are up to. It is quite straight forward really, we intend to build, organise and educate our members so that they can defend and hopefully exceed their pay and conditions. We intend to build on an idea of collective sense and bring collective bargaining rather than begging to the doors of all the employers in our sphere of influence. If you want to know if there are to be picket lines and industrial issues in your area, look in the mirror and reflect what type of employer you are, that will give you an idea of what the future may hold.
Our union is an Industrial Trade Union and here for and directed by our members, so please enjoy the website, but we will be adding far more into the members only area as time goes by
This took a LOT of editing
It is with great please that we can announce that Brian Whitehead has been re-elected as Relief Regional Organiser (South) by a massive majority of over 4000. Brian has said “I would like to thank everyone that voted for me and also thank the other candidates for making this an excellent campaign focused on issues that matter to our members”
Dear ALL,
The Exmouth Arms is shutting down, so for the next two Branch Meetings on Tuesdays 2nd December 2014 and 6th January 2015, the Branch will be moving to the One Tun Pub(Function Room) Near Farringdon
If the venue is fine then we will see if it can be booked for the year
The One Tun
125/6 Saffron Hill
London
EC1N 8QS
For Map for the venue Click here