February 2021

Wolverhampton Bilston and District Trades Union Council

Delegate Minutes 18 Feb 2021 Virtual Zoom meeting

  1. Welcome & introductions to delegates & visitors

    Present: Sisters Taylor Unite, C.Simm PCS, Whyte & J.Weaver UNISON City, D.Weaver UNITE Ret & SWCLP TULO; Brothers Grant UCU, Kelleher, Marris, Oakley Unite WM6150, Rahimi Unite Community, Williams UNITE W’ton Homes, Juss GMBx13, Simm PCS(Assoc), Deacon & Turner UNISON City, Vaughan UNISON Staffs 

    Apologies Sis Welch & Millar UCU University, Dixon UNISON City

  2. Minutes of last Delegate Meeting (Dec) agreed, no Matters Arising

  3. EC Report -items of note

    1. Sandwell Leisure Trust – injunction taken out against GMB so UNISON would need to re-ballot now.

    2. UNITE re Bro Simm delegate status – need sorting by 26 Feb as nomination already sent for TUC Midlands regional committee

    3. 6 May elections – bring your own pencil – postal vote campaign deadline 5pm 20 April, register by midnight 19 April. Details/links for forms on www.wolvestuc.org.uk letter sent to W’ton Election office, acknowledged but no reply. UNISON has raised issue of safety at polling stations.

    4. Body worn video – BLM campaign – letter sent to PCC David Jamieson. Send any response to contacts in UNISON, UNITE, PCS, GMB to pass onto SOGs.

    5. 100 Great Black Britons into schools – 3 min video produced from speaker last month https://youtu.be/-8XCK3SPwx4 There are 107 schools and libraries locally. Been in contact with Patrick Vernon, book distributor and press. Cnllr Mike Hardacre very positive about potential funding and that they would also be placed. Also possible link up with NEU for academies. Could run a competition if extra books ordered.

    6. Website update – received WordPress domain name from Leftspace; GM will have a go converting from Joomla to WordPress.

    7. Workers’ Memorial Day 28 April – Plan topics and repeat request to branches/delegates for videos. Suggest Louise Regan NEU/Midlands TUC Chair to speak too. Maybe one person lay a wreath for video too. This year’s theme is ‘Health and Safety is a fundamental right at work’.

    8. New analysis published (5/2/21) by the TUC reveals the economic hit to Wolverhampton from government plans to cut pay rises for key workers in the public sector. Sent to Cnllr Brookfield, Ex & Star. For the year April 2021 to March 2022:

      Wolverhampton North East 6,560 public sector workers will lose £4.2million, the 27th hardest hit constituency in England

      Wolverhampton South West 2,834 public sector workers will lose £1.8million

      Wolverhampton South East 1,898 public sector workers will lose £1.2million

    9. research into Wolverhampton links to slave owners paid state compensation at abolition. Initial budget now raised with donations: GMBX13 £1,050, UNITE WM6150 £500, UNISON City of Wolverhampton £250 and TUC Development grant £300. Could be expanded if further donations arise. GM to draw up an advert for the researcher.

    10. Sent: Shrewsbury 24 campaign 2021 re-affiliation £25; Court of Appeal Judges reserved their opinion for up to 4 weeks (start of March)

    11. Over 8,000 working age people in Wolverhampton saw our Join a union adverts during #HeartUnions week 8-14 Feb,with 79 clicking link to join a union. We spent about £26 on Facebook (70% of people reached and 86% clicks were from paid adverts.)

    12. half hour play Nurse Brown from Jamaica by Jefny Ashcroft from Wolves https://www.stream.theatre/video-page/PlayOnNurseBrown%E2%80%93WLFOnDemand/583

    13. NEW ANALYSIS: TUC study of 16 local authorities in West Midlands shows huge unmet demand for self-isolation scheme as around three quarters of applicants end up without support

    14. WM CATUC AGM Meeting Saturday 20 February; last meeting was “11 May 2019 adjourned at request of Regional Secretary” (no minutes) – no volunteers, noted

    15. IER – Covid at work – regulatory failure booklet send to MT

    16. Indian Farmers Struggle, IWA live Facebook event Sun 28 Feb 2-4pm https://www.facebook.com/events/1333156290384049/

    17. Guide to Claiming Benefits and Credits following Redundancy – bulk printed A5copies. @£10/100 – info sent out to branch secretaries

4. Reports and discussion:

    1. delegate reports:

  • UNISON City – 10% national pay claim, office closed until at least the summer

  • UNISON Wolverhampton Homes – their frontline workers have not been offered vaccine injections yet

  • UNITE – national policy conference 12-16 July

b) Secretary’s report and Midlands TUC EC – Bro Kelleher

c) Wolverhampton Palestine Solidarity Campaign – more work being done around Pension Fund divestment. Other councils have already done so. Fossil fuel campaigners also seeking divestment. Details to be sent to UNISON Staffs.

5. any other business none

at 8pmpublic meeting GMB speaker did not attend meeting. Bro Juss gave report on British Gas strike. Biggest action by GMB since Grunwick 40 years ago. 5,000 on strike against fire and rehire.

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