THE NATIONAL UNION OF RAIL, MARITIME & TRANSPORT WORKERS
Unity House, 39 Chalton Street, London, NW1 1JD
Tel: 020 7387 4771 Fax: 020 7387 4123
Helpline: 0800 376 3706
www.rmt.org.uk
Email:
AGENDA
OF THE
EIGHTY SECOND NATIONAL CONFERENCE OF
SIGNALLING AND OPERATIONS GRADES
To be held on
21st & 22nd February 2015
at
Imperial Hotel
Llandudno
Secretary:
Mr Alan Aitkenhead
37 Cookes Croft
Birmingham
B31 3XR
Tel: 07912291517 E-mail:
82nd NATIONAL CONFERENCE OF SIGNALLING &
OPERATIONS GRADES
The 82nd National Conference of Signalling & Operations Grades is to be at the Imperial Hotel on the 21st & 22nd February 2015, at Llandundo.
Conference will commence at 14.00hrs prompt on Saturday 21st and conclude at no later than 18.00hrs on that day. Conference will then resume at 10.00hrs prompt on the following day.
In Attendance:
General Secretary Brother Mick Cash
Officers
President Brother Phil Boorman (Ashford)
Vice President Brother Lee Acocks (South West Midlands)
Secretary Brother Alan Aitkenhead (Stratford-Upon-Avon)
Executive Committee
Scottish Region Brother John McDougall (Perth No1 Branch)
London Midland Region Brother Peter Thomas (Crewe Branch)
Eastern/Anglia Region Brother Nathan Gill (Wakefield and Healey Mills Branch)
Southern Region Brother David Filby (Three Bridges Branch)
Western Region VACANT
London Underground VACANT
The reception committee will available on Friday from 1200hrs to 1600hrs, at the Imperial Hotel and on Saturday from 1000hrs to 1200hrs
As agreed at our 1985 conference a voluntary contribution will be asked for from each delegate in respect of the presentation fund to be paid upon collection of the tickets by delegates. Please assist our colleagues in Llandundo and be in your places by 14.00hrs prompt on Saturday.
Regards,
Alan Aitkenhead
Conference Secretary
AGENDA
Saturday
1. Opening of Conference
2. Civic welcome by the Mayor of Llandundo
3. Conference President
4. Election of Tellers
5. Election of Harassment Officer
6. Election of Scrutineers
7. Minutes of Conference 2014 to be confirmed
8. Balance Sheet and Auditor’s report
9. Honorariums
10. Conference Executive Committee report
11. Conference Secretary’s report
12. Address by the General Secretary
13. Address by Lead Office John Tilley
14. Address by General Grades Committee Member
Sunday
15. Address by National President
16. Address by National Lay Council Representative Scotland, England & Wales
17. Address by National Lay Health & Safety Representative
18. Address by Emily King
19. Resolutions
20. Election of Officers
21. Resolutions to be submitted to the 2015 AGM
22. Venue for Conference 2016
23. Closing of Conference
Election of Officers 2015
Officer / Nominee / Branch / Nominated byPresident / No Nomination
Vice President / No Nomination
Secretary / No Nomination
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Scottish Region / John McDougall / Perth No 1 / Perth No 1
London/Midland / Pete Thomas / Crewe No1 / Crewe
North Staffs
Eastern/Anglia / Nathan Gill / Wakefield & Healy Mills / Wakefield & Healy Mills
Western Region / No Nomination
Southern Region / David Filby / Three Bridges / Three Bridges
L.U.L
Auditor / No Nomination
Auditor / No Nomination
CONFERENCE
2016 / No Nomination
Resolutions
Annual Leave Matrix
1. Submitted by Three Bridges Branches.
“This conference calls upon the Council of Executive to negotiate with Network Rail to bring the signalling grades in line with other grades in terms of replacing/scrapping the unfair annual leave matrix that leaves our grade feeling like second class employees of Network Rail. This has been a long running aspiration of this conference and it is now more than time to bring this matter to a fair conclusion.
With the new Regional Operating Centres now going ahead we have many grades all working in one place and all bar the signalling grade are in receipt of either 28 days annual leave for under 10 years service or 30 days for over 10 years service., we believe it is now more than time to bring this anomaly to an end.”
Signalling Recruitment Selection
2. Submitted by Wakefield & Healey Mills Branch.
“We call upon the C of E to raise this issue with Network Rail as a matter of urgency, outlining our concerns that this new Signaller Recruitment Selection Policy is unfair for existing members of the signalling grades.
It is perverse that at a stroke your natural career progression has been culled because of a test, that Network Rail will not give you your score or feedback from, so which you can never improve upon and your existing experience is effectively made worthless.
As such we demand that this union pursues an agreement with Network Rail to make provision within the selection process for a measure of seniority to be introduced to the selection process, as recognition of a candidate’s experience. We believe that as jobs are relocated to Rail Operations Centers this measure along with PTR&R will give security to existing members of staff. We also feel that such a move will enhance the safety of our members who work on the trains and on the track as inexperienced new starters will not be placed in high graded, busy signalling locations on the results of one test alone”.
3. Submitted by Holyhead Branch
Holyhead1 branch, requests that the following resolution is put to the 2014 signaller’s grade conference.
That the RMT pursues a campaign that Network Rail withdraws the companies “Recruitment & Selection Policy”. The policy being not fit for purpose and takes no account of signalling experience or career records. It uses abstract and non-railway related methods of testing and interviews. With the emphasis on non-technical skills unrelated to signalling.
This policy is being used to prevent signallers from gaining promotion and allows NR to influence redundancy situations. We call on this conference to continue to support the agreed PTR&R as it applies to signallers and where it is not applicable to see that NR has a fair and suitable policy in place that is applied throughout the country.
4. Submitted by Hull Branch
The Hull Rail branch signallers have serious concerns regarding the new selection test policy.
The new testing procedure was introduced in December 2013 for all signalling applications within the signalling grades replacing the previous policy. You are now required to submit an online application complete with cv before you complete a situational judgment test. Once you’ve passed the SJT then you are required to attend an assessment centre and complete psychometric tests. If there is only one post advertised the top seven score results are then selected for an interview with the relevant line manager.
A recent situation occurred when a non signallers reached the top 7 for a grade 9 signaller post in York IECC pushing out several experienced grade 6 signallers. Another case highlighted when a temporary grade 8 signallers post in Doncaster PSB which was filled by a more than capable candidate before the new policy was introduced. The individual to quote his line manager 'has done a excellent job with the help of his colleagues & shift managers and is a well established member of his team". The temporary signaller was eliminated from the interview stage during the permanent application process because he failed to make the top seven to reach the interview stage.
We are not advocating that these jobs are exclusive to one set of applicants but we are certainly questioning the safety side of allowing this type of applicant above experienced time served signallers. As we can clearly see these tests are not working and filtering out experienced staff thats had no training in this field of knowledge but are time served signallers its our understanding that new entrants are being coached in interview techniques during signalling courses giving them a further advantage over experienced signallers. The Hull Rail branch signallers submit this resolution to formally request the removal of this new criteria and revert back to the more fairer system which did not disadvantage existing signallers
5. Submitted by North Staffs Branch
This conference believes it is wrong to have existing Signallers ruled out of applying for alternative Signalling positions by being sifted out through the current on-line & scenario based assessments leaving the door open for external recruitment.
We find it unacceptable that our members who are qualified & trained Signallers are having there ambitions stifled by being denied the opportunity of promotion into the ROCs.
This conference believes NWR should quickly engage with the RMT to discuss a fairer selection criteria (for example being able demonstrate an aptitude for VDU based Signalling which is already contained within the Promotion Transfer Redundancy and resettlement arrangements) to enable existing Signallers to reach the interview stage.
Role of the Signaller
6. Submitted by Hull Rail Branch
The Hull Rail Branch signallers submit this resolution to urge the General Grades Committee to fight to keep the role of the Signaller. Network Rail have confirmed a new interim role has been agreed for Signaller tm with the trade unions for first deployment only. When phase two (pod working) is introduced Network Rail are suggesting through the various working groups this will be a new role.
The custodian of railway safety from signalling trains to ensuring workforce safety on the operational railway has always been the role of the signaller. T3 possessions line blockages points failures OHL tripling isolations and many other degraded working situations are all examples of safety critical work carried out by signallers on a daily basis. The Hull Rail Branch signallers believe this role should only be carried out by signallers and not other graded staff such as controllers
Its acknowledged that controllers do a very good job in dealing with the customers needs but attempting to combine these two roles into pod working will have serious consequences when things go wrong. We urge the General Grades Committee to endorse this very point to Network Rail and we wont accept any other grade other than signaller carrying out this role.
National Working Groups
7. Submitted by Three Bridges Branch
This Conference requests that a Guidance Document be drawn up by the Union and be issued to all National Working Group Representatives. This Guidance Document will clearly lay out what is expected of the working groups by the Union.
This Guidance should include but not exclusive to the following:
· Working Groups provide the Union and Area Councils with regular reports on any proposed changes in their spheres of influence i.e. PTR&R.
· That they have regular communications with all local representatives on all matters
· That they undertake location visits on a regular basis to meet and listen to members concerns.
· Working groups must not negotiate with Network Rail to make any changes and these members should represent all members within the signalling group of grades furthermore these group members should be elected by the branches
· That Working Groups do not make any recommendations to the GGC without consent of the Area Council Representatives, Branches and most important the membership of this Union
Three Bridges Branch believes this Guidance Document will reinforce the boundaries that working groups should adhere too and have a clear guideline of what is expected of them.
8. Submitted by North Staffs Branch.
This conference calls for a defined structure to be put in place that enables all members to understand any outputs from all working parties that lead to any changes to Signallers working practices and terms and conditions.
It is understood that upon completion of the working group the nominated rep will report its content to the GGC for approval. This conference asks that a period of consultation be afforded to the wider membership prior to any approval or agreement with NWR. This would be done quickly & efficiently by Unity House sending all Area Council reps the relevant documentation for further dispersal.
By adding this 2-3 week delay this union would be fully engaging the members by asking them to sense check future changes that will affect there job role.
PTR&R
9. Submitted by Hull Rail Branch
The Hull Rail Branch signallers submit a further resolution regarding the non- compliance of the existing PTR&R Agreement.
As Network Rail push on with its 15-30 year operating strategy intending to house all signalling operations into 12 rail operating centers (rocs) throughout the United Kingdom it’s pretty clear Network Rail are not adhering to our long standing PTR&R Agreements. There has been various issues nationally where management are disregarding this long standing agreement and in some case we have actually gone to dispute resolution status to resolve these issues.
The Hull Rail branch signallers want the GGC to seek urgent talks with Network Rail management and make it clear this union signed up to a national operating strategy whereby our terms and conditions would be honored as they transform the network.
We the signallers will not accept local tweaking to PTR&R and have serious concerns over council of executives agreeing changes without consultation with the membership.
A recent document endorsed by RMT C.O.E and signed off for circulation by the General Secretary was an appalling lack of judgment without first being proof read. This agreement (now rescinded) very nearly cost the signalling grades something they were prepared to go on strike over in 2010
We strongly urge the GGC to seek urgent talks with NWR and seek assurances each route will be instructed to follow the national operating strategy by the chief executive of Network Rail otherwise we will ballot the membership on industrial action that has previously given a yes mandate before the roc strategy was consulted to the RMT.
10. Submitted by Broadlands Branch
This conference recommends that we take further steps to ensure that the agreed conditions of service enshrined within the PTR&R and applicable to members covered by this conference are applied in a uniform manner across all regions and areas.
Also in order to assist the second stage reps in the application of the same we ask that a national lay representative be present at the second stage meeting when issues of job allocation are raise.
CONSTITUTION
1. NAME
Conference shall be known as the National Conference of Signalling and Operations Grades.