Financial Secretary’s Report for 2007. The start of this year has seen the Branches funds start to level it’s self out from the turmoil of a few years ago. The Branch has seen closure after closure which has had an affect on our rebate and this year we had to take stock at our outlays and have taken measures to reduce our outgoings. We reviewed our need for the number of business land lines that the Branch had and have reduced the land lines by three. The Branch also looked at the deal that we were getting with regards to the mobile phones and again has secured a new deal making more savings. We got through Annual Conference all right and then Official and Unofficial Industrial Action hit us in the face. After one Committee Meeting on a Thursday morning I was charged with finding a venue for a mass meeting of the members for the following day. For six hours I hit a brick wall ringing round theatre’s, hotels, Union halls and council halls etc. One hotel was asking for a two hour meeting the sum of £5,000. Another venue was not available but the asking price was £2,500. It was only as a last resort that we secured the venue on the outskirts of the cities boundary at Aintree. The other two mass meetings as most are aware were held at The Liner. The funds taken a bit of a battering but we will get through. The Branch after the halt to the I.A. was obliged to send down to London for Briefings various rep’s. This, as we have complained about in the past, has cost the Branch an arm and a leg in finances. We have just learned that the railways are in the New Year increasing their charges by 14%. The Branch is seriously looking at in the future on how many and who goes down to London in the future. They don’t seem to pay any attention to Branches requests to move them out of London or Conference Mandates. I am currently in the throws of preparing the Branches books to present to Union H.Q for Audit. Again there is not much more to add but thank all the Officers and Rep’s for their patients and support over the last year and wish everybody a Happy & Prosperous New Year. Ray Lucas Financial Secretary Legal & Medical Officers Report 2007 Early this year the workplace Accident on Duty books were done away with and replaced with a new system called ERICA. This is the new computerised system known as “Electronic Accident & Incident Reporting System”. This is as a result of the Union nationally expressing dissatisfaction with the current system. The workplace manager now has to report all accidents on the computer. They are also now obliged to send a copy to the Health & Safety Officer who in turn supplies a copy to his or her Branch Legal & Medical Officer. The Legal & Medical Officer in turn then issues the member with appropriate form for completion. With the old system members were falling through the net and were not getting the Union support they were entitled to but with this new system it plugs the gap. Again I must highlight the fact that when a member has an accident on
duty it is important that they have it recorded as reported in the paragraph
above but also ensure that they report it to the Department of Works &
Pensions (formally D.H.S.S.) at Barrow in Furness by phoning them on this
number 0845 603 1358. You will need your National Insurance number to
hand when you phone them. It is important that members do get in touch with the Branches L & M Officer in order to kick start the process by requesting an LS3 form. The Branches number is 0151 708 5563. Please note that this phone is not manned all the time and you may need to leave your name, address and contact number and at the first opportunity I will forward the forms to you. You can also report any accident through the Unions website. Listed below is a list of services which Simpson Millar LLP ( The Unions Appointed Solicitors): • Personal Injury Claims (on or off duty) They can be contacted on a Freephone No. 0800 804 6674 and there E-mail address is www.simpsonmillar.co.uk.
Ray Lucas. Legal & Medical Officer Organisers Report for 2007
It has been noted over a period of time that the number of retired members has declined yet the number of persons retiring and taking EVR has gone up. The Branch is failing to identify these individuals and encouraging them to stay on in the Union. The Branch would ask all Rep’s to invite these members to stay on in the Union and if possible if they are aware of the individual’s circumstances inform the Branch of these persons in order that the Branch could approach them with a view of recruiting them. There’s not much more to add for this year except to thank all the Rep’s for their time, effort and support over the last year and to wish everybody a Happy and prosperous New Year. Ray Lucas Branch Organiser
I see the Equality Officer’s role, as one to help and inform our
members I will also encourage members to get involved in such issues. I also think we should look at forming the various advisory sub committees of the branch again. What is important and paramount, is that everyone in the workplace, should be treated with dignity and respect. I would like to thank Karen Smith and Mark Billington the last 2 Equality Officers for their contribution.
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