Delegate Minutes November 2021

Wolverhampton, Bilston & District Trades Union Council
Delegate Minutes Thursday 18th November 2021

1. Present: Sisters C.Simm PCS(in chair), Whyte UNISON City, D.Weaver UNITE WM/5203 & SWCLP TULO, Welch UCU, Hyatt UNITE Community. Brothers Kelleher, Oakley & Marris Unite WM6150, Deacon & Turner, B.Simm UNISON City, Juss GMBx13, Rahimi Unite Community, Childs CWU, Grant UCU, Vaughan UNISON Staffs and speaker Rice Unite Apologies Bro Martin MU
2. Minutes of last Delegate Meeting (October) agreed. Matters Arising – Bro Vaughan reported that despite his intervention, UNISON Region will hold their main Workers’ Memorial Day event in Wrottersley Park, Staffs at the same time as ours. Sis Hyatt thanked us for use of PA at the COP26 rally. Discussion about upgrading PA as current one not enough for bigger crowds and we also lend out to other groups. Bro Turner suggested request to UNISON City by 14 Dec to help fund purchase.
3. EC Report, no update on BLM Research; correspondence of note:
   a) from Dick Scroop decided not to attend future meetings – after discussion it was noted.
   b) recording of last month’s ACORN meeting received need to edit and upload – Bro Kelleher
   c) branch affiliation forms 2022 sent out and on website. Bro Kelleher made contact with Sis Taylor’s union branch and she has requested affiliation, which they appear amenable to. 2021 affiliation received from PCS DWP
   d) future speakers – green issues suggested with delegates reporting on each union’s policies
   e) www.wolvestuc.org.uk – thanks to Sis Millar and Leftspace for converting our website from Joomla to WordPress; saved us several hundreds of pounds. Bro Kelleher has completed re-design. Some broken links on annual reports – please report any other errors found.
   f) Bro Kelleher not re-contacted council -100 Great Black Britons – re request from Council for us to distribute book to the schools and libraries.
   g) reply from Pat McFadden that he attended Parliament to vote for Barry Gardiner’s Fire & Rehire bill Fri 22 Oct
   h) sent Palestine Solidarity campaign re-affiliation £25
   i) Institute of Employment Rights – our subscription has lapsed £50 – not had request to renew, need to check (due from last April, last year’s payment was made in Oct 2020)
4. delegate Reports and discussion:
   COP26 Sis Hyatt reported over 300 attended event in West Park
   GMB – Bro Juss reported on Serco dispute at Sandwell, strikes suspended pending further negotiations. UK National Work Stress Network 10-2pm 27 Nov online
   UCU Sis Welch reported strikes 1-3 Dec over pensions, pay and against casualisation – not in Wolverhampton.
   UNISON Bro Turner reported national pay ballot over Xmas; still not decided on face-to-face meetings; regional council met for first time in 2 years; industrial action at Warwick hospital ICT. Bro Vaughan reported big increase in casework and review of out-sourced council services next year that are failing in Tory Staffs.
   LP SWCLP TULO – thanks given for Sis Weaver’s report which was emailed to delegates. The regional Local Government Committee only has one TU member, Bro Juss; membership so far seems by invite.
   Secretary report by Bro Kelleher is online
5. at 8pm speaker Mick Rice (former Birmingham TUC Sec and Unite member) proposal to our TUC to sign up takeaways who agree to Good Employer Code to his new Union Shop App, due to go live 1-1-22. Offering us £1000 to sign up 10+ takeaways used by students. Discussed at length; no regulation or inspection of Good Employer Code and neither USDAW nor BFAWU involved. Proposal not to go ahead with offered was passed 7 to 5 by delegates.