Uchenna Ngadi

Said the following about Richard Constable:

“In 1972 Richard first joined the railway as a cable jointers mate with the CM&EE in London, transferring to Peterbough when he got married in April 1974 joining the S&T section , but leaving in May 1974.

Richard then rejoined in March 1976 back in London, doing the same job as before with the CM&EE. He then became a cable jointer at Selhurst in South London, Richard then got promotion and became a supervisor in Havant Hampshire, in the early 1980's

After 22 months Richards was maid displaced as his job no longer existed, working then in the electrical control room in Woking, then with the electrical sub-station maintenance team, after that he went to Eastliegh joining the ODM before getting a position at Stewart's Lane, Battersea London as a stores supervisor with the civil plant engineer.

Richard then went to Southern House Croydon South London as a clerical officer, because the land at Battersea had be given to the eurotunnel project.

In September 1990 Richard started an HNC computer studies course on day release, obtaining a double merit in July 1992, after getting this qualification he became a computer technician.

In June 1997 Richard left the railway for a second time, as he felt there was no future prospects for him.

In January 2001 Richard joined the railway again as a ticket office sales assistant at Honor Oak Park South East London, becoming a general purpose relief in 2004.

As a general purpose relief Richards duties were that of platform dispatch and supervisor, Gateline and supervisor, ticket office sales assistant and supervisor working all shifts that meant early, late and nights.

In September 2016 Richard retires after nearly 40 years railway service, since rejoining in January 2001 he became involved with the RMT Union taking on roles as local industrial, health and safety and union learning representatives.

All of the union work is done on a voluntary basis, having still to pay his union dues, Richard has represented many members of staff, having some successful outcomes as well as unsuccessful ones, taking annual leave to attend conferences and doing a mountain of paperwork at home on his computer using his own material, in his own time.

In his role as lead union learning representative he has helped numerous amounts of people return to education, gaining qualifications they never thought they could achieve, as well as helping less fortunate staff to get into the leaning by encouraging them to do assessments in maths and English.

He is now studying to become an assessor himself so that once qualified he can carry on helping people with learning difficulties, as well as encouraging other people to take up learning again.

It is for all his hard work and dedication to helping others that I think Richard deserves the award of lifetime achivment.“

Uchenna Ngadi

Said the following about Richard Constable:

“Richard has spent most of the time I have known him by helping other people selflessly:

In 1972 Richard first joined the railway as a cable jointers mate for the chief mechanical and electrical engineers (CM&EE) at London Waterloo, working on the South Central area between New Cross Gate and East Croydon.

He transferred after getting married in April 1974 to Peterborough as a technician for the Signal and Telegraph (S&T), working between Huntingdon and about 10miles north of Peterborough, leaving the railway in May 1974. March 1976 Richard re-joined the railway again as a cable jointers mate for the chief mechanical and electrical engineers (CM&EE) at London Waterloo, working on the South Central area between New Cross Gate and East Croydon.

The depot then moved to Selhurst, South London and Richard got promoted to Cable jointer, in November 1984 Richard got another promotion to Cable and Track supervisor in Havant Hampshire, his area was from Three Bridges, Effingham Junction and Leatherhead to Angmering and Warblington.

In April 1986 Richard was displaced as his area had been split between two areas, part going to Haywards Heath and the rest to Brighton. He then worked at Woking, Surrey in the electrical control room as an operator, and the electrical sub-station maintenance team, moving to Eastleigh, Hampshire as a clerical officer for the out door machinery (ODM), before taking up a position as primary store supervisor at Stewarts Lane Battersea, London, for the Civil Plant Engineer.

Richard then had to take up a position of clerical officer in Southern House, Croydon, Surrey, still working for the Civil Plant Engineers department, as the land at Stewarts Lane had be vacated because of the Channel Tunnel project.

September 1990 Richard went to college in Lewisham, South London studying for an HNC in computer studies passing out in June 1992 with a double merit, and was then promoted to Principle technical officer in October.

In 1993 Richard was seconded and subsequently transferred to Hamilton House, Liverpool Street, London working as a computer technician for Great Eastern, leaving in June 1997.

January 2001 Richard re-joined the railway working as a ticket office sales assistant at Honor Oak Park, South London, for Connex, he then became involved with the Railway Maritime and Transport union taking up the position of local industrial representative, later that year.

After about 4 years a promotion was gained to that of General Purpose Relief station grades for South Central, and was working between New Cross Gate and South Croydon covering Gateline and Supervisor, Platform dispatch and Supervisor, Ticket office sales assistant and Supervisor.

Richard had also become local Health and Safety representative, Union Learning representative, Lead Union Learning representative, also for terms as assistant branch secretary, vice branch chairperson, branch auditor, member of the national health and safety advisory committee, member of the south east regional council, auditor for the south east regional council, company council representative (station grades), delegate to; Lewisham trades council, station grades conference, clerical and salaried grades conference, annual general meeting, health and safety conference, south east regional council.

In his roles as representative Richard had to attend many disciplinary hearings and appeal hearings some successful and others unsuccessful, and it is in honor of these roles that I am nominating him for the Lifetime achievement award.

Richard has spent his time tirelessly whether it be successful or unsuccessful dedicating his own resources mostly outside working hours, on his computer using his paper and electricity, also using some of his annual leave to attend conferences and attending meetings and disciplinary hearings on rest days.

As a union learning representative he has encouraged the less fortunate members of staff, who are having difficulties with their arithmetic and english to take assessments in both subjects, this has meant that these members of staff can then gain promotion because of the life-skills they have achieved, also encouraging other members of staff to take up education again by arranging various types of courses, which has meant that they are also better equipped to gain promotion because of the new skills they have achieved.

Richard is now studying to become an assessor so that he can carry on working, after his retirement in September this year, as the union has not got an assessor to help the less fortunate members of staff, this he has had to partly pay for using his own finances, computer, time, printer and dedication to ensure that he passes the course.

Lastly I would like to wish him every success in the future, as it has been a pleasure to be associated and know him.“