February 2013

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Present: Sis Taylor (CYWU-UNITE)         Bros. Kelleher & Deacon (UNISON Gen), Macmillan & Childs (CWU), Juss (GMB), Rahimi & Marris (UNITE), Retnasangham (UNITE Legal&Finance), Mears (UNISON Uni)

Apologies: Bros. J.Grant (UCU), Brackenridge (FBU), Everall (UNISON Gen)  Sis. Ceresa (UNISON Gen), Elson (PCS)

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Minutes of last delegate meeting (December) agreed, no matters arising

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Elections – nominations taken from floor and agreed:    

a] Vice-President – Rob Marris UNITE                

b] Minutes Secretary – Marion Halfpenny NUT

c] Trades Union Councils Annual Conference delegate 1/2 June – Marie Taylor substitute Sid Retnasangham

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Executive Committee Feb

Correspondence of note:

a)   Midlands TUC Pensioners Network – nominations agreed for Bob Deacon Vice Chair, Yvonne Washbourne Chair

b)  Coalition plans for shared parental leave and flexible working in the criticised Children and Families Bill. Deadline for public comments 26th February.

c)   TUC special fund available to us in 2013 only matched project funding – discuss at meeting

d)   Cuba Solidarity raffle tickets sold at delegate meeting

e)   Workers Beer Company 2013 festival list – seeking volunteers.  Invoice for Latitude 2012 work £182 received. Half of 2012 funds raised still need to be paid to Morning Star. Email of this year’s festivals to be sent out

f)    Wolverhampton Together – Sis.Ceresa to attend March meeting. Event on May 6th?

g)   New anti-academies film details – circulated to relevant unions and Bro. Purchase

h)   Royal Mail – response to our complaints re wrong delivery of POBox letters – reply accepted points made, correcting problem and agreeing to 2 months extension of POBox – renewal of £276 was due this month.

i)     Campaign for Trade Union Freedom formed merging United campaign to repeal anti-union laws and Liaison committee for TU rights

j)    West Midlands Pensioners Convention re W’ton Pensioners discussed with EC – added to email list

k)   Sandwell TUC’s May Day Sat 4 May; organising meeting 21 Feb – sent copy of our May Day on a Shoestring report

l)     Re-affiliations made to:  Abortion Rights £40; Palestine Solidarity £25; Venezuela solidarity campaign £40; Labour Research £43.25; WMCND £10

m) Donations sent to: Hazards 2013 sponsorship appeal £25; British Vietnam Friendship Society for work £15 and Agent Orange Appeal £15; Working Class Movement Library £25; York Disabled Workers’ Co-op (ex-Remploy) appeal via GMB £20; UCU rally – we spent £37.50 on 150 somosas; £10 Xmas meeting refreshments

n)   WB&DTUC Public liability insurance – we accepted original quote £184, to start 1st March

• o)  Wrote to all Labour councillors re Community Right to Challenge – no replies

p)  to send: Tasmanian comrades re Tinplate workers 1819

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JG NK

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2013 remaining re-affiliations:

a)     UNITE-CYWU  & NUT – cheques ready to be sent to us

b)     FBU have responded to latest email and affiliation expected

c)     GMB X13 – wrote to branch again Bro Juss to follow up

d)     ASPECT – Bro. Hardacre now chasing up – now part of Prospect union

e)     POA – sent Bro. Bostock email

f)      ATL & NASUWT – asked Bro.S.Grant to follow up & sent emails

g)     UNITE branches: W’ton General, 5/836 & 5/998 awaiting new branch structures/elections

h)     UCU City College and CWU (W.Mids & Worcs) forms sent to branch secretaries for 4th time

i)       invoices to regional offices inc.re 3 years’ affiliations UCU University

MT

SG

WJ MH SG SB

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UNISON General – balloting currently over Single Status agreement, report given; result after 4 March

Halesowen UCU first strike day well supported on 14 Feb Bro.Kelleher attended; further dates to be announced

CYWU – £750k cuts threatened of £3m budget for youth services, no details but compulsory redundancies expected.

PCS currently balloting

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Wolverhampton CAB – funding cuts, debt advise now by phone, no caseworkers

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WMids County Association of Trade union Councils two meetings in February were inquorate. It is only in the West Midlands that we cannot send motions directly to Regional TUC. Not yet reaffiliated.

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WB&DTUC Secretary’s February report circulated

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Socialist Health Alliance meeting report; two dozen at workshop, lot were trade unionists but not from local health services; poor presentation, not much outcome.  Suggest individuals take up membership of Foundation Trusts.  Agreed to contact UNISON Health to speak to delegates or meet EC to discuss possibilities for NHS campaigning; if no response maybe union activist Annette Mansel-Green of Hospital Consultants Assoc.

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Palestine Solidarity film shows being held 22 Feb & Fri 15 March. Bro.Kelleher to send letter to support Palestinian youth denied visa to speak in Wolverhampton. Good response to recent leafleting of Sainsbury’s; public response much more accepting than in previous years as issues are becoming the mainstream view. Bro.Deacon’s national AGM report was circulated.

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Workers’ Memorial Day – UCATT & Thompsons (attacks on laws) & Black Country Urban Industrial Mission all confirmed. Draft flyer circulated to send to printers next week. Sis Taylor to check if Agricultural Workers speaker possible. Flyers £56/1000; invite LP councillors – no elections this year

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Xmas party still awaiting DJ to collect event costs of £200 less £99 sales (£33 other sales banked)

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Discussion of future work for our trades union council this year- special TUC grant available for work around:

a)   Fighting the cuts

b)   Work with the Peoples’ Charter to promote the trade union movement’s alternative economic and social policies

c)    Employment rights

d)   Bring pressure on local politicians and decision making to defend NHS services

e)   Highlight the real detriment of academies and ‘free’ schools – public meeting to try and initiate local campaigning?

f)    Bedroom Tax meeting or campaign material; lack of single occupancy accommodation, council tax benefit cut, monthly payments direct to tenants will combine to result in long-term evictions.

g)   Carnival Against Cuts;

h)   joint work with: youth council, CAB, or on NHS? Or with CWU/Walsall TUC re Willenall post office campaign?

EC