Wolverhampton, Bilston & District Trades Union Council
Delegate Meeting MINUTES
Thursday 19th February 2026
Introductions made by those present: (delegates in bold): Thomas Mohan (chaired meeting), Nick Kelleher, Robert Lipke UNITE WM/6150; Marie Taylor UNITE LE/372; Karin Dannehl UCU Wolverhampton University, Ali Rahimi UNITE WM/5115, Graham Childs CWU, Craig Radford UNITE WM/7132; Cnllr Jacqui Coogan UNITE, Warinder Juss MP GMB-X10
Apologies were received from: Kay Cresswell-Green NEU, Si Goode ASLEF, Tim Martin MU, Dane Cross, Peter Kibblewhite UNITE WM/7132, Michael Vaughan UNISON Staffordshire, John Clark UNITE WM6150, Keiran Bott, Metka Potocnik UCU, Di Weaver UNITE WM/5203
- Minutes of the last Delegate Meeting (December) agreed; no Matters Arising.
- EC report & urgent correspondence
a) 2026 affiliations to WB&DTUC: CWU, Musicians’ Union, UNISON Sandwell, UNITE WM/7132, UNITE WM/6150, UNISON City of Wolverhampton, UNISON Staffordshire have all affiliated. *still to pay ASLEF & UNITE Community also agreed to affiliate
b) Education unions round-table – Another to be arranged by MT.
c) Black Country & Enslavement books to see if they can be distributed via the NEU office (400 of each book still left to distribute); done in Walsall like this. Still to take copies to Archives.
d) Also copies of When Workers ruled Wolverhampton & Bilston available.
e) anti reform-UK leafleting Sandwell, Saturday 21st Feb 10-12; Sunday 22nd Feb 10:30-12:30 contact t.barnsley.sandwellunison@outlook.com
f) Workers’ Memorial Day Tues 28 April Speakers: Deacon Linda Gilson accepted and Rob M to unveil (to ref John Bird) asked: Tarnia Davies, ill local nurse written book, Co leader invited along with councillors
g) Workers’ Memorial Day stone – £1,560 left to raise. £250 donation received from Rob Marris. Contact Thompsons/Irwin Mitchell union solicitors
h) May 1st BOOKED: venue; Steve Pottinger local performance poet; St Brigids from Riotous Collective; One Love sound system. Speakers: IWA agreed, Briony Cope Sec Bham CPB,Councillor Qaiser Azeem, mehndi. TO BOOK: Dhol, Bouncy castle, stalls, food (IWA/Ali), publicity, flyers; social media- Love Reans page and others? 100yrs since gen strike; £2k to raise. Email branch secs, who else?
i) List of affiliations to be put to AGM each year. CSC, PSC, VSC, LRD all paid
j) Registered WB&DTUC with TUC; £10 fee to pay; delegate form sent in and accommodation for TM delegate to trades co conf booked with no charge to us; TUCJCC nomination also sent - Wolverhampton Together Alliance Against far right: Wolverhampton Together update given of launch meeting;
Midlands TUC Sunday 8 March B’ham Women’s day rally/march; details on our website
Sat 28 March Together London demo local transport details https://www.togetheralliance.org.uk/transport - delegate reports:
ASLEF report received from SG, to be circulated
UCU – KD reported duties of principal lecturer being put on lower paid lecturers, affecting potential career paths and threatening future redundancies.
UNITE – TM reported extra work at ArcelorMittal due to Bham factory refit but slitting work affected by Landrover/Jaguar cyber attack knock on. Pay talks due to start in a month. CR – reported bus franchising due locally early 2028 . - TUCJCC report – Nick Kelleher 166 Trades Councils, including 20 Associations, registered. Reps successfully opposed officer wishes for a rule change for this year’s conference and it was agreed that there will be a workshop to discuss such things as how we make best use of time for workshops and motions.
- Midlands TUC EC report – Robert Lipke and NK attended
- Secretary report circulated; several delegate attended 30 Jan 6am Birmingham bin strike Megapicket, Heart Unions event; 7 Feb stall
- Wolverhampton Palestine Solidarity Campaign no report
- any other business – delegates raised disappointment about the use of the Black Country Living Museum for the Midlands TUC Mary MacArthur lecture after the Chainmakers festival had been expelled in 2010. The new Sandwell College building is near to the festival site so it could be useful?
- @8pm speaker – Employment Rights Act
recorded interview played of Lord John Hendy KC from the Institute of Employment Rights https://youtu.be/T7Qn_i8F5XM followed by discussion of the latest timeline for alimentation.
Delegates agreed to allow EC to draw up a motion for traders council conference calling on an Employment Rights Act#2 which would fill in gaps such as 2 year’s employment needed for redundancy rights yet 6 months for unfair dismissal. To be circulated, deadline 16 March.
Sec to compile information about how to write and progress motions from branches though the trade council structure.