At its meeting in May, RMT's London Transport Regional Council agreed to do more to support local RMT representatives. Below is the text of the resolution passed. We are already working on implementing it - the Regional Council Executive is organising a conference and training day on 29 August; and the Stations & Revenue Council has tabled demands to LUL management for better release and facilities for local reps.

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This Regional Council believes that the key to an effective trade union is profile in the workplace and well-supported workplace representatives. We therefore resolve to increase the support we give to our workplace reps by:

1. Organising ‘induction’ for new reps: mentoring by a more experienced rep, help through his/her first level one, LDI etc; help in producing leaflets and notices to introduce the new rep to members; encouraging attendance at branch, grades committee etc.

2. Organising regular training workshops for reps – with paid release if possible, with the union funding unpaid release if necessary – on issues such as: agreements; producing newsletters; level one meetings; recruitment, retention and maintaining membership information; attendance and discipline; flexible working; organising for industrial action; etc.

3. Organising similar training workshops for health & safety reps, on issues such as: refusal to work on safety grounds; inspections; know your health & safety law; the history of safety struggles in the rail and transport industries; etc.

4. Providing written briefings on these subjects.

5. Developing a strategy to better involve and support our learner reps.

6. Developing a strategy to better involve and support our harassment reps.

7. Demand from management a basic level of facilities for workplace reps of all types eg. access to computers, filing and office facilities; adequate release; noticeboards etc.

8. Help reps to develop an ‘activists’ team’ in each location, so that rank-and-file members who are not reps can become more active in the union.

We ask the Regional Council Executive to discuss the details of implementing this resolution, with support and resources from head office if necessary.