Final Minutes 4 December 2014

Unite Senior reps meeting 1100 4th Dec 2014 Holborn Final Minutes.
Attendees
Bro. Andrew Fielding (Chair)
Bro. Don Seaman
(Vice Chair + Note taker)
Bro. Mark Etherington
Bro. Paul Sheppard
Bro. Ian Park
Bro. Jon Smith
Bro. Terry Hand
Bro. Rob Lowman
Bro. James Reid
Bro. Martin Peck
Bro. Lee Loveday
Bro. John Sessions
Bro. Robin Grice Venour
Bro. Les Allen
Bro. Colenzo Jarrett-Thorpe (Afternoon Session).
Bro. Perry Hilton. (In part)
Apologies:
Bro. Perry Hilton attending a consultation meeting in King Cross for the new
proposed skills assessment scheme.
Bro. Brett Cornwall Romford ECRO Health and Safety rep - non release.
Sis. Margaret Anslow Health and Safety Scotland-broken wrist.
Bro. John Silverton: Retired no longer active.
Introductions: Went round the room introducing and stating their
representative capacity in Network Rail for Unite.
Previous meeting minutes and all documentation from the last 6 months were
included in a pack supplied on a memory stick for representatives to peruse at
their Leisure. In future this will be published on the website, and all
documents will be issued as they are received from the company/source.
The Unite Network Rail part of the website is now back up and running, but
behind your member logon. This will need updating as a reference tool for 2013
and 2014, as the site was effectively closed from 2012 to date. We are
awaiting information on who to liaise with to perform updates.
There were complaints about the progression and supply of minutes and
documentation from meetings. They should be sent by whoever attends the
meetings to all who are concerned from either Health and Safety or Industrial
Relations.
This was broadly agreed but a word of caution was offered by the chair about
how much information and documentation was available for publication.
Suggested that Full time union representatives are the thing to aim for, it
was agreed this was where we would like to be, and maybe then we could
organise more effectively and better recruit new members.
Assessment in the Line changes were discussed, Perry Hilton was at a meeting,
about this issue currently.
Electronic Vehicle License Checking.
The general position of the representatives was that the company has
overstepped the mark in not consulting the staff on passing on members details
to a third party. The external company has also sent every staff member
regardless of whether they drive for the company or not, a check form, and
this was considered inappropriate and a waste of money, they could have
trawled for those who drive on duty only.
Joint Working Group and Pay.
The company during June and July 2014 had tried to carry out collaboration
with the trade unions to look at cost saving measures that staff members could
offer to the company. The RMT executive decided to withdraw from the
discussions. This lead to early pay talks in mid October 2014 where the
company pointed out that there was no money available for pay rises in the
current climate, and that any pay rise should be self funded (productivity)?
The mood expressed in the room was that we should not accept any form of
agreement on productivity and consider a ballot for industrial action should
the company not be forthcoming with an annual cost of living increase.
There is a new meeting planned in the afternoon of the 17th December 2014 when
we may discover more. Operations bargaining group decided to rehash their pay
claim, before resubmission. Maintenance already submitted a suitable
satisfactory claim and are awaiting a response.
Adjourned for Lunch 1310
Colenzo Jarrett-Thorpe (CJT) joined for the afternoon session.
Reconvened 1340
Safe Work Leader and the demise of the COSS.
The new safe work leader has according to the company been successfully
consulted to the trade unions. All received documentation has been included
in the pack. The company seems to be pushing through this change with a steam
roller. This major change in safety culture has been argued against
vehemently, as we have no confidence in the systems and methodology presented
by the company. This was the general view expressed by the delegates.
National Rail Conference.
The national unite meeting held in Ron Todd House in Islington on the 22
October 2014, was attended by some 23 delegates from across the rail industry.
Presentations were given by Unites researcher Colin Potter, who covered things
like pay submissions, and, facts about Rail industry companies. Susan Murray
followed with a broad safety presentation. Unite has membership in train
operating companies, there were delegates from East Midlands Trains, First
Great Western and others. Train manufacturers, Bombardier, Network Operators,
Network Rail, Euro tunnel. The meeting was hosted by Colenzo Jarrett-Thorpe.
The meeting has the makings of a rail combine proper, and will be organised
again in the future. There was a great deal of feeling that rail had been
neglected across Unite, expressed by all delegates.
CJT spoke about organising in Network Rail at great length, the membership
needs mapping and all representatives should get involved with this,
Strategies should be designed and put in effect, the web site should be
improved further from its current state, bulletins should be produced and
published on a three monthly basis, sent out regularly. It was stated that a
motion had been submitted asking for more support for rail from at least three
RISC, to the DRFW NISC, asking for more union support. CJT stated we were not
likely to get a full time national rail officer, and that he (CJT) had been
appointed for 4 months to help our rail sector to organise further.
It was suggested we should sell our union as the Skilled and Technical union
in the rail industry as this is where our heart and tradition lies. It was
decided that Andy Fielding and Don Seaman would commence the mapping on their
next free day on the 18th December with CJT in Holborn. From this further
questions will be addressed to the area representatives. It was also
suggested that the work load in the Network Rail sector should be shared out
further around all activists/representatives.
Fair culture and the re-launch of the national agreement will take place on
the 12th December at the Pullman hotel in Euston. Tony Murphy and Susan Murray
will attend along with John Sessions, Andy Fielding and Don Seaman. The three
members of staff are invited to dinner in the Thistle Hotel on the evening of
the 11th December. Andy intends to challenge the Fair Culture of Network Rail
with the Chief Executive Mark Carne, about Unite staff not having full time
release for union duties.
OCR and its collective bargaining position is being challenged by CJT, who has
written an email to SB requesting what the OCR position is in the company TU
recognition procedure. Expressions were made about bullying and harassment in
OCR being rife.
2015 meeting dates are still to be finalised, notification will follow to all
once they are decided. We will try and organise more frequent meetings.
Perry Hilton joined the meeting about 1420, bringing back news of the Skills
Assessment Scheme, apparently the consultation was not concluded, and the
trade unions had expressed concern over the way the company is watering down
the skills assessment system, which causes great concern. Another meeting is
planned for the 14th January 2015.
There being no further business the meeting closed at 1530.

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