YOUR UNION. YOUR VOICE. Campaigning for a YES vote to keep RMT’s Political Fund.

To: RMT reps and activists  

 

Dear Colleague 

 

YOUR UNION. YOUR VOICE. Campaigning for a YES vote to keep RMT’s Political Fund. 

 

I am writing to you as an active RMT member who works so hard on behalf of RMT members at the workplace.

 

You will know more than anyone that the decisions made by politicians on issues such as investment in transport services, and employment and health and safety laws directly impact what happens to RMT members at the workplace. 

 

That’s why your union needs to keep its Political Fund, so we can keep campaigning on these and other issues that affect RMT members at the workplace.  

 

It is important that members understand that the Political Fund is not about affiliation or support for any political party. The Political Fund is used to allow the union to run political campaigns and lobby politicians on the bread-and-butter workplace issues that affect RMT members.

 

For example, the RMT Political Fund is used for campaigns to defend jobs, pay, conditions and pensions for all our members, opposing cuts to services, making the case for repeal of anti-union legislation, better rights for seafarers after the P&O scandal, improving offshore members’ safety and job security and public ownership and increased public investment in public transport. 

 

If your union doesn’t have a Political Fund, we won’t be able to effectively campaign on any of these issues. The employers are not required to have a Political Fund and spend millions lobbying against our members’ interests. Without the Political Fund we will not be able to speak out on our members behalf. We will be fighting with one hand behind our back.

 

The law states that unions must have a separate Political Fund to support such campaigning and that unions are required to hold a postal ballot of all members every ten years to keep the right to have a Political Fund. 

 

The RMT postal ballot to keep the Political Fund will commence on 16^th September and close on 21^st October. 

 

The ballot is not about political affiliation, or if members pay into the fund – members are voting on the basic right to keep the Political Fund so the union can keep campaigning on their behalf.

 

In the last RMT Ballot in 2014, a strong campaign by activists such as yourself returned a 96% vote in favour of keeping the Political Fund. 

 

RMT is campaigning to make sure that once again a majority of those members who vote, return a YES to keep the Political Fund.

 

You will shortly be receiving through the post campaign leaflets, posters, stickers and a campaign guide to help you make the case for a YES vote.  A campaign website will also shortly be going live, and extra campaign materials can also be obtained by emailing info@rmt.org.uk

 

The evidence shows that once members are aware of the issues they are very supportive of the Political Fund. Please use these campaign materials and social media such as union WhatsApp groups to make the case for a YES vote. 

 

Thanks for all your assistance in supporting the campaign for a YES to keep the Political Fund.

 

Yours sincerely

 

Michael Lynch

General Secretary