Railway Work, Life and Death Project Historic Health and Safety Cases

Our ref: HSR/2/1

Head Office Circular: NP/17/23

18^th January 2023

To: The Secretary

ALL BRANCHES

REGIONAL COUNCILS

 

Dear Colleague,

 

RAILWAY WORK, LIFE AND DEATH PROJECT

HISTORIC HEALTH AND SAFETY CASES

 

I have received a request from the University of Portsmouth for RMT involvement in a collaborative project involving the University, the Modern Records Centre and National Railway Museum, looking at records produced by the Associated Society of Railway Servants (ASRS) and National Union of Railwaymen (NUR).

 

At its meeting on 12^th January, your National Executive Committee noted and adopted the following report from its Health and Safety Sub-committee:

 

We thank the RWLD (Railway Work, Life and Death) project for the work they have done in looking at records produced by the ASRS and NUR from the union’s formation up to 1921 in relation to compensation claims (deaths and injuries), disablement support, death claims, representation at inquests, and payments made to support dependent children (via the orphan fund). 

 

In connection with this the General Secretary is instructed to support the project by:

• Writing an article for RMT News and Hazards magazine 
• Arranging a public launch of the first set of project data to take place at RMT Head Office and to invite RMT senior Officers, the TUC H&S Officer and other interested parties
• Arranging for the project to meet with RMT Education department to discuss training for members/H&S reps that utilizes the project data as a learning exercise – but no committal to take up
• Arranging for the project to have a stall at RMT H&S Advisory Conference
• Agreeing for the RMT logo to be included in pop up banner that will be used at events promoting these RMT historical cases coming into the RWLD project database

 

Additionally, for RMT to support forthcoming RWLD project, “Railway worker history” which will look at the history of UK railway workers focusing on the period up to 1939, looking at safety and accidents, the workers’ jobs, their wider lives and the dangers of the job. We name the RMT H&S Section to represent the RMT on behalf of the General Secretary at this project in attending meetings to contributing ideas on how the project should progress to best reflect RMT interests- and relaying progress on the project to RMT members. 

 

Branches and Regional Councils to be informed accordingly

 

I am acting in accordance with these instructions.

 

Please bring the contents of this circular to the attention of relevant members. 

 

Yours sincerely

 

 

Michael Lynch

General Secretary