We have run campaigns and supported picket lines again this year.
More of our activities can also be seen on our Facebook page www.facebook.com/wolvestuc and this website.
We have continued to meet mostly virtually this year, maintaining higher than usual attendance.
The need for a local trades union council to support and assist is clear, so please re-affiliate.
Branch affiliation: print this off and send:
Please ask your branch to affiliate and to elect delegates this year or just promote our meetings to other trades unionists, better still bring someone along.
Our meetings are on the third Thursday of the month and we have interesting guest speakers most months.
If you’ve been a delegate this year then please consider helping out on the Executive Committee when we meet on the Wednesday the week before the delegate meeting to plan events this year.
Full list of English and Welsh Trades Union Councils here: https://www.tuc.org.uk/trades-councils-and-community-campaigning and Scottish Trades Union Councils here: https://stuc.org.uk/about-the-stuc/contact1
Trades Councils were first set up here in the 1860s initially in the main industrial towns, but quickly expanded to the network covering most British towns and regions that it remains today with around 150 in England and Wales. Similar structures exist in countries around the world.In 1868 trades councils set up the Trades Union Congress. From then until now Trade Union Councils (the name changed) have been supporting local trade union branches and provided a forum for all trade union branches in their areas. They bring together trade unionists to exchange views and develop strategies to tackle local problems of joint concern.
We perform vital work in helping unions in their campaigns, mobilising support and generating publicity as well as promoting the concept of trade unionism in the local community.
Trades union councils are local groups of trade unionists. They are elected from trade union branches whose members live and/or work in the area. TUCs promote effective solidarity in disputes, joint campaigns on issues such as health, education, welfare and transport, and, in general, provide the vital link between the workplace and the wider working-class community. Trade union branches affiliate to their local TUC on the basis of a small annual fee per member.
Trade Union Councils participate in their Regional TUCongress as delegates alongside other union delegates.
Regionally elected reps sit with some TUC General Council members on the TUCJCC which overseas and helps coordinate trades councils’ activity.
At the annual Trades Union Congress (each September), just one delegate (who is elected to represent us at the Trades Union Councils annual conference in June) proposes one motion (also decided at our conference), but cannot vote.
They are treated differently in Scotland, where 20 TUCs participate directly within the Scottish Trade Union Congress.
What do trades councils do? TUCs’ campaign locally, often organising Heart Unions (recruitment), May Day, Workers Memorial Day events, assisting with rallies and marches for striking unions and promoting campaigns of the Trades Union Congress.
TUCs promote effective solidarity in disputes, joint campaigns on issues such as health, council budgets and cuts, education, welfare and transport, and, in general, provide the vital link between the workplace and the wider working-class community.
Trade union councils are the local trade union movement! They can be called upon by any trade union branch to show strike or other dispute solidarity, which could be via a picket line, media publicity or a financial appeal. National trade unions can promote their priority issues more effectively when local trades councils assist with publicity, leaflet distribution, recruitment, and speakers at meetings.
leaflet about what trades union councils are https://www.tuc.org.uk/sites/default/files/extras/trades_councils.pdf
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