RMT
RMT: Democratic union composed of over 60,000 members which work in almost every sector of the transport industry - from the mainline railway, the underground, shipping, buses and road freight. All of which play a vital role in keeping Britain's people and goods on the move.
Key objective: Protecting and bettering our members' pay.
Negotiates on their behalf with over 150 transport sector companies - using every opportunity to drive home our positive agenda for better pay, shorter hours and safer working conditions. Every RMT member can rely on their union to protect and promote their interests in the workplace, whatever their race, gender or sexual orientation.
RMT is an independent trade union with roots going back to the 1870s. Our 60,000 members represent workers from rail, shipping, road and associated industries. We negotiate on their behalf with some 150 employers.
Our aim as the largest specialist transport trade union is to protect and promote our members' interests in every part of the transport industry by :
• Negotiating to improve their pay and conditions
• Ensuring health and safety is at the forefront of working practices
• Encouraging employers to adopt best practice in relation to Equal Opportunities
• Being first choice for members delivering high quality and cost effective services
• Advancing policies, through political and industrial influence to promote better public transport
Our members belong to 270 Branches that, in turn, are grouped under 11 Regional Councils. All have the opportunity to play a full part in the life and policy formation of the union.
• RMT News sent direct to your home address
• Full access to RMT web site
• Annual diary
• Branch and other meetings.
We also provide a full range of financial and other services through Unity Bank. These include:
• mortgages
• stakeholders pensions and financial planning
• credit cards
• motor insurance
• road rescue
• personal loans
• home insurance
• travel insurance
• mobile phones
Accident
Calculated at 10 times the weekly contribution for up to 26 weeks if injured in the course of employment, or travelling to or from work. Payable at the end of incapacity, or after 26 weeks, whichever is the sooner. No claim shall be entertained unless a report of the circumstances of the case is given to your Branch Secretary within 6 months of the date of the accident.
Death benefit
£350 to nearest relative or legal representative if death occurs through any cause prior to retirement.
Orphan
£8.50per week per child up to 16 years of age; £12.75 per week per child continuing to receive full-time education up to 22 years of age, payable on member's death. Additional £4.25 per week may be paid up to 16 years of age if both parents are deceased.
Retirement
On retirement at normal age, or earlier if permanently incapacitated due to ill health or retired under redundancy and resettlement arrangements when over 55 years of age, benefit calculated at the rate of £3 for each completed year's membership after 1January 1965, and completed years membership of the Disablement Fund prior to that time.
Permanent downgrading or demotion
£250 on permanent downgrading or demotion due to personal accident, sickness or physical defect.
Rail users face more misery
Strikes planned for next week look set to go ahead after talks between South West Trains and the Rail, Maritime and Transport union ended without agreement.
Only one in ten trains were running across southern England and into London’s Waterloo Station on the second day of a strike over pay.
Services will be severely disrupted again next Monday and Tuesday because of a fresh 48-hour walkout.
Vernon Hince, acting general secretary of the RMT, spent more than two hours negotiating with company bosses in London but the meeting ended without agreement.
Mr Hince said: "We are extremely disappointed that once again we have been unable to make any headway at the negotiating table."
SWT had urged the union to postpone next week's strikes to allow negotiations to take place and avoid "unnecessary disruption" to its 350,000 passengers.
It also wanted the union to consult all its members about a pay offer instead of just a "handful of activists".
The rail company insisted it had met the union's pay claim in full offering a 7.6% rise over 18 months in line with an increase paid to train drivers.
An SWT official said: "They refused and hardened their negotiation position. It was clear that the RMT is not seeking an early resolution to the dispute and is intent on causing maximum disruption."
A major sticking point remains the downgrading of RMT activist Greg Tucker from a train driver to a ticket collector which SWT insists followed a safety-related incident.
The company said it had offered an independent reassessment of Mr Tucker in December 2002 and promised he could return to his job as a driver if he passed but said the union rejected this.
The RMT union has also rejected a 7.6% pay increase over two years and is holding out for the deal to cover 18 months, similar to an agreement with SWT drivers.
PAT: Professional Association of Teachers
The Professional Association of Teachers (PAT) is an independent trade union and professional association for teachers, head teachers, lecturers; education support staff (PAtT) and, in our Professional Association of Nursery Nurses (PANN) section, nursery nurses, nannies and other childcarers.
DEALING WITH CHALLENGING BEHAVIOUR IN THE CLASSROOM:
A free open meeting in Derby about supporting school children with challenging behaviour is being organised by Professionals Allied to Teaching (PAtT) – a section of the Professional Association of Teachers (PAT). Definition of Challenging Behaviour – which is aimed at teachers, teaching assistants, nursery nurses and other education and childcare professionals – will take place at () on Thursday 17 January from 7.00 pm to 9.00 pm.
Held in conjunction with , the meeting will be run by nationally experienced trainer Sharon Powell, a qualified nursery nurse and registered nurse for people with learning difficulties. Topics covered by Definition of Challenging Behaviour will include causes of challenging behaviour and supporting children with challenging behaviour and ASD (Autistic Spectrum Disorder).
Free of charge, the meeting is open to non-members as well as members of PAT and its PAtT and PANN (Professional Association of Nursery Nurses) sections. For further information, or to register to attend, contact Professional Officer Tricia Pritchard on 01332 372337, e-mail or see the PAT/PAtT Web site (www.pat.org.uk). For further information about BILD, see .
Notes
A section of PAT, provides union services for education support staff working alongside teachers in schools and colleges or providing peripatetic education services. Its current/potential members include: teaching and classroom assistants, school and college laboratory technicians, secretaries and administration staff, librarians, finance managers, bursars, careers advisers, ICT support staff, sports coaches, nurses and care assistants; education officers and consultants; education social workers; and prison and hospital education professionals.
