CONFERENCE CALLS: - Aslef

0607a Aslef journal.qxd 29/6/06 13:55 Page 8CONFERENCE NEWS■ ■ ■ ■ ■ The ASLEF Journal July 2006A first time ASLEF delegateRON PEGLER from Three Bridges Branch was a delegate for the firsttime this year. These were his impressions of conference:‘The first couple of days are daunting and you feel a great weight ofresponsibility when you realise all the issues you will be dealing with.When the General Secretary says you will be making decisions thatcan affect our 18,500 members, it puts it into perspective.You have to start thinking about issues that concern other people,outside the things you talk about in your own branch or involve yourown company.It is a responsibility and an honour – but by the end of the week you realise what apleasure it has been to meet and talk and share problems at work with other driversfrom across the country.’an old hand …RAY JACKSON, the chair of the Retired Member’s Section (RMS), was delighted toreport that it now represented 1,461 people – which he said was a tribute to everyoneon his active committee. He praised ASLEF for the lead it has taken on occupationalpensions, but stressed that there was much work to do on the state pension – whichstood at a miserly £84.25 a week, and was still subject to means testing.‘It’s very telling when a Labour Chancellor thinks a CBI man (Turner) is too radical!’Ray declared. ‘Last year 30,000 pensioners died of cold-related illnesses and 87% ofwomen get no pension at all!’We will be hearing more from the RMS in the future, as delegates agreed to theirsending a delegate to AAD conferences.…a pensions expert …FORMER EC President and now pensions expert Dave Tysonoutlined the role of a trustee director and examined some of thecauses of the pensions crisis. He pointed to employers who werereluctant to pay their share (including some companies who had putillegal proposals); the Chancellor who had cost the schemes over£80 million by a change in the law and the financial meltdown afterthe Twin Towers attack.But it was not all bad news, he said, as he referred to onecompany which had reopened its scheme – ‘a remarkableachievement’. Dave was confident that railway pension schemes were safe, but pointedout that they have no control over markets and warned that a range of actions may haveto be taken to protect final salary schemes.…. and a president!ALAN DONNELLY, the EC President, opened his address to conference by saying, ‘Wemust never forget that our major task is to look after and protect our front-linecolleagues – and to fight for those who are being harassed for standing up forthemselves and their mates’.His central message was that the union existed to represent and protect all those atthe ‘sharp end’: the ordinary train driver. But he was also proud of everything the unionas a whole had achieved over the previous twelve months.Alan had special praise for the ‘unrecognised efforts of our retired members’,especially in the area of pensions – but he had some harsh words for government.‘I will not let the government away with the fact it raised the retirement age for workingclass people,’ he said. ‘That is something I would not like to be remembered for.’He stressed that our financial problems are not over – but, he said, they are beingaddressed, and he welcomed a new era of openness and transparency, somethingsymbolised by the electronic voting system used at conference.Alan highlighted industrial problems where progress had been made, and made apoint of thanking ‘all our LUL members for their loyal support and solidarity – just as wethank all other ASLEF who have been involved in industrial disputes’. He also spoke ofthe on-going challenge of harmonisation talks.He congratulated members on their support for union campaigns – especially freighton rail, corporate manslaughter and company pensions and felt progress was beingmade on Specially Monitored Drivers. He also congratulated Pauline Cawood on beingthe first ASLEF woman elected onto the TUC Women’s Committee.Looking overseasASLEF’s vice-president Tosh McDonald said hewas delighted that ASLEF’s agenda items oninternational matters at this year’s conferencehad been put forward by branches rather thancoming from the top table. ‘It is a mark of thematurity of our union and a welcomedevelopment,’ Tosh told AAD delegates.The conference● condemned attacks against gay people inColombia, Jamaica and Iran● pledged itself to defend the democratic andprogressive government of Venezuela● condemned the continued illegal imprisonmentwithout trial of US prisoners inGuantanamo Bay● offered its continued support to the campaignfor Justice for Colombia.The union will also call on the Prime Ministerto review his appointment of Ruth Kelly as hisequalities minister in view of her membership ofOpus Dei, an organisation which is anti-gay, antiwomen’srights and opposed to a woman’s rightto choose to have an abortion.Delegates also called for ASLEF to applyethical and fair trade policies to garments andother products used and sold by the union.The union also registered its concern forBritish soldiers in Iraq and other countries. ToshMcDonald pointed out, ‘Ordinary soldiers areworking class people. The problem is not thesoldiers but politicians who make irresponsiblemilitary decisions from their safe and comfortablehomes.’Thinking about a moveASLEF is to review whether the union’s HQcontinues to be suitable to the need of the unionand will consider moving to more modernpremises which would comply with theDisabilities Discrimination Act 1995 and be lessof a drain on union finances. However,assurances were given that the Arkwright Roadheadquarters would not be sold as a short-termmeasure to counter immediate financialproblems.The general secretary confessed to his ownattachment for theHampstead building,home to so muchASLEF history – buthe remindeddelegates that it wasnot the union’s firsthome and that itsroots lay in Yorkshire.He was also adamantthat the union neededto get its financesright before takingany action. ‘Our firstduty it to balance thebooks – but it isuseful to carry out thereview,’ he said.A delegate loses hishead in ArkwrightRoad debate!8