To All RMT Members
Dear Colleague
Your Union. Your Voice. Important information on RMT’s ballot to keep your union’s Political Fund so your union can keep campaigning to defend your interests at work.
I am writing to give you advanced notice that your union will be holding a ballot of all members and campaigning for a YES vote to keep the RMT Political Fund so that RMT can continue to campaign to defend and advance your interests at work.
The postal ballot is taking place between 16 September and 21 October, so it is important that we have your correct postal address. Voting papers will be sent directly to members’ homes or to another address which you have requested in writing that the union treats as your postal address. (See notice below)
Your union is holding the ballot because the law states that to run political campaigns to defend and improve your rights we must have a Political Fund. The law also says we must ballot our members every ten years to ask you to agree to keep the Political Fund.
Remember the ballot is not about political affiliation or whether you personally pay into the Political Fund.
You are voting on the basic right to keep the Political Fund so that RMT can continue to campaign to defend and advance your interests at work.
Your Political Fund is used to support a number of campaigns that affect RMT members at the workplace, these include:
• Better pay with reduced hours
• Defending jobs and conditions
• Protecting pensions
• More rights at work
• Improved health and safety
Other good examples include your Political Fund being used to support campaigns to oppose ticket office closures and defeat anti-union minimum services legislation and also campaign for new employment rights for workers after the P&O scandal.
In the last RMT Political Fund ballot in 2014 RMT members voted by a resounding 96% in favour to keep the Political Fund. Let’s work again for a massive YES vote and send a clear message that your union will keep campaigning to defend and improve your interests.
YOUR UNION. YOUR VOICE. USE IT, DON'T LOSE IT
Without the Political Fund we will lose our political voice. We will not be able to run political campaigns on the issues that affect you at the workplace. The bosses are not required to have a Political Fund and spend millions lobbying against your interests. That is why it is vital you VOTE YES to keep the Political Fund.
More information on the Political Fund ballot and campaign materials to help builds the YES vote can be found here https://bit.ly/3X7LPN0
SUPPORT YOUR UNION
Yours sincerely
Michael Lynch
General Secretary
Notice
Members should note that in accordance with the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 (as amended) the RMT is required to hold a review ballot at least every ten years in order that the union can retain its political fund.
Your union is strongly recommending you vote YES.
The ballot will give members the opportunity to vote on whether the union should be able to spend money for political purposes. The law says that the union must have a political fund to do this. RMT will therefore be balloting members on whether or not to maintain the union’s political fund. The ballot will take place between 16th September and 21st October 2024. The ballot will be a postal ballot and voting papers will be sent directly to members’ homes or to another address which the member has requested the union in writing to treat as their postal address.
Civica will be acting as the Independent Scrutineer and will oversee the conduct of the ballot. Their address is Civica Election Services, The Election Centre, 33 Clarendon Road, London, N8 0NW.
Any member who has changed their home address or wishes their ballot paper to be sent to a different address and has yet notified the union, should contact the RMT Helpline on 0800 376 3706, or email info@rmt.org.uk
Unity House
Tel: 020 7387 4771
Email: