December 2013

Delegate meeting minutes of Thursday 19^th DECEMBER 2013  Wolverhampton, Bilston & District Trades Union Council

held upstairs room Newhampton pub, Riches St WV6

 

Present:  Sis. Taylor (UNITE-CYW)   Bros.  Juss (GMB), Baynham, & Marris (UNITE), Kelleher, (UNISON Gen), Chadwick (UNISON), Childs (CWU), Lynch(NUT visitor).    Apologies: Bros. Retnasingham & Rahimi (UNITE). Deacon (UNISON)Grant (UCU), Grant (NUT), MacMillan(CWU)  Sis Halfpenny (NUT), Elson (PCS)

 

1. Minutes of last delegate meeting

a)     agreed no corrections; matters arising: new mesh banner be purchased @about £90;

1. Executive Committee in December was inquorate;  correspondence:

a)    Correspondence:

1)     2014 WB&DTUC affiliations received from: NUT, UNISON University, UNITE WM/6151Lock&Metal workers, ASLEF & Community 17000 – receipts sent

2)     Midlands TUC re donation for Chainmakers festival 7 June 2014. £150 agreed

3)     Midlands TUC regional observer nomination forms for TUC Black Workers’ Conference  & TUC Women’s Conference – noted

4)     Trades Union Councils Midlands conference Dec14 was CANCELLED due to lack of delegates; there was no response to our letter re the agenda from Midlands TUC or TUCJCC representative

5)     Black Country People’ Assembly launch 20,000 leaflets (for 4 TUCs) £146.64 were distributed; £986.64 joint TUC Development grant application from four Black Country TUCs has been sent to cover launch costs and has been agreed by Midlands TUC; food @ last meeting £20

6)     Adverts placed in MStar for filmshow, Chainmakers & Peoples Assembly launch from our credit balance

7)     Cuba Solidarity Campaign renewal £40 agreed

8)     Hazards 2014 sponsorship appeal £25 agreed

9)     Shrewsbury 24 petition was served at Number 10 Downing Street on 16th December

10)   TUC Tolpuddle Martyrs calendar

11)   Save central baths petition –details on our website

12)   Thatcher is [still] Dead CD sale £2.70 mug and WB&DTUC History book sales £12

13)   TUC Union Reps Stage 1  ten Mondays from 20th January at Wolverhampton City College

14)   Save New Bradley Hall public meeting, 17th December – details put on our website

Sent:

15)   2014 civic centre room bookings – confirmed

16) Midlands TUC nominations: delegate Sis. Taylor & Pensioners Network Bro Deacon

17)   WB&DTUC affiliation and 2014 WB&DTUC officer nomination forms

To send

18) £40 Sis Taylor paid room hire Newhampton for filmshow

19) £942.50 to Morning Star; half of money raised from Workers Beer Co work @Latitude & Leeds

20) Future meetings our January AGM will be our 150^th – invite Rob Johnston to speak on the year ahead for the Midlands TUC; future speaker Tom Watson MP?

 

3)    Reports/discussion:

a)     UNISON –CYW-UNITE – unions put alternative proposals to threat of youth service

b)     Black Country People’s Assembly launch Sat. 25 Jan Arena Theatre.

c)     Friends of Chainmakers Bro Lynch reported a successful launch meeting on 3 Dec with a good range of local groups in attendance and willing to help including a local current woman chainmaker. Contact Jean Cooper re future Friends of Chainmakers meetings. The following motion was proposed by Bro.Marris and passed unanimously; to be sent to Midlands TUC for debate at 22^nd February AGM:

Friends of Chainmakers

We welcome the formation of the “Friends of Chainmakers” group which will build support for the Midlands TUC’s Cradley Heath Women Chainmakers’ festival, particularly in the Black Country.

    Midlands TUC agrees to assist the “Friends of Chainmakers” in its work. 

 

d)     A short eulogy of the revolutionary hero Nelson Mandela was given by the Secretary and a minute silence held before a screening of The Condition of the Working Class which had an attendance of around 20.