Wolverhampton, Bilston & District TUC
MINUTES OF MEETING ON 21.7.05
1. ATTENDANCE
Sisters: Halfpenny (NUT), Taylor (CYWU), Welch (NATFHE), Cole (UNISON)
Brothers: Kelleher(UNISON), Brackenridge(FBU), Cole(NUT), Deacon(UNISON), Juss(GMB)
Apologies: Ceresa(UNISON), Marris(TGWU), Grant(NATFHE), Farmer(UNISON), Sagoo(UNISON)
2. Minutes of the last meeting – agreed to be a true record. MATTERS ARISING:
5c Agreed to invite MPs to September meeting to speak on New Cross
2.5 £200 May Day Committee donation to be sent
2.7 £100 bricks donation to be sent to Black Country Museum
2.8 Employment Advice Service group still to meet – Marie, Nick, Marion Dave ? when?
3. CORRESPONDENCE and JULY EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE REPORT
3.1 Executive Committee report. Copies circulated
3.2.2 Working Class Movement Library donate £20 agreed
3.2.3 TUC LGBT excellent report. Bro Deacon to receive full expenses entitlement £122.40 despite kind offer of half.
3.2.5 Community Planning Involvement plan pass to Indian Workers Association
3.2.6 Newsletters circulated and available for delegates to take
3.2.7 No response from Robin2 re Bernard Manning’s performance 20.8.05 good press coverage. Response from Leader’s office. Sis Marion Halfpenny proposed demo at club but due to holidays it seemed attendance would be poor.
3.2.9 T Morgan not able to attend Lifelong Learning Scrutiny Panel but issue of homophobic bullying needs to be raised. D Cole does not believe the issue is covered in any detail in LEA bullying policy
3.8.2 Information on minimum wage will be added to website
3.8.4 Invoice for Data Protection £135 seemed possible mal – practice. Matter to be raised with MPs to see what they will do about it. Letter to Trading Standards in Wolverhampton as response on telephone was disappointing. Also copies of correspondence to Council Portfolio holder.
3.8.5 Messages of support for sacked deputy convenor and Rolls Royce walk out
4. OFFICER REPORTS
a) Secretary – Written report – Make Poverty History Rally, Solidarity Garden Party
b) Treasurer – not present no report
c) LGBT TUC report (see minute 3.2.3) written report. Recommendations:
Invite MPs to discuss concerns about Equality Bill
Seek assurances from Wolverhampton Council that arrangements are in hand to register civil partnerships and that same sex couples registering will be treated like opposite sex couples marrying
Affiliate to Broken Rainbow
Check what is available to schools to tackle homophobic bullying (see minute 3.2.9)
Write to TUC to seek assurance that Trades Councils be invited to take part in proposed International Conference
Moses Must Stay petition was circulated
Submit motion to next year’s Trades Councils’ Conference about building trades council participation in the equality conferences and the TUC’s equality work
Revisit some of these in October
d) No workplace reports
e) Bob Deacon and Marie Taylor attended WM County Association of TU Councils
f) No time to cover Midlands TUC
g) No time to cover CSC & PSC reports
h) TUC structure agreed to have an extra meeting at Civic Centre 3.8.05 at 7.15 to discuss restructure of TUC
5. NO RESOLUTIONS
6. BANANA LINK CAMPAIGN -Video shown by Dave Cole
It was more than about bananas but about the way we live. What can we do? Need to discuss this at a future meeting
• Need to buy Fairtrade
• Can LEA help by ensuring Fairtrade bananas are used in the Fruit For School campaign and School Meals Service?
• Good website www.bananalink.org.uk
7. AOB
Significant sum paid by Europackaging for 62 former employees relating to redundancies 2004. AMICUS now recognised
Information given on Pre-retirement courses for firefighters etc. raised a question on possible means testing for State Pensions. This was thought unlikely.
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