July 2018

Wolverhampton, Bilston & District Trades Union Council Delegate Meeting
Delegate Minutes Thursday 19th July 2018

1. Welcome & introductions – 26 Present: Sis Taylor(UNITE), Jones (RMT), Stoll (visitor) Simm (PCS), Dixon (UNISON City) Bro Smith (RMT), Grant (UCU), Childs (CWU), Royale, Stoll (UNISON Dudley), Kelleher, Marris, Foxall, Baker (Unite WM6150) Rahimi (UNITEWM5103), Childs (CWU), Brackenridge LP/FBU, Juss (GMB), Deacon, Pugh (UNISON City), O’Brien (UNITE speaker), Weller plus 4 other visitors
Apologies Sis Whyte (UNISON City)
2. Minutes of June delegate Meeting agreed. Matters Arising – letters to be sent. 4g Dennis Skinner had not attended own Q&A with LP
3. EC report -correspondence of note:
a) future speaker suggestions Refugee & Migrant Centre; Council Budget
b) 2018 new affiliations UNITE WM 5203 W.Mids Retired and UNISON WMids Community. All affiliates: ASLEF, Community W’ton Craft, CWU, FBU, GMB X13, Musicians Union, NEU-NUT, RMT, UNISON Sandwell General, UNISON City of Wolverhampton UNISON, UNISON Acute (New Cross), UNISON Police staff, UNISON WMids Community, UNITE Faith workers, UNITE WM6150, UNITE WM 5203.
c) £21 raised on Chainmakers’ stall; £45 affiliation from UCU University
d) bought paper&envelopes £7.97; box envelopes £11.97; stamps 3×12 £20.16; July 19th refreshment snacks £14.38 (=£54.48)
e) Townsend Productions crowd funding request for Chainmakers play “Arouse Ye Women” or £1,000 for show after April 19th 2019. Check venues Lighthouse MT; Newhampton Arts Centre (£410 for fri/sat theatre) BS; Bilston Town hall; Arena Theatre, Wednesfield open air amphitheatre Coppice Hill via Greg – large potential audience as 14k advertising. Could seek TUC Development Grant of £300
f) “The Plan – that came from the bottom up” – crowdfunding sought for Lucas Aerospace film – agreed £100 donation – sent
g) Midlands TUC Pensioners Plan of Work, minutes
h) TUC -Trades Council’ national conference report
i) Fri 19 Oct Show Racism the Red Card – via UNITE. (Wolves v Watford 3pm Sat 20 Oct) T-shirts/leaflets available Bro Marris to contact Wolves to see when they next have event
j) Midlands TUC request for support for Birmingham Peoples Centre for Unemployed – Agrred donation £50
k) Midlands TUC Chainmakers feedback session 1st August 3pm-4.30pm at GMB West Midlands offices
l) 1,400 UK page views on our website this month, www.wolvestuc.org.uk; 200 reach on Facebook

4. Reports/discussions:
a) delegate reports: UNITE – W’ton Homes trying to exclude trade unions; Amey contract expected back in-house
b) RMT – Oxley Sidings – in negotiation reduced number of redundancies and increased offers
c) UNITE Community Black Country inaugural meeting was inquorate
d) FBU Fired Up campaign outcome of negotiations forced by strike threat – introduction of new entrants contacts halted. Other brigades now stepped back as a result.
e) WBDTUC Secretary’s written report discussed. Licensing of Uber taxis from all over country by Wolverhampton council who are processing super fast to attract revenue, had provoked protest by UNITE Coventry taxi drivers. Believed around 10,000 licences granted with less than 1,000 being from Wolverhampton, bringing in £2.2million. Council officers reported to have harassed protesters and threatened with car cruising laws over their action. Contact UNITE – Bro baker and LP Bro Brackenridge and Juss. Cnllr Alan Balshaw is Chair Licensing committee could be invited.
f) TUC Pensioners report – Intergenerational report on social care funding TUC co-sponsors but not TUC policy need new TUC Touchstone publication. TUC Bus Tour Action for Bus Campaign, plan unclear need to link passenger and UNITE/RMT
g) Wolverhampton Palestine Solidarity – Bro Deacon Gaza killings of kids still occurring – little in media. PSC lost appeal, financial strategy paper – £100 donation agreed circulate to unions. Knessit recently passed law proclaiming Israel a Jewish state and excluding 20% of Arabic citizens and their language.

5. any other business -none

6. speaker at 8pm: Tony O’Brien (UNITE) former national secretary Construction Safety campaign and convenor Southwark Council Building Direct Organisation spoke about and signing copies of his new book which shows how local authority directly employed workers and the creation of a national public-sector construction organisation can be the answer to our corrupt system of control by the building companies and property speculators.
We purchased 21 of these books and gave away at meeting, which Tony signed. 6 books still to be paid for £48 -refreshments were provided.