WB&DTUC Secretary’s Report April 2014
Affiliated branches: ASLEF, Community 17000, Community Craft, Community Region 4 Associates, CWU, GMB X13, NASUWT, NUT, PCS (C&V), RMT, UCATT, UCU (College), UNISON Acute, UNISON General, UNISON Police Staff, UNISON University, UNITE WM6150, UNITE WM 6151
Branches affiliated to us last year but not so far for 2014:FBU, CYW-UNITE (both agreed to) and POA
Saturday 29th March Midlands trade union councils conference Birmingham Trades union council report
8 men 6 women attended from Wolves, Walsall, Dudley, Coventry and East Midlands trades union councils present. no Birmingham or Sandwell Trades union councils.
Trades union councils are link to local community.
Some branches now regional covering larger areas making it hard to get actively involved.
East Midlands TUCJCC rep sends all minutes and info to branches. Never happened in West Midlands despite numerous requests over years.
Problems identified by me:
As delegates are selected by branches hard to get younger diverse delegates unless elected. So need to reach out. Invites to branches are rare so personal contact and invite main way.
Branches campaigning around own terms and conditions in main, little or no public campaigns. Sometimes don’t tell local trades union council.
Midlands TUC 2nd April Fair pay fortnight event in wolves in few days – we had no knowledge of it
TUC prog of work covers all work not specific similar each year.
Leftspace presentation on TUC-backed cheap simple websites for progressive groups. Inc unions in community – trades councils communal website. Walsall TUC and others took up.
Demo at Tory conf Sun 28 Sept is important to build for
Email alerts from Midlands TUC blog are possible
£5 donation to 1st may wolves from Walsall Trades union council secretary
reports from Trades union councils:
Leicester trades union council Sat 2 Aug 2-4pm re-enact anti war meeting of 1914. Have 2 functioning sub committees and drawing other union activists in
Northampton producing pamphlet a vision for town.
Derby using peoples charter and the alternative – working well
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Saturday 26th April Love Music Hate Racism festival Dudley Town Hall
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Monday 28th April 12.30pm Cenotaph Wolverhampton -Workers Memorial day
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TUC UNION REPRESENTATIVES course Stage 1 at Wolverhampton college, ten Mondays from 28 April 2014 mikee@shrewsbury.ac.uk 01743 342531
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Tuesday 29th April 7.30pm Black Country People’s Assembly next organising meeting
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Thursday 1st May 7pm annual international Workers’ Day celebrations Pegasus, Wolverhampton WV6 0QQ inc. Urbun Roots reggae, Transit Trix, Tim Martin, Nicaraguan TU leader, Ade Turner & Rob Marris.
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Saturday 7th June 2014 tenth Midlands TUC Cradley Women Chainmakers’ festival again in Bearmore Mound Playing Fields, Cradley Heath, B64 6DU. Also event on Friday evening same venue.
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Saturday 21st June People’s Assembly national demonstration London
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Sunday 28 September 2014, march and rally Conservative Party Conference, Birmingham
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Saturday 18 October TUC mass demonstration in London under the banner of Britain Needs a Pay Rise. We have a coach booked, £300 TUC grant has been agreed – tickets now available £10/£5/free
3 coaches from Black Country & Birmingham went to London 22nd March national demonstration against racism & fascism marking UN Anti-Racism Day. Local trade unionists and Roma group went.
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