April 2017

Minutes of Delegate Meeting WB&DTUC

Thursday 20^th April 2017

1. Present: Sis Taylor(UNITE-CYW), Dixon, Dugmore & Whyte (UNISON Gen), Lowe (UNITE), Kirkpatrick (UNISON W.Mids Community) Bro.Kelleher, Deacon (UNISON Gen), J Grant (UCU), Rahimi (UNITE), Childs (CWU), J.Goodall (UNISON Walsall), Brackenridge (LP/FBU)

Apologies Bro S.Grant (NUT), Pugh, Turner (UNISON), Juss (GMB) Marris, Page, Boodis (UNITE), Grant (NUT) Sis Welch (UCU)

2. Elections: to Executive Committee no nominations

3. Minutes of March Delegate Meeting: agreed. Matters Arising: 3) TUC Dying to Work launch believed to be 25 April at Civic but we have not been invited. 4h) Birmingham Keep NHS Public speaker re local STP to contact.

4. Executive Committee inquorate, correspondence of note:

1. Newcastle TUC re threat of de-registration by TUCJCC – letter wrtiten to TUCJCC rep

2. Chainmakers stall & donation to Midlands TUC £100 agreed and sent; stall booked Sat 1 July Cradl;ey High St 11-5pm

3. Shrewsbury 24 affiliation received speaker confirmed for our 21 Sept meeting announcing result of Criminal Case Review Commission

4. 2017 Affiliations to WBDTUC: fee £50 from CWU, £432.40 Unison Gen, UCU University form received. Awaiting fees GMB, UCU University, Community Craft. Visited UNISON University and Unite office re ex-Ucatt branch also their office. Unison W.Mids Community (ex-CVS) is branch of our speaker this month.

5. 10 branches still to affiliate – forms continue to be sent out: UCU college, NASUWT, PCS West Mercia and CV branches, Community Region 4 associates, UNITE-CYW, UNITE 6150, UNISON Acute, UNISON Black Country Health and UNISON University

6. Questions answered and help offered to potential Aberystwyth TUC

7. Trades Union Councils development fund 2017 £300 available. Proposal for computer training – survey to be designed and sent

8. Morning Star online offer to TUCs of 10 annual subscriptions £500 instead of £2000 – to contact re potential use in libraries

9. Workers Beer Co 7 places@ Glastonbury & 13 Latuitude (1 vacant)

10. Paid: Leftspace invoice for webhosting – £70; WM CND £15 reaffiliation; £24.91 spent on stamps; £44.77 for 1,000 A4 colour flyers Workers Memorial Day £82.88 spent on stamps; £3.50 paper; £2 parking refunded to Action for Rail activity volunteer; POBox renewal £318

11. sent £50 donation UNISON Derby City -teaching assistants dispute settled ten-month campaign of strike action over pay and working time. They voted none-to-one to accept the latest offer from Derby City Council and end the dispute which has led to school closures. Changes imposed by the council last June meant staff lost up to £6,000 a year as their contracts were reduced from 52 to 44.5 weeks a year, while weekly hours were also increased from 32.5 to 37 with no extra pay. The settlement involves compensation payments to some of the worst-hit workers from a £2m fund and a new flexible 52-week contract for all support staff.

12. 3,600 UK page views on our website last month www.wolvestuc.org.uk ; post reach of 3,900 on our facebook page in last month. Cyber attack – info@wolvestuc.org.uk been receiving 100+ spam emails/minute since

5. Reports:

1. delegate reports – FBU West Midlands fire Authotity consultation discussions concluded, government wants Police Commissioner to take over Fire Authority, staved off so far. Increasing Telecare non-fire-related work being taken on.

2. West Midlands Combined Authority Trades Co meeting – Sis Welch to present at May meeting

3. TUC Pensioners’ Network – Bro Deacon. Cridland report raising pension age to 68 by 2030s and 70 by 2050s. Lack of TU response so far.

4. Abortion is a Workplace issue – Sis Welch to present at May meeting

5. Secretary report – written report circulated. Joint work with RMT Save our Gaurds campaign had drawn praise from Midlands RMT Sec Ken Usher. Workers Memorial Day on 28^th fully organised. Midlands Annual Conference of Trades Union Councils Sis Taylor and Sis Dixon to attend.

6. Wolverhampton May Day Committee – 1st May plans – Bro Kelleher. PCS Regional Sec requested speaker at May Day Bob Simm, local sacked rep. Was raised that no PCS affiliations this year from the 3 known local branches, Andrew Lloyd following up. 1^st May – appeal for funds for May Day Committee £1,300 costs (£725 donated so far) 2,200 homes leafleted in 12 volunteer-hours so far 2,400 to go, Saturday 10am, Sunday 10-30am @Pegasus; help for setup needed. 2-week Facebook advert@£2/day planned to generate 2,000 views/day

7. Palestine Solidarity – Bro. Deacon – Filmshow on 12 May. Boycott, Disinvest, Sanctions (BDS) campaigners deported at Israeli airport – no comment from UK government. Several thousand Palestinians on hunger strikes. Israel has moved many into solitary confinement.

   6. at 8pm: speaker Becca Kirkpatrick (UNISON West Midlands Community branch) on the hot topic of Universal Basic Income

   A universal basic income is an income paid to individuals, as a right of legal residence, without means testing or requirements to work. The payment is non taxable and should be sufficient to cover basic needs. Everyone who qualifies for the payment will receive it from birth till death. Having a basic income in place will provide a secure floor for people to build on rather than a safety net with holes so big many fall through. High housing costs main problem for low incomes, UBI may not address this. Would need to be set at least pesion rate for pensioners. UBI support from right wing based on abolition of benefits system. Lot still to be worked out, it would be a medium/long term policy development. Pilot projects taking place in Fife, Scotland and around the world. Donation of £50 made to Basic Income UK and copy of our history to speaker.

   7. AOB : DWP office in Barrow in Furness threat of closure – is national mesothelioma claim centre; Bro Deacon circulated model letters.