EMR Staff Rep Nominations are now Open!

Staff reps play a vital role within the union movement, they are the backbone of TSSA and key to our success. Staff reps are your voice in the workplace, they ensure you are represented at consultations and negotiations with your employer.  
 
Your current staff reps' terms of office expired back in July but due to the pay dispute situation it was agreed that there would be a three-month extension to ensure continuity at that key time. 
 
The role of a staff rep has never been so important and essential as we face the biggest shake up of our railways in years. As you know, the government want huge changes to our railways that will deliver massive cost savings to them, but will potentially see you, our members suffer. Those changes will impact your T&Cs, result in job losses and your salaries. One of the most serious and damaging proposals by the government is the closure of booking offices, which we need to fight against. 
 
If you do not have staff reps in place that attend top level talks with EMR you will not be represented, and you just cannot afford that to be the case. You need someone who will put your views to the Company, be your voice and fight for you! 
 
If you are interested in becoming a staff rep, TSSA will provide training and education to enable you to carry out your role, and you will have the support of your full time officer. 
 
The main objective of a staff rep is to ensure good industrial relations between employer and employee by making sure fairness and equality are applied to policies and procedures and that they are fit for purpose, whist ensuring members best interests are always at the forefront of any changes and agreements. 
 
There are two levels of industrial staff reps, Functional and Company Council. Here is a summary of each Council and the vacancies: 
 
Company Council - This is a forum for discussion and resolution and consultation of general T&CS which affect more than one grade group including non-grade specific pay awards, and companywide substantive agreements, policies, and procedures. Key principal agreements will be made at Company level which will then form agreements to use at functional level. Examples include, Discipline and grievance policies, MFA (Managing for Attendance) policy/procedure, redundancy principals. 
 
Vacancies: 3 x seats - any member from any grade that is covered by TSSA collective bargaining can sit on this council. Please note management grades are excluded due to no collective bargaining. 
 
Functional Council - This forum deals with grade structures, remuneration systems that apply to specific grade groups. PTR&R (Promotions, Transfer, Redundancy and Resettlement) arrangements and their application, example redundancy situation. Any local issues that cannot be resolved will be brought to Functional level to deal with. Changes to job descriptions. 
 
Vacancies: 5 x seats; 

• 3x Customer Service seats (Stations, Retail and Revenue Protection) 
• 1x Clerical/ Admin seat 
• 1x Fleet Engineer seat 

H&S-  these roles are there to ensure your H&S in the workplace as well as undertaking risk assessments in conjunction with the Company. The three seats available are to sit on the JSC (Joint Safety Council). You will ensure that EMR implement, use, and abide by the current legislative policies and procedures for H&S, consult and agree any new ways of working and ensure they have been safety checked. Carry our safety walks/inspections. These roles are supported by numerous local H&S reps based across the EMR network, so any local H&S issues that cannot be resolved at the lowest level will come to you for you to raise in the JSC forum. 

Vacancies: 3 x seats from any grade that TSSA represent. 

All terms of office shall be back-dated to 1st July 2022 and will last for three-years. 

If you are interested in any of these positions, you will need to complete a nomination form which will require six signatures from your colleagues who are also TSSA members to support your nomination. Please contact: winest@tssa.org.uk for a form. 

The closing date for all nominations to be received is 5pm Monday 31st October 2022. In the event that there are more nominations than seats available, an election of the EMR membership shall have to be held. 

Your Union Needs You!