RMT General Grades Committee decision:

We welcome the AGM resolution calling for a national ‘SOS: Staff Our Stations’ campaign, particularly considering the renewed threat to station staffing posed by the McNulty report. We will campaign on this issue in conjunction with our campaign on McNulty.

We further note that a meeting has been arranged between ourselves and the TSSA on 24 October to discuss this issue. We instruct the General Secretary to prepare for this meeting by:

1. preparing a summary report of current and anticipated attacks by employers on station staffing levels

2. preparing the following initial materials for production, seeking agreement from TSSA for joint production:
(a) a campaign logo
(b) stickers
(c) lapel badges
(d) an initial leaflet
(e) a portable banner

3. preparing a campaign pack for branches and regional councils, to include:
(a) a pro forma press statement
(b) a leaflet that can be adapted to local circumstances
(c) pro forma letters to local newspapers
(d) a model motion for trades councils and anti-cuts groups
(e) advice notes / ‘how to’ guides on various campaigning events and actions

We further instruct the General Secretary to:

4. create a distinct section of our website for this campaign, with an easy-to-remember URL eg. www.rmt.org.uk/sos

5. create a contact list of passengers’, pensioners’, disabled people’s and other interested groups and potential allies

6. request our Parliamentary Group to table an Early Day Motion on this issue, highlighting the threat to stations staffing from the McNulty report

7. contact other trade unions asking for their support in this campaign

8. place this matter back in front of us after the meeting with TSSA, at which point we will consider further activities including a press launch for the campaign