In 2002 AAD, ASLEF’s annual conference, featured a debate on the work of the consultative committees.
There was a lot of positive support from the conference floor.
We all need educating. I think the Consultative Committees certainly educate me when they come to District Councils. They have been excellent, forward thinking in the approach that this union has taken on the equality debate. I am proud that we have done.
delegate speech
Consultative Committee members, female members, the ethnic minorities, sex equality, they all have a part to play within our trade union. I congratulate every single one of them who have taken part.
Delegate Speech
I went to Elephant & Castle a few weeks ago and saw some of the people I had not met at that branch before: black members getting actively involved in the branch; out lesbian women getting actively involved in the branch; train drivers, train staff, all of them getting involved and active in ASLEF because they now know that ASLEF is listening to them, wants to hear their concerns, wants to represent them. That is the important thing about Consultative Committees.
Delegate speech
Yet there were some words of caution from the General Secretary to the conference:
So let us not kid ourselves that everything is rosy in the garden on this one because it is not. There is a hell of a long way to go. Let us be honest with ourselves, you know as well as I do that that is true. Yes, we have started; it is the start of a process, a start of a process to bring our union into the 21st century.
General secretary
The ASLEF Journal covered the conference with an article entitled ‘Equality tops the agenda’:
ASLEF Equalities 20 