July 2017

Minutes of Delegate Meeting WB&DTUC – Thursday 20th July 2017

1. Welcome & introductions to delegates & visitors. Present: Taylor(UNITE-CYW), Bro. Brackenridge (LP/FBU), J.Grant (UCU), Kelleher, Pugh, Deacon (UNISON Gen), B. Simm (PCS), Bueno (Sandwell UNISON)

Apologies Bro S.Grant (NUT), Marris (UNITE), Juss (GMB), Sis Weaver (UNISON Gen) C. Simm (PCS),

2. Minutes of June Delegate Meeting agreed no matters arising
3. EC Report

1. Civic unavailable due to refurbishment – new venue needed for Sept 21^st public meeting Shrews 24; also Oct 19^th, Nov 16^th, Dec 21^st, AGM Jan, Feb & Mar meetings – Clarendon pub suggested for Sept meeting also UNITE office (no Thurs Wolves home games planned)
2. union branches not affiliated this year that previously affiliated are no longer being sent paper mailings: UCU college, NASUWT, PCS West Mercia and CV branches, UNITE-CYW, UNISON Acute & Black Country Health branches. EC follow up with regional offices.
3. Bro Grant reported Bro Stuart Grant (NUT) had new cancer treatment which has helped him feel better. Sis Whyte reported that UNISON Gen delegate Bro Shabir Hussain was recovering and soon back to work.
4. Correspondence of note

1. affiliation fees received £46 from UNISON University, £20 GMB x13
2. Midlands TUC new address 47, Summer Lane, Birmingham B19 3TH telephone number 0121 262 6380
3. Workers Beer Company – over £1,000 raised by 9 volunteers at Latitude festival. Delegates expressed their thanks. To send: Workers Beer Company letter re Payment £7/hour – issue was raised verbally with Battersea & Wandsworth TUC and WBC at Glastonbury
4. Gatelodge POA magazine feature on Wolverhampton Workers’ Memorial Day
5. Anthony Molloy, Chair of the Labour Land Campaign to speak on Land Value Taxation Oct 19 – requested via Bro.Marris LP joint meeting – no response from LP, but officers have changed recently send to new ones
6. £11 sales on Chainmakers stall, £19 also made for Morning Star
7. 3,250 UK page views on our website last month www.wolvestuc.org.uk; reach of 1,500 on our facebook page in last month
8. paid: Institute of Employment Rights affiliation renewal £70; Campaign for TU Freedom reaffiliation £35; “SERTUC(Sylvia Pankhurst)” statue appeal £25; £25.25 travel expense request WASPI speaker “Lynn Trannah”; N.Kelleher £52.37 (last month exp +500 envelopes+ream paper +stamps) + £12.99 upgrade to computer system windows 10, currently XP

9. Burford strike school rally coach tickets sponsor 3 from Coventry via BPTUAA@ £36

 

 

4. Reports:

1. delegate reports – UNISON – Bro Pugh reported Amey’s threat of redundancies shelved on waste and recycling. An Academy trust had introduced performance related pay to on-teaching staff against national condiions. 5 out of 7 day working to be forced on social workers in childrens services.
2. Bro Brackenridge FBU/LP Council Scrutiny Review of impact of Grenfell disaster locally. 18 blocks with cladding, 6 tested, other public buildings, university accommodation; Heart & Lung centre at New Cross failed.
3. Bro. Simm, sacked W’ton PCS rep – update on campaign ACAS conciliation ended PCS to take to ET. Meagre offer by civil service. Union Learning rep trained now, national union support continues ad Bro Simm spoken to all sections of PCS. PCS petition re Bob Simm circulated
4. WBDTUC Secretary’s written report spoken to by Bro Kelleher. Demo at Tory conference Sunday 1^st Oct – check with UNISPON & UNITE to see if they are putting on coaches then check out transport if needed. Tinplate Workers’ plaque to go back up in Civic early September
5. TUC Pensioners’ Network – Bro Deacon circulated written report. Pheonix House, Barrow Tax office saved after campaign as the centre for mesiolothemelia claims. Pension age increased to 68 for those born 1970-76
6. Palestine Solidarity – Bro. Deacon £290 raised at biggest ever garden party 40+. 4Nov national demo against Balfor Declaration. Local Govt pension funds able to divest from Israel/Occupied Territories going to appeal. Government has adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of anti-semitism. UCU has said that this definition conflates anti-semitism with criticism of the state of Israel and has been used to intimidate academics who are engaged in activities that are critical of the policies of the Israeli government but that are not anti-semitic. Noted sad passing of activist Mick Szydlowski who had been doing a sponsored walk for Palestine. Bus driver had one right to wear kefta, active at Shenston stop arming israel. 14 October David Cronin meeting £100 sponsorship agreed.

 

5. NATIONAL CONVERSATION ON IMMIGRATION structured discussion – the results of which will feed into the national debate http://nationalconversation.uk/

• Diverse local population has grown up together. Integration in schools is key. Academy chains based on religion will cause future harm. Northern Ireland has changed their future based on school integration
• Wolverhampton & Bilston TUC anti fascist campaign has assisted over the last 17 years to ongoing community relations along with council initiatives in Wolverhampton.
• Cutbacks and all public services due to austerity means to former support for communities is now hard to meet – meeting places are closed
• Competition for social housing and school places but immigration used to fill unwanted homes and empty school places
• Employment rights should include anti exploitation, unscrupulous employers paying below minimum wage and driving down wages; agency employment uses immigration
• Asylum seekers need the right to work many lose their skills after years of waiting for a decision
• The effect of immigration on the NHS has been positive; lack of training, no incentive to train when we have immigration for nurses Greece now, before it was the Philippines.
• Migration is not new always happened; birth rate has lowered, a falling population will need carers in the future. Need planned net immigration to the country, numbers do matter.
• Term immigration has confused the debate nationally and in media. Often migrants only considered as such if from Eastern Europe or Africa those from USA, Australia, Canada not treated the same or as badly. EU Fortress Europe policy prioritised predominantly white EU citizens over those from the rest of world.
• Negative remarks from the past that died out before are now being reused
• Need to reverse reasons for forced migration due to wars that Britain has been involved with. Most migration in the world is due to war and most people move to camps in neighbouring countries with no life.

6.  any other business Emily Davis Sandwell NUT futures possible speaker