Delegate Minutes Thursday 21st October 2021

Wolverhampton, Bilston & District Trades Union Council

  1. Present: Sisters C.Simm PCS(in chair), Dixon UNISON City, D.Weaver UNITE WM/5203 & SWCLP TULO, Welch UCU, Hyatt UNITE Community,
  2. Brothers Kelleher, Oakley Unite WM6150, Deacon UNISON City, Juss GMBx13, B.Simm UNISON, Rahimi & Ali Unite Community, Childs CWU, Grant UCU, Barnes (Acorn, speaker).
    Apologies Bro Martin MU, Marris Unite WM6150, Vaughan UNISON Staffs
  3. Minutes of last Delegate Meeting (September) agreed with correction 5)November 6th world Day of Action re COP26. West Park Bandstand Wolverhampton booked for 11.30. Matters Arising
  4. EC Report, correspondence of note:
    a) Researcher into Wolverhampton links to slavery; Sis Osbourne has signed and returned contract documents and started research
    a) Website – GM expecting to transfer site to WordPress in next fortnight; will allow links to Facebook and Insta. WordPress is a more stable platform for websites, than Joomla now.
    b) NK not contacted council officer re -100 Great Black Britons – re request from Council for us to distribute book to the schools and libraries. CS spoke to Cnllr Hardacre. NK to check if help still needed. Has been on council website again this week.
    c) solidarity message sent to Indian Farmers after latest general strike;
    d) solidarity message re latest upsurge in industrial action in Iran to Iranian oil and gas workers on strike was sent via CODIR and a reply received from the The Union of Metalworkers and Mechanics of Iran which was read out to delegates.
    e) Message of support was sent to UNITE Henry Squires at Featherstone; strike did not take place, no further details.
    f) sent copy of our history to Sarah Woolley Gen Sec BFAWU; copies of redundancy leaflet to CAB and IWA Welfare centre
    g) to send still Palestine Solidarity campaign re-affiliation £25;
    h) sold another WBDTUC anniversary badge online £5
    i) Workers Memorial Day 2022 – decide and send details to Staffs UNISON to avoid confusion with UNISON regional event – agreed usual 12.30 28 April 2022 at Workers Memorial Day Tree, Cenotaph.
    j) Agreed to support the local event organised by Friends of the Earth Wolverhampton Saturday 6 November Cop26 11-30-2pm at West Park bandstand and take opur banner https://www.facebook.com/events/471759590554932/ over the Midlands TUC promoted evmnt in Birmingham with trade union bloc on march
    k) Midlands TUC Equalities week online each day 25-29 Oct see www.wolvestuc.org.uk
    l) wrote to Pat McFadden urging for support for Fire & Rehire bill Fri 22 Oct
    5.Reports and discussion:
    Sandwell Leisure Trust strike – several of our delegates assisted last Friday in their leafleting which has been supported by surrounding trades councils but not Sandwell’s.
    delegate reports:
    GMB – Bro Juss reported on ongoing Serco waste services strike in Sandwell, over 100 at picket yesterday – after the firm failed to address a management culture of bullying and a slew of safety complaints; another failing contracted out service by Sandwell council. No discussions yet.
    UCU Sis Welch reported on national ballot in higher education sector over pay,workloads,against casualisation and gender and race pay gaps. Additionally old universities to ballot over pension cuts; employers not yet come for pension scheme covering newer universities and FE college staff.
    LP Sis Weaver presented her report on LP conference (on our website). SWCLP was congratulated for seconding the successful Palestine motion. Also reported on new renamed “Local Government Committee” of Labour Party – unclear how unions selected for membership. Doesn’t seem to be council and school unions. Only TU Liaison Officer on WBDTUC is from SW CLP.
    Secretary report, TUCJCC report – no General Council members attended; TUC Programme of work issued but only a rehash of the undebated conference motions.(full report on our website) – Bro Kelleher
    Wolverhampton Palestine Solidarity Campaign – no report
  5. any other business – delegates urged to meet at the Cop26 rally at west park sat 6 Nov 11-30am
  6. speaker at 8pm from ACORN, Paul Barnes from the Birmingham branch of Association of Community Organisations for Reform Now.
    Founded in Bristol in 2014, ACORN is a membership-based organisation and network of low-income people organising for a fairer deal for our communities; with members in Wolverhampton. 7,000 nationally, doubled in last year. Describes itself as a community union, but it was explained that they do not profess to be a (non-tuc) trade union nor represent working people. Most work around housing issues but also bus campaigning. They have given support to some trade union campaigns already and potential link ups too with Trades Union Council and Unite Community work. Sis Hyatt commented that Housing is one of main welfare issues with students union.
    They often use direct action to assist individual cases and have defeated hundreds of landlords and property developers, and even the big banks – but now need to fight off threats in court, so are fundraising.
    Agreed – edit video of presentation for our website and send out copies of ACORN’s model motion and fundraising request, with offer of a speaker to local branches.

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