Wolverhampton, Bilston & District Trades Union Council
Delegate meeting Minutes of Thursday 20th February 2025
online on Microsoft Teams
Present in person or online: (delegates in bold): Sharon Dixon, Jane Ceresa UNISON City of Wolverhampton; Nick Kelleher, John Oakley, Tom Mahon, John Clark, Rob Marris UNITE WM/6150; Marie Taylor UNITE LE/372; Zahid Ali, Ali Rahimi Unite Community WM/5115; Sonia Wilkins UNISON Acute, Warinder Juss MP GMB X13, Graham Childs W’ton CWU, Penny Welch, Keiran Bott UCU University, Jamshid Ahmadi CODIR
Apologies: Si Goode, Tim Martin, Michael Vaughan, Di Weaver, Dane Cross, Andy Taylor, Paulette Whyte, Aiden Byrne, Metka Potocnik
- Minutes of last Delegate Meeting (December) agreed; no Matters Arising
- EC Report and urgent correspondence
a) 2025 affiliations received from ASLEF, MU, UNISON City of Wolverhampton, UNISON Sandwell, UNISON Staffordshire, UNITE WM/6150, UNITE WM/5115, UNITE LE/372, UNITE WM/5203. Awaiting re-affiliations from CWU, NEU, RMT, UCU University, UNITE WM/7132 Buses, GMB x13
b) future speakers: Joint Council for Welfare of Immigrants arranged by MV. One month of Microsoft Teams bought (£4.75) to trial for delegate meeting
c) Bus consultation on franchising(ends 30 March) – Executive to check drafted response
d) Re Aggressive collection of council tax campaign MT seeking copies of demand letters from council before responding to council leader’s reply.
e) Annual reports were printed 150 for £89, copies sent to delegates and branches. 2,500 NMWage cards and 1,000 Tr Co pamphlets (300 spare left) spare distributed to Midlands TUC and to 6 TUCs who responded across Midlands to our offer. Postage paid £87.92
f) not received two £300 TUC Development grants from 2024, May Day and printing. NK raised at TUCJCC. Renewed Public Liability insurance £100/yr; Cuba Solidarity re-affiliated £40; Labour research re-affiliated £68.50; TUC registration £10; COPS re-affiliated £50; £22.20 Heart Unions costs - Workers Memorial Day – speakers for 28 April -USDAW, Adrian Turner, Warinder/Thompsons to be invited. JC arranging possible ex-hospital speaker. Stone – corresponded with Planning officer; NK/RM to visit stone masons
- 1st May, agreed to invite new TUC Regional Secretary; Warinder agreed to speak; need to confirm: IWA speaker, food, mendhi, face painting/bouncy castle, flyers/advertising, fundraising – please seek donations from your branches since only half of total raised for this year, £1k needed still.
- delegate reports: ASLEF report received, NK to email out
UCU – KB reported withdrawal of courses at Telford campus in Arts, Chemistry and Humanities. Reports of bullying and lack of consultations. Shell company employing new contracts; many on short term, though if running consecutively then cannot transfer employers.
UNITE – re-election of all stewards and officers for the next 3 years to take place by the end of March - Midlands TUC Executive report and TUCJCC reports were circulated
- Secretary report – we held successful Heart Unions stalls in Wolverhampton with ten volunteers and Bilston with five. Plan to hold another stall at the end March. EC to think of venue. 14 Feb 26 is a Saturday so could give out flowers again.
- Wolverhampton Palestine Solidarity Campaign – WMPF protest 12 March
- any other business – next meeting 20 March
- @8pm speaker Jamshid Ahmadi CODIR Assistant General Secretary on Iran and UK solidarity with its unions and people.
CODIR https://codir.net/ was established in 1981 by a group of British labour and trade union activists in collaboration with Iranian democrats living in exile in the UK.
Half of Iran’s 85million population is under 30.
1979 Revolution, but taken over by Islamists.
1997 reformist government elected but defeated by religious authorities which can over-rule constitutionally.
2009 reformer Prime Minister won but disqualified by theocracy resulted in a 3million counter demonstration whilst under Martial Law.
On 14 Feb this year 10,000 veterans of the Revolution demonstrated for the 2009 election to be recognised. 1,000 were arrested.
2022/3 Women, Life, Freedom movement of women and young people against forced wearing of hijab left country ungovernable for 7 months until the crackdown won with 600 killed. There wasn’t good co-ordination with workers but there is still dissent.
Foreign intervention is not wanted, the Iranian people will make change themselves. They need moral solidarity. CODIR does not ask for sanctions.
Despite fertile land, minerals, oil, good climates, 50% are in poverty, high youth unemployment and the country is bankrupt with huge corruption and huge inflation. e.g. a nurse wage equivalent to $100/month and rent is $400/month.
Very low turnouts in any elections since candidates are authorised by the theocracy.
1,000 death sentences in 2024.
238 strikes in 2024 many lasting months. In oilfields against umbrella companies employing “project workers” and expecting 2-4 week shifts; want 2weeks on/off. Teachers pension strike left General Secretary with a 10-year prison sentence. Steelworkers strike after 21 locked out; 17 taken back and 4 sacked. They were re-instated after IndustriALL Global Union(50million members) intervened.
Delegates agreed to affiliate to CODIR @ £50/year