June 2026 minutes

2026 minutes 0

MINUTES of Delegate Meeting 18th June 2026

Wolverhampton, Bilston & District Trades Union Council

Present: (delegates in bold): Nick Kelleher, Michelle Gayle UNITE WM/6150; Marie Taylor UNITE LE/372; Ali Rahimi UNITE WM/5115, Dane Cross, Peter Kibblewhite UNITE WM/7132; Kelly Newell, City of Wolverhampton UNISON; Jacqui Coogan Unite, Michael Vaughan, Neil Singh UNISON Staffordshire
Apologies: Thomas Mohan, Rob Marris, Robert Lipke UNITE WM6150, Karin Dannehl UCU University of Wolverhampton, Si Goode ASLEF, Warinder Juss GMB

  1. Minutes of last Delegate Meeting (May) agreed; Matters Arising – Employment Rights leaflets. Contact Nathanial Yeo/Tony Barnsley, offer 50k leaflets (Saxoprint A5 leaflets £588), could get TUC Development grant and cover rest ourselves.
  2. EC report & urgent correspondence
  1. 1926 centenary film showing last week was successful with some new people attending and an audience of two dozen; 13min local film produced too by NK
  2. new film – ‘The Man With The Plan’ – to show on Thurs 26 November, feature film about a young person of today discovering the 1942 Beveridge plan that gave UK the NHS, national insurance, child allowance, and much more. Post/pre show Q & A’s with Midlands TUC and Townsend Theatre. trailer https://youtu.be/KdfG0yKyx0o?si=uNa3tC1C2nBRSVPV fee for the license is £150; Gills projector/screen rent £50. £100 donation from UNITE WM6150
  3. UNISON 30th anniversary Racecourse tickets from Wolverhampton UNISON office £5 inc free drink Fri 3 July 7pm
  4. Workers’ Memorial Day stone – UNITE WM/6150 further £500 donation £2,870 raised (£560 short of total costs).
  5. 2026 affiliations paid to WB&DTUC: ASLEF; CWU, FBU, Musicians’ Union, NEU, UCU University, UNISON City of Wolverhampton, UNISON Sandwell, UNISON Staffordshire, UNITE WM/5115, UNITE WM/7132, UNITE WM/6150, UNITE LE/372 Not affiliated, though contacted: RMT, UNISON Acute, GMB X10, UNISON University, UNITE Retired, NASUWT
  6. 2024 and 2025 WB&DTUC accounts MV/AT still to sign off audit
  7. Black Country & Enslavement research project – still to contact Carol Hyatt who volunteered to distribute to Wolverhampton schools and libraries; some distributed at NEU Black Educators event and will be at Chainmakers event on June 27th. MV has agreement for distribution to Staffordshire libraries, to collect from NK.
  8. spent:Facebook (May) bill for 1st May £2.10
  9. Completed Risk assessment for Chainmakers stall, Public Liability insurance. requirement from Sandwell council.
  1. delegate reports:
    1. UNISON national pay ballot 9 July-6 Aug disaggregated targetting employers. Reform council in Shrops now attacking LGBTQ+ books in libraries and Black History Month; many councillors unaware of own policies! Increase in TU membership, but too many passive.
    2. UNITE Gen Sec nominations underway Matt Jones , new regional secretary for West Midlands has now started. UNITE WM6150 nominated Simon Dubbins. UNITE WM 7132 involved with campaign against violence to bus drivers
  2. Trades Council Annual conference report (NK) – new TUCJCC elected, including NK for Midlands(West). 78 delegates more than double last year in London. Our amendments were both agreed, one needing speech from our delegate TM which was only split vote of conference but won narrowly. Motion to congress – we supported ERA2 but was second in ballot to a very insular motion seeking to increase representation of trades councils at Congress, same motion that was defeated in 2023.
  3. Secretary report, circulated. Two very small far right gatherings were ignored by Wolverhampton Together.
  4. any other business none
  5. @8pm speaker Neil Singh, former CWU official from Staffordshire UNISON on Just Credit Union, covering Hereford/Shrops/Staffs. Wolverhampton has own credit union as have GMB and UNITE. And also CWU via employer. Affordable loans when high cost of living. Cutting out loan sharks, high interest credit cards, poor credit scores, payday loans and exploitative partners. Care companies like migrant workers to be financially dependant and so they can threaten deportation more easily. Nedd to promote credit unions to union members.