April 2025 delegate meeting minutes

2025 minutes 0

Wolverhampton, Bilston & District Trades Union Council

minutes of Delegate Meeting

Thursday 17th April 2025

  1. Present online: (delegates in bold): Michael Vaughan UNISON Staffordshire, Paulette Whyte UNISON City of Wolverhampton; Nick Kelleher, John Oakley UNITE WM/6150; Marie Taylor UNITE LE/372;Ali Rahimi Unite Community WM/5115; Sally Green Community & W’ton West TULO, Penny Welch UCU Wolverhampton University, Phillipa Webster UNISON Apologies: Si Goode, Rob Marris, Sharon Dixon, Di Weaver, Tom Mohan, Sonia Wilkins, Tim Martin, Robert Lipke
  1. Minutes of last Delegate Meeting (March) & Matters Arising
  2. EC Report and urgent correspondence;
  3. UNITE WM/7132 Buses re-affiliated; UNITE WM/5115(region still to pay), UNITE WM/5203(region still to pay)
  4. 2025 affiliations awaiting re-affiliations from RMT, NEU, UCU University, CWU, FBU, GMB x13. Also PCS, NASUWT(MT will chase) and UNISON Acute.
  1. MV arranged the Migrant Rights Network for May
  2. Angelina Osborne meeting needs planning – NK to check RMcKenzie availability
  3. spent: 9 pairs of kevlar gloves for leafleting sessions as i could only find a couple of pairs left from previous years total cost £22.26; 10x telescopic flagpoles for may day and future demos £23.88; ticket to London booked for tuc conf delegate £45.69 – hotel to be booked; £44.64 one year Teams
  4. Nicaragua Solidarity affiliation £50 agreed
  5. Working Class Movement Library annual £25 donation agreed
  6. MT and AR went to London Recruits – excellent film – discussed hosting with director with Q&A in Wolverhampton in future at Gills(Pegasus)
  7. Mary McArthur lecture Fri 2nd May Sandwell Co House – need to register
  1. delegate reports: ASLEF – Avanti West Coast We have still not been called for pay talks despite submitting our play claim on the 16th January 2025. The starting figure for any RPI plus pay deal is 3.6 % (January Figure published in February) with the anniversary date of the 28th May for any talks to either have started or concluded. As part of the railway 200 celebrations a special train will run on the 07th May from Euston to Glasgow in attempt to break the current non stop record of 3 hours 52 minutes and 40 seconds which the advanced passenger train set In 1984. further national report from ASLEF to be circulated RMT – online campaign as Ticket Offices again ubnder threat despite last year’s campaign victory. UNISON – complaints discussed about SUTR leaflet/campaigning at BWSOG. Pay dispute ongoing. NEC elections begin 21 April, Gen Sec election later in year. PW is now the Regional convenor – congratulations, highest lay official in region.
  2. Midlands TUC AGM report by NK
  3. Workers’ Memorial Day – Mon 28 April – 500 A5 printed. Deacon Linda Gilson speaking. Wreaths to be made. £56 spent on WMDay ribbons and car stickers with Gr Manchester Hazards. WMDay Stone – NK visited stonemasons RM sent a list of stone shape/style options;
  4. Thurs 1st May fundraising – UNISON City of Wolverhampton £200; UNITE WM/7132 £100, £750 needed still. Unison City have pledged a donation- seek Tr Co donation after exhausted seeking branch donations and another TUC Dev Grant? May Day Leafleting: 5,000 A5 flyers printed 1100 homes done so far, 700 more distributed; 3,200 left: Sat 19th and Sunday 20th April and Sat 26th and Sunday 27th April meet 10.30am on each day in the car park of Gill’s (Pegasus) Nick is contact
  5. any other business none
  6. @8pm speaker from UNITE Birmingham Refuse workers’ strike did not attend. Delegates discussed the dispute and £100 donation was agreed and send message of support.