Executive Committee Report - September 2023

It’s been a busy month for your Executive Committee as we have focused on several significant democratic and industrial issues. Internally, the main focus has been the election for our union’s next General Secretary. Industrially, the biggest issue has been our national campaign to Save Our Ticket Offices, as well as issues beginning to emerge around the future of HS2. Your Executive Committee has also concentrated on the financial and membership situation of the union in line with our overall strategic plan.

Your Executive Committee met for a two-day session on 26/27 September to discuss these issues and much more.

The Executive Committee was split into four key sections: Strategic Reports, TSSA Democracy, Politics & Campaigning and Administrative.

Strategic Reports

The Executive Committee first dealt with a number of strategic reports, including meeting with an Organising Director to discuss the organising priorities of the union in the months ahead. In the discussion that followed questions were raised from Executive Committee members including around cultural issues after the Kennedy and Conley reports, organising of members in management grades as a recruitment strategy, issues around organising in Ireland and a health and safety survey.

Your Executive Committee analysed the membership and financial position of the union and discussed ways to ensure that membership is in a healthy position. All branches, reps, and members must know that recruitment is everyone’s responsibility.

An HR report was considered so the Executive Committee can monitor all staffing issues, and minutes of the Change Management Oversight Group were noted alongside an updated tracker showing progress of the Kennedy and Conley reports. In this way, your Executive Committee make sure that progress is being made in the implementation of the recommendations of the two reports into the behaviour and culture within TSSA.

The Executive Committee also considered a report from Unions21 into union governance. The EC are undertaking governance training to ensure that best practice is maintained across the union.

TSSA Democracy

In the TSSA Democracy section your Executive Committee discussed the need to make our annual delegate conference more diverse and representative of our members who are currently in work.

The EC also considered several items relating to the implementation of motions carried at annual delegate conference to ensure that all items passed at conference are put into practice. Branches should look out for an updated report of items passed and implemented at recent conferences which was considered and agreed by the Executive Committee. Once again, your Executive Committee is prioritising putting the decisions of conference into action.

Several items relating to elections were considered. Firstly, the Scrutineers report into the Midlands Executive Committee seat was approved and Sam McCully was officially welcomed as a new Executive Committee member.

The EC considered expectations of conference delegates to TUC and Labour Party conferences. Delegates are expected to attend the conference, provide a report back to the EC and for the union’s media channels, and to behave at all times in accordance with the union’s procedures and equality principles.

A number of issues relating the ongoing General Secretary election were discussed. Your Executive Committee are determined that the election be conducted in a fair, transparent, open, and honest way, and this includes any lessons learnt reviews into the election which will take place once the new General Secretary is in post.

The EC discussed training and facilities for branches. The EC are determined to professionalise branches in line with our strategic plan and will be considering this matter further at future meetings.

A new position of Retiree Rep, to support retired members in voluntary positions, was considered and two EC members have actively engaged the proposer to take this forward and the updated proposal will be brought to an EC meeting in the near future for agreement and to consider what support will be needed to implement. 

The EC also signed up to the Driving for Better Business initiative and approved a proposal from our young members Self Organised Group, FutureTSSA, for a relaunch event.

Political and Campaigning

In the political and campaigning section of the meeting, your Executive Committee discussed the political fund review ballot which will take place next year.

The EC took oversight of recent nominations and expressions of support given to candidates by the political selections committee.

The Executive Committee considered correspondence from the Cuba Solidarity Campaign regarding sending a young member on a delegation to Cuba. The EC will consider the business case for participating in such an delegation at their next meeting before making a decision.

The EC signed an open letter urging the government to introduce Free School Meals for All.

A report into the Labour Party National Policy forum and NEC were noted.

Administrative

Your Executive Committee endorsed the union’s reaffiliation to the People’s Assembly Against Austerity. Affiliations are conference decisions and the People's Assembly share the union’s values.

The EC awarded a £100 donation to the Campaign Against Living Miserably after a union member sent in a Just Giving fundraising request as he is taking part in a fundraising challenge. CALM runs a free, confidential and anonymous helpline as well as a web chat service, offering help, advice and information to anyone who is struggling or in crisis. The issue is felt particularly within the railway community and so the Executive Committee were happy to support the fundraising appeal.

Finally, a silver medallion was awarded to Steve Weston who has twenty years’ service to the union as a rep.

Jim McAuslan, a consultant who offers development opportunities to leaders in membership organisations who are trying to make a difference to those they represent, observed the meeting as part of the Unions21 governance training and gave a brief review of the meeting.

If you have any questions for the Executive Committee then please contact the President or your Divisional Executive Committee representative. The next scheduled meeting of the EC is 8 November.