Wolverhampton, Bilston & District Trades Union Council
Delegate Minutes Thursday 18th JULY 2024
- Present: (2024 delegates in bold): Paulette Whyte, Jane Ceresa, Simon Cardy UNISON City of Wolverhampton; Michael Vaughan UNISON Staffordshire; Nick Kelleher, John Oakley, Robert Lipke, John Clark, Rob Marris UNITE WM/6150; Di Weaver UNITE WM/5203; Marie Taylor UNITE LE/372; Dane Cross UNITE WM/7132; Ali Rahimi Unite Community WM/5115; Graham Childs CWU, Si Goode ASLEF, Tim Martin Musicians Union, Kieren Bott UCU University, Sonia Wilkins UNISON Acute, Warinder Juss MP, Jess Stoll +1 Dudley TUC, Mark Watters, John Mullen
Apologies: Metka Potocnick, Sureena Brackenridge, Thomas Mahon - Minutes of last Delegate Meeting (June) & Matters Arising
- EC Report and urgent correspondence:
a) Next steps re working with Adele Williams EC to look at possible – hold special EC with her once we have an idea of possible work
b) discussion of improvements for next May Day – send out questionnaire to delegates; still to apply for £300 TUC Development grant
c) WMDay Plaque – awaiting further response from Urban Design & Conservation Officer who is awaiting response from Asset Management Group – contact Cnllr Hyatt
d) Midlands TUC Women Chainmakers’ festival stall booked for Sun 15 Sept - delegate reports:
a) ASLEF – report circulated; talks began now government has changed
b) GMB Coventry Amazon union recognition ballot result 49.5% of those voting were in favour but 28 votes short. Will not be able to reballot there for 3 years.
c) NEU – BBC contacted secretary about mass exit of teachers at a school in Whitmore Reans – passed onto NEU.
d) UCU – more course closure threat possible at University. HE sector in disarray.
e) UNISON – campaign to regrade Health Care Support workers from band 2 to 3 at Walsall HCT, resulting in £3k pay rise. UNISON and UNITE both rejected local government pay offer, though GMB accepted. Political Fund ballot being sent out. - Secretary report circulated
- Trans-Atlantic Enslavement Links research update – Penny Welch pursuing with researcher
- Wolverhampton Palestine Solidarity Campaign – Stop Arming Israel protest this Saturday Queens Square; WM Pension Fund divestment campaign ongoing, petition now lodged after many problems with Wolverhampton Council. Michael Vaughan putting pressure on Staffordshire Pension fund who previously divested from cluster bombs manufacturers;next national demo 3 August.
- any other business – several delegates visited Durham Miners Gala and met Jeremy Corbyn.
- @8pm international discussion of election results:
France: John Mullen, lecturer at University of Rouen Normandy. New Popular Front coalition of Communist Party, Socialist Party and Greens won largest number of seats in election, yet President Macron refusing them to form new government. Far right National Rally in third place – ant-migrant, Islamophobic but unable to mobilise on streets unlike left. Media trying to discredit left in favour of Macron. Trade unions had been very involved and unusually backed a left vote for New Popular Front.
Iran: Ali Rahimi – mass boycott of election after Prime Minister killed in helicopter crash, as all candidates and policies have to be approved by theocratic leadership. Women’s revolution still ongoing. Government still funding terrorists, despite sanctions, and not its people.
UK: Warinder Juss MP – 3 labour MPs elected in the new Wolverhampton constituencies after boundary changes. Landslide Labour victory despite only 1 in 5 eligible voters voting Labour; right-wing split with their voters backing Reform had helped. New deal for working people in promised in first 100 days. Warinder was second new MP to make maiden speech.