RECRUITING YOUNG AND WOMEN SAFETY REPRESENTATIVES

Our ref: HSR/4/1

Head Office Circular: NP/202/23

6^th December 2023

To: The Secretary

All Branches & Regional Councils

 

Dear Colleague,

 

RECRUITING YOUNG AND WOMEN SAFETY REPRESENTATIVES

 

Many RMT branches hold their AGMs this time of year – given this I write further to previous Head Office circulars relating to RMT campaigns torecruit more women and young members asking you to consider these campaigns if you are electing safety reps at your AGM. 

 

Young safety reps

This campaign is getting results! When it started in June 2022 there were 50 safety reps under 30, a year on in July this year, there were 68 safety reps under 30. 

 

We now need to build on this success. To assist with the campaign there is a new page on the health and safety section of RMT web site which includes a video of RMT young member safety rep talking about his role, a poster aimed at younger working encouraging young workers to stand as safety reps, and there is also lots of information about the role of the safety rep, see here: https://www.rmt.org.uk/about/health-and-safety/become-a-rmt-safety-representative/?preview=true. You should have received hard copies of the young members poster, but if you require more, please email RMT’s H&S section at: healthandsafety@rmt.org.uk. 

 

Women safety reps

There is also a new page on RMT web site page, which you can find https://bit.ly/3t4TLCHI about the recruitment of women safety reps campaign.  I will be writing to all women members to draw their attention to the page which explains why women should be come safety reps and encourages them, it they are interested in the role, to contact their local RMT branch. 

 

Does your branch/regional council area have safety rep vacancies? 

Both of the above campaigns feed into the wider need for RMT to recruit more safety reps. Particularly for example on Network Rail, where those opting to take voluntary redundancy has created vacancies which means several of our NR lead reps are running safety rep recruitment campaigns. 

 

If you have vacancies for safety representatives that you are struggling to fill in your branch/regional council area, please let the H&S section know at: healthandsafety@rmt.org.uk, as they can use this information to decide whether the young member/women safety rep campaigns could be targeted in your area. 

 

Thank you in advance for your help with these campaigns. 

Yours sincerely,

Michael Lynch
General Secretary