7^th April 2011 My ref: EO/33

TO: THE SECRETARY

ALL BRANCHES & REGIONAL COUNCILS

Circular No. NP/067/11

Dear Colleague,

ABOLITION OF THE DEFAULT RETIREMENT AGE

As from 6^th April 2011 the law that allowed employers to retire employees at age 65 (the default retirement age) without having to explain why is being phased out. When discrimination on the grounds of age was made unlawful in certain circumstances in 2006, a provision of the legislation enabled employers to retire employees at age 65 without having to explain why, providing they carried out a certain procedure, which allowed for employees to request to work beyond retirement. In future, employees in theory will be able to choose when they want to retire. If the employer forces someone to retire, they will have to justify the decision at an Employment Tribunal if challenged by the employee.

Transitional arrangements have now been set out after considerable confusion caused by legislative drafting errors by the ConDem Government. If an employer retires someone because they are 65 then both the following must apply:-

1. The notice of retirement must have been given to the employee before 6^th April 2011.

2. The employee must be aged 65 or over (or the employer’s retirement age, if that is higher) by 30^th September 2011.

3. If the member has been given this notice, they still have the right to request to work beyond that retirement date and the employer must consider the request as set out in The Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006. (This procedure is readily available from Head Office.)

Any dismissal on the grounds of retirement notified from 6^th April on, if not objectively justified by the employer, will amount to unlawful age discrimination under Section 13 of the Equality Act 2010.

Whilst employees may now have the right to remain in work after age 65, the change in legislation no longer requires employers to make arrangements for or provide access to the provision of insurance or related financial services to those over 65 or state pension age, whichever is the greater.

The abolition of the default retirement age may be welcome by some but we need to ensure that our members can retire with dignity and at a time of their choosing. We do not want a culture where it becomes acceptable to work until you drop.

Yours sincerely,

R. CROW

General Secretary

Direct Line: 020-7529 8821

Direct Fax: 020-7529 8808

E-mail: p.wilkinson@rmt.org.uk

 

WIMBLEDON LIBRARY

Did you know that you could be entitled to FREE training in the local library? At Wimbledon Library, the Exchange Training Group offer a variety of courses which includes Literacy and Numeracy (English and Maths to us older people!!) up to Level 2. What is Level 2 you ask? A Level 2 qualification is the equivalent of a GCSE (O Level) grade A-C. This is currently free and so are the beginners computer courses. They also offer a range of subsidised courses in topics such as Customer Service, Management, Business Administration, Personal Development and Team Leading to name but a few.If you are interested in any of these please call the Exchange Training Group on 020-89465485 or visit www.exchangegroup.co.uk.

Whilst on the subject of Wimbledon Library, why not support and join your local library? It is a fantastic facility and membership allows you, not only to borrow books, cds and dvds, but also allows use of the internet accessible computers FREE of charge on an hourly basis. Just take along some ID and you can sign up there and then.This also lends support to the numerous campaigns that are currently running to save libraries from closure in the current climate.

WORLD BOOK DAY

World Book Day takes place on the 3rd March 2011. If it is a while since you picked up a book, why not make this day the day you start reading again.
Every year thousands of events are organised in schools, bookshops, libraries and other venues to celebrate World Book Day.
So have a look in your local library or bookshop or alternatively visit www.worldbookday.com for events and news for all the family.
On the book theme, some of you may be aware that we have a bookswap club in operation at Wimbledon. Put simply, this is a bookshelf in the mess room
where staff can borrow and bring in books. It works like a mini library. If this is something you would like in your workplace,
please contact Mark Manwaring at Wimbledon on 07921 716158.

FREE ONLINE TRAINING

For those of you with a computer and internet access at home, if you are interested in free online training courses,
I have found a very good website called Alison.com. ALISON is the world's leading FREE on-line learning resource for basic and essential workplace skills.
ALISON provides high-quality, engaging, interactive multimedia courseware for certification and standards-based learning. All courses on ALISON are
accessible for FREE to individual learners.
Also worth a look is www.bbc.co.uk/learning/adults, on this site there are also several FREE on-line courses that you can participate in,
as well as careers and training advice.

UNION LEARNING FUNDS

ED/005/11

Circular No. NP/060/11

31^st March 2011

To: The Secretary

All Branches & Regional Councils

Dear Colleague,

UNION LEARNING FUNDS

Following the election last year of the present Government it was widely felt that the incredibly valuable and well received work carried out under the auspices of the Union Learning Fund (ULF) in England and Wales and the Scottish Union Learning Fund (SULF) in Scotland would be ended or at least severely cut back, drastically reducing the possibility for new learning and training opportunities to our members. This was a common fear amongst colleagues in other Trade Unions currently delivering education and learning to working people across the UK. As a result of a substantial campaign, which was coordinated by both the TUC and Scottish TUC, to promote with the government the value to workers and employers alike the benefit of the work carried out within these two funds I am pleased to report the following in relation to our Unions important work in these areas:

1. ULF Project – The RMT have secured the funding for the second year of the current project, so ensuring that the aims and ambitions of the original bid can now be met up to the original closing date of March 2012. The second year is subject to some additional work and targets but the RMT ULF team have been able to receive the acknowledgement from Union Learn that this will be achievable within our proposed plan.

2. SULF Project – The RMT have secured new funding from the SULF Learning and Development Funds to carry on the excellent work carried out in the Highlands and Islands (RMT & CalMac) and Uplands and Lowlands (RMT & North Link Ferries). This further one year of funding will enable us to build on the work and progress already achieved.

This is very good news for our membership who will continue to be able to access these learning opportunities and the benefits it can bring. I would like to congratulate all those in our ULF and SULF ‘teams’ for the work put in to make this happen.

The long term future for this work is still far from guaranteed but I can assure you the Union will try its hardest to see the work in both areas continue for the long term.

Please encourage your members to get involved in either working to develop the projects work or indeed to take up the opportunities it offers.

Yours sincerely

Bob Crow

General Secretary

Learning update Feb 2011

WIMBLEDON LIBRARY
Did you know that you could be entitled to FREE training in the local library? At Wimbledon Library, the Exchange Training Group offer a variety of courses which includes Literacy and Numeracy (English and Maths to us older people!!) up to Level 2. What is Level 2 you ask? A Level 2 qualification is the equivalent of a GCSE (O Level) grade A-C. This is currently free and so are the beginners computer courses. They also offer a range of subsidised courses in topics such as Customer Service, Management, Business Administration, Personal Development and Team Leading to name but a few.If you are interested in any of these please call the Exchange Training Group on 020-89465485 or visit www.exchangegroup.co.uk.
Whilst on the subject of Wimbledon Library, why not support and join your local library? It is a fantastic facility and membership allows you, not only to borrow books, cds and dvds, but also allows use of the internet accessible computers FREE of charge on an hourly basis. Just take along some ID and you can sign up there and then.This also lends support to the numerous campaigns that are currently running to save libraries from closure in the current climate.

WORLD BOOK DAY
World Book Day takes place on the 3rd March 2011. If it is a while since you picked up a book, why not make this day the day you start reading again.
Every year thousands of events are organised in schools, bookshops, libraries and other venues to celebrate World Book Day.
So have a look in your local library or bookshop or alternatively visit www.worldbookday.com for events and news for all the family.
On the book theme, some of you may be aware that we have a bookswap club in operation at Wimbledon. Put simply, this is a bookshelf in the mess room
where staff can borrow and bring in books. It works like a mini library. If this is something you would like in your workplace,
please contact Mark Manwaring at Wimbledon on 07921 716158.


FREE ONLINE TRAINING
For those of you with a computer and internet access at home, if you are interested in free online training courses,
I have found a very good website called Alison.com. ALISON is the world's leading FREE on-line learning resource for basic and essential workplace skills.
ALISON provides high-quality, engaging, interactive multimedia courseware for certification and standards-based learning. All courses on ALISON are
accessible for FREE to individual learners.
Also worth a look is www.bbc.co.uk/learning/adults, on this site there are also several FREE on-line courses that you can participate in,
as well as careers and training advice.

Season Greetings

On Behalf of all the RMT Rail Union Learning Team we would like to wish you and all your Family a Merry Xmas and a Happy New Year....

Andy Gilchrist (RMT National Education Officer) is in attendance at the Rail Union Learning Meeting

Andy Gilchrist (RMT National Education Officer) will be speaking at the Rail Union Learning Meeting for the SWT Rail Union Learning Representatives on the 03rd December 2010 at Basingstoke.

Andy will be addressing this meeting on the Rail Union Project and also on future activity that this Union will be doing.

Lets Fix Learning

To advise all Members of the RMT, that this is a new website that will be updated on a regular basis, and will contain information that you will require, that the RMT Union is doing to improve education....If there is something that you would like to see on this site, please let us know...

RMT Rail Union Reps meet up......

The Rail Union Learning Reps (RMT) along with the Company Council Representative met with the Development Worker to discuss our Unions next steps and to formulate a stragedy for Union Learning for our Union members.

A meeting took place and the Representatives were given a presentation from a Representative from the TUC on the Climbing Frame website and to give the Representatives training on how to use this website.

The Proud Learner

I am pleased to announce that Mr Olu Owolabi yesterday received his certificate for passing his NVQ in Customer Services. It was a pleasure to see him enjoy his achievement. This has inspired Olu to continue on his learning curve and I know he is already looking to enrol on the next one. I would also like to wish Dilip Patel good luck with his Equality and Diversity course, which will be finished this week. Well done guys and keep up the good work.

Well Done Mustapha

I'd like to take this opportunity to congratulate Mustapha Sow on successfully completing his volume of courses including: NVQ Customer Care, Health and Safety, Equality and Diversity, French and Spanish, as well as continuing his Journalism degree and remaining alert and helpful at work. Mustapha is an inspiration to us all.

Well done Mustapha, keep up the good work.