RMT Driver wins FGW Drivers' Divisional Council election
Tim Earl, a member of RMT's Bristol Rail Branch has been successfully elected to represent Train Drivers on the Drivers' Divisional Council of First Great Western.
Tim who was standing for the seat to represent HSS (High Speed Services) Drivers at FGW's Paddington, Bristol and Swansea depots won his election by a margin of 88 votes to 38 votes for his opponent from the ASLEF. There was one spoilt ballot paper.
The full results from ERBS are:
Number of voting papers despatched 231
Number of voting papers returned 127
Number of voting papers to be found invalid/spoilt 1
Therefore, total number of voters who participated 126
Result - 1 to elect (in vote order)
EARL, Tim 88 ELECTED
CORBETT, Brian 38
Voting papers will be stored for a period of 6 months before being securely destroyed.
Tim is only the second RMT candidate to be elected to a Drivers' company-level negotiating council since BR privatisation led to the break-up of national negotiations where the NUR and RMT had always represented Train Drivers at all levels of the negotiating machinery.
Tim welcomed the result of the FGW Drivers' Divisional Council election as a confirmation of RMT's growing strength and credibility as a union representing and organising train drivers and thanked all those who had voted for him. An official circular confirming Tim's victory will be published by RMT Regional Organiser, Brendan Kelly shortly.