April 2022

2022 minutes 0

Delegate MINUTES Thursday 21st April 2022

Wolverhampton, Bilston & District Trades Union Council

  1. Welcome & introductions to delegates & visitors

Present: Graham Childs CWU; Warinder Juss GMBx13; Clare Simm PCS; John Grant UCU College; Penny Welch UCU Wolverhampton University; Paulette Whyte, Bob Simm, Bob Deacon UNISON City of Wolverhampton; Michael Vaughan UNISON Staffs; Dick Scroop, Chaz Stoll UNISON; Marie Taylor UNITE LE/372; Di Weaver UNITE WM/5203; Carol Hyatt, Ali Rahimi UNITE Community; Nick Kelleher, John Oakley & Rob Marris UNITE WM/6150; John Dunn (speaker)

apologies Tim Martin MU, Steve Smith RMT, Carol Hyatt UNITE Commuity, Jayne Weaver UNISON City

  1. Minutes of last Delegate Meeting (March) & Matters Arising correction 3f) should read “Mish” Rahmen. Update on Andy Goodall’s health – best wishes from delegates to be given by NK.
  2. EC Report – correspondence of note:
  1. affiliation 2022 received from CWU. Awaiting fee from GMBx13
  2. Fri 13 May Roger McKenzie of Liberation to chair online launch of Angelina Osborne’s research into local slavery links, download at https://wolvestuc.org.uk/researcher/ Advertising assigned between EC and Research Sub-committee. Delegates requested to promote in own BME groups. Branches requested to circulate.

£5,000 received from UNITE WM/6150 towards new Budget proposal for further enslavement links research of £10,000. Suggestions on future work by DW – circulated to EC & Research sub-committee, need plan before commissioning more research. What would target audience want? Youth drama? MT, DW+ BD. Historic England grant to be looked into. Local physical launch later when research is edited by PW & GM to make it accessible for education and we can print as a small book.

  1. 19 May Delegate meeting Speaker Barry Gardiner MP no fire and rehire in Wolverhampton – will need to build for this meeting
  2. Workers’ Memorial Day socially distanced. MT to chair, NK to make wreath. Press release needs to be sent out. CS to request civic flags are flown at half-mast and circulate invite to councillors.
  3. 1st May – Covid at high level still; outdoor rally on any council premises was denied by W’ton city council – decide not to go ahead. Car going to Chesterfield May Day 2 May, DW.
  4. CS to ask councillors to sign the WMCND pledge supporting the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear weapons
  5. five RMT Jimmy Edwards badges received from the branch. £6 if sold
  6. Discussion around gender identification of delegates in our minutes – refer EC recommendation of use of full names and delegate/visitor or observer listing, back to EC.
  7. Searchlight anti-fascist magazine -agreed re-affiliation @ £30
  8. TUC national demo Sat 18 June, London. Midlands TUC briefings being held on zoom contact Midlands TUC for links 10.30am 29 April; noon 9 May; 11am 30 May

Transport may be made available by unions. Coach £1,000 too expensive and confined space. Train ticket block booking if demand but tickets unavailable online currently. Else a Wolverhampton Cost of Living event on same day.

  1. sent £100 donation to UCU Open University. Solidarity message also sent to Birmingham University UCU for strike
  2. Saturday 25th June Annual conference of trades councils in the Midlands Region @ TUC Offices, Birmingham Each trades council is entitled to submit a motion to the conference by Friday 10th June, and 2 delegates. Session to give each trades council the opportunity to report on campaigns/best practice/activities
  1. Reports and discussion:
  • RMT Wolverhampton, Cleaners’ held a fourth two-day strike with pickets at the Jones Road, Oxley Depot on Saturday 9th April and Sunday 10th April – several of our delegates attended these pickets. National pay ballot Network Rail and Train Operating Companies
  • GMB – held meeting with Ukrainian trade unionists
  • UCU – national conference this month to decide on future dispute tactics as fewer branches reached threshold on re-ballot. Would welcome future discussion on disaggregated ballots and re-balloting
  • UNISON Sandwell Leisure Trust – new strike date 10 May on joint pay dispute with GMB and UNITE. Ongoing friction between UNISON Gen Sec and a left NEC with suspended President. Looking as disaggregated ballots – not using industrial muscle. Teaching Assistants being asked to work above pay grades.
  • UNITE HGV bin drivers’ strike, Coventry. UNITE’s triennial elections still continue.
  • LP – report circulated LP & WB&DTUC joined ”Wolverhampton Friends of GRT” leafleting of Grand re Jimmy Carr Sunday 17 April
  • Secretary report – circulated
  • Midlands TUC AGM – report by Di Weaver. Future discussion – how are shop stewards protected?
  • Bus Campaign meeting – Bob Deacon – Wolverhampton, Walsall, Coventry and Sandwell TUCs took part . Mayor can introduce franchising but Andy Street not keen. Stoke £37m budget ti improve public transport inc. franchising. TUC Pensioners Network AGM big turnout on zoom but little action.–
  • Wolverhampton Palestine Solidarity Campaign – London demo 14 May. Israel attacks on Al Aqsa mosque