RECRUITING YOUNG SAFETY REPRESENTATIVES

Our ref: HSR/4/1

Head Office Circular: NP/128/23

28^th July 2023

To: The Secretary

All branches

Regional Councils

RMT Young members committee

 

Dear Colleague,

 

RECRUITING YOUNG SAFETY REPRESENTATIVES

 

I write further to Head Office Circular NP/16/23, dated 18^th January 2023, in relation to recruitment of young safety reps - to inform you that your NEC was convened on 26^th July 2023, to consider a report from its Health and Safety sub-committee.  Relating to a summary paper received from Senior Assistant General Secretary, Eddie Dempsey, of a meeting he had attended between RMT NWR lead safety reps and RMT young members committee reps, when they met to discuss how the RMT recruitment of young safety reps campaign would be rolled out amongst NWR members. 

 

At its meeting on 26^th July, your National Executive Committee noted and adopted the following report from its Health and Safety sub-committee:

 

We note the report from the Lead Officer as regards a meeting of the Network Rail (NWR) Lead Reps and reps from the RMT Young Members Committee.

 

In relation to this we instruct the General Secretary:

• to conduct a survey of all NWR young members to ascertain the barriers to them becoming safety reps, for the survey questions also to establish why more women take up role of industrial rep than safety rep
• to conduct a mapping exercise to find out where the safety rep vacancies are, and then to map this information against data on where RMT NWR young members work. 

 

When the above actions are complete and outcomes are analysed, the General Secretary then to use this information to inform a development scheme for young RMT NR safety reps, which will oversee their progress and will include:

• short (2/3 days) NWR specific H&S training (this training to be in addition to the BCNEC/TUC H&S rep training, stages 1 and 2)
• training course to be delivered by RMT NWR lead reps
• a system of mentor reps to be set up.  To ensure suitability the national safety council reps to decide who can be mentors. The General Secretary to consider what support the mentors will require
• after completion of the short training course new reps will be expected to carry out a safety inspection/attend a safety committee/ investigate a safety incident.  They will be supported through this process by their mentor rep.

 

The General Secretary to write a RMT News article about the NWR RMT campaign to recruit more women/young members safety reps. Article to include photos/quotes etc from lead reps in support of the campaign. 

 

The General Secretary to contact NWR as regards this campaign for their support – and to do this subsequent to a meeting of the Lead Reps/young member committee reps to discuss campaign progress and best way forward after survey results and mapping work is complete. 

 

Branches, Regional Councils and young members committee to be advised accordingly and Lead Officer reports to be shared with them. 

 

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