AGM 2006

WOLVERHAMPTON, BILSTON & DISTRICT Trades Union Council
Secretary: Nick Kelleher, WB&DTUC, P.O. Box 2917 Wolverhampton WV2 2YA 01902 686613
www.wolvestuc.org.uk ________________________________   Info@wolves.org.uk

Minutes of Annual General Meeting

Thursday 19th January 2006

1. Attendance
Sisters: Halfpenny (NUT),  Ceresa (UNISON), Sagoo (UNISON),

Brothers:  Kelleher (UNISON), Grant (NATFHE), Tinsley (FBU),  Juss (GMB),  Ash (UNISON), Cole (NUT), Davis (UNISON),  Dodd (AMICUS),  Dorman (UNISON), M Singh (IWA),  Deacon (UNISON), Scott (AMICUS) Davis (UNISON)

Apologies:Marris (T&G), Purchase, Goalby (FBU), Taylor (CYWU)

In the absence of Taylor (president), Cole (vice-president) took the chair.
Delegates were welcomed and introduced to the meeting.

2. Minutes of 2005 Annual General Meeting – Agreed a true and accurate record. No matters arising.

3. Presidential Address – This was published In the Secretary’s Annual report and in her absence the president was congratulated on the quality of the report.  The thanks of the meeting were accorded to the retiring president for her hard work over 3 years.
 
4. Reports –
a) Secretary’s Supplementary & Annual Reports The secretary spoke to his annual written report and supplementary report.  He highlighted future dates:
27.01.06 Holocaust Memorial Day – 11am ‘Cenotaph’,
28.04.06 Workers’ Memorial Day – Lunchtime event –  theme Union Workplaces are Safer Workplaces – Remember the Dead, Fight for the Living!
1.05.06 Annual May Day Festival – (working group needed).
CYWU also affiliated.  He gave an update on the Rahimi family (Iranian refugees), which sounded more positive.
The report laid out this year’s Programme of Work in line with the TUC’s Programme and tying in last year’s work  to it. He asked the incoming Executive to use it to help plan our work.
FBU are planning an emergency conference – 16.02.06 regarding pensions with a possible future ballot for strike action. 
Congratulations were given to the Secretary Nick Kelleher for his wonderful report and the best thanks of the meeting were recorded.

b) Treasurer Accounts unaudited were presented and the financial report adopted.  Over £2000 in the account.  Thanks were given to the treasurer for his work.

 

5. Election of Scrutineers was deemed unnecessary as there were no contested elections.

6. Election of officers –
 a) President             Dave Cole (NUT)    Elected
 b) Vice- President   Marie Taylor (CYWU)   Elected
 c) Secretary     Nick Kelleher (UNISON)  Elected
 d) Treasurer     John Grant (NAHTFE)   Elected
 e) Minutes Secretary    Marion Halfpenny (NUT)    Elected
 f) Executive Committee     Satwant Sagoo, Don Ash, Paul Davis  Elected       (9 places to fill)
 g) Auditor    Adrian Turner (UNISON)  Elected
 (It was agreed as has been recent practice to have only one auditor for the accounts)
h) Lesbian & Gay TUC observer Bob Deacon (UNISON)   Elected
 j) Women’s TUC observer  none elected – put on future agenda
 k) Black Workers’ TUC observer Paul Davis (UNISON)   Elected
 l) Disability TUC observer Paul Davis    Elected
 m) WMCATUC   Nick Kelleher, Bob Deacon  Elected
    (2 more delegates needed – meets 4 Saturdays per year)
 n) Trades Union Council  Nick Kelleher    Elected
        Conference Delegate

 

7. Speaker  Ron Dorman from ‘Say No2ID’
Gave an account of the activities of this pressure group campaigning against Identity Cards and the ‘database state’.  Local groups have their own activities and a variety of political perspectives are represented who wish to protect civil liberties.  It was thought that the state’s reason that ID card s would counteract terrorism was spurious.  The ID cards have a more sinister aspect that is to have a complete registration data base of the populace with 12 biometrics for each person.  ID cards undermine liberties and freedoms rather than protect them.  Once the legislation is on the statute book what other governments will do with the information even if the present government can be trusted is questionable.  The cards will weaken peoples’ ability to defend themselves and their liberties. 
Following a discussion it was recommended that we consider a future resolution on the topic to try and develop a TUC stance on this issue.  In the past the Trade Union movement’s support for civil rights has been lacking.
 

The meeting closed at 8.45pm