Wolverhampton, Bilston & District Trades Union Council
Minutes of Delegate Meeting Thursday 15th June 2023
Present (delegates registered from affiliated branches in bold): Warinder Juss GMBx13; Penny Welch & Edda Nicolson UCU Wolverhampton University; Lee Booker UNISON City of Wolverhampton; Michael Vaughan UNISON Staffordshire; Marie Taylor UNITE LE/372; Nick Kelleher, & John Oakley UNITE WM/6150; , Zahid Ali & Carol Hyatt & Ali Rahimi Unite Community, Rob Poole
Apologies Tim Martin, John Grant, Rob Marris, Adrian Turner, Paulette Whyte, Jayne Weaver, Bob Deacon, Si Goode. Nigel Harkness, Di Weaver, Dane Cross
1. Minutes of last Delegate Meeting (May) agreed, no matters arising
2. EC Report and urgent correspondence
- 2023 affiliations – UNISON WMids Police Staff branch has affiliated, RMT form received;payment for UNITE Community branch WM 5115 received; 6 months overdue: FBU, GMB X13, PCS (Black Country), UNITE WM7132(Buses), UNISON Wolverhampton University . [2024 affiliation forms are due to be sent out in October]
- £200 to May Day Committee from UNISON City of Wolverhampton branch
- Future speakers Liz Millman speaker offer Caribbean resistance of the 1930s and the strike of tenants in Clarendon, Jamaica. Abortion Rights speaker; Edda on the History of the GFTU
- “Oh Jeremy Corbyn-the big lie” screening arranged Tues 11 July Friends Meeting House tickets £3 eventbrite Friends Meeting House if available profits to filmmakers, else donate £50, https://www.platformfilms.co.uk/ need speaker to introduce
- 1st July Chainmakers festival stall set up from 10-30am
- enslavement links project – No progress.
- To send £25 donation When Eve Span theatre group. play on Peasants’ Revolt; travel expenses for WMDay paid to John Dunn £44
- Eileen Turnbull – A Very British Conspiracy Podcast 45 minutes https://www.buzzsprout.com/2194868/12906725 recorded in Wolverhampton at a meeting of Labour Party and trade union activists May 2023.
3. delegate reports and strike updates:
Agreed that we offer help to RMT/RMT cleaners/ASLEF In designing and printing a leaflet explaining what the continued strike action is about etc and offer to help them leaflet it to commuters on a non-strike day
ASLEF – Dispute update – Avanti West Coast and West Midlands Trains members voted overwhelmingly for both industrial action involving a strike and industrial action short of a strike. There will be no action before 27th June and the 6 month ballot mandate expires Wednesday 27th December.
There have been no further talks with the rail delivery group after their last proposal was soundly rejected by ASLEF on the 17th May but we remain committed to talks.
Two ASLEF branches have recently passed motions calling for increased action immediately once the current ballot results were known. The motions reflect the strength of feeling of Avanti West Coast Drivers not only over the current pay dispute but ‘managements implementation of changes to sick pay without agreement’ which was referenced in the ASLEF letter outlining the pay dispute sent out to members alongside the ballot paper.
Scotrail ASLEF Drivers have rejected a below inflation pay offer. The pay offer will be addressed through the devolved Scottish parliament and not through Westminster.
ASLEF ‘annual conference took place in Cardiff in May, all agenda items that were adopted have been addressed by our Executive Committee the respective industrial and health & safety items will sent out to the relevant Company Councils for implementation into the machinery of negotiation.
ASLEF Journal – ASLEF Drivers based at Wolverhampton made the front cover of the June edition of the ASLEF Journal thanks to a photograph taken and submitted by Di Weaver, as well as an article penned by Di covering workers memorial day and international workers day.
GMB – Coventry Amazon membership now at 800 from 60, recognition delayed as company assigned an extra 1,000 workers to depot to dilute density. Sir Kier spoke of Labour’s version of a New Deal for Workers at GMB conference.
UCU – marking and assessment boycott ongoing. University bringing in external markers, but seem unable to cover all courses.
UNISON – local government pay ballot underway
UNITE – political fund ballot 91% in favour, though turnout disappointing
Labour Party report – Wolves South West CLP has been pushed back by NEC until after National Conference in October. Incumbent officers will remain until then. Parliamentary Candidate Selection is almost certain to not take place until after the AGM. May be required to move from an All Members Structure to a Delegate Structure.
Transphobic film shown at Clarendon pub – NK and a delegate leafleted the dozen that attended, report given. Pub manager was aggressive, apology from brewery.. Agreed to look into a joint meeting with Wolverhampton LGBT+ group in autumn on trans rights. No trade union stalls at Pride, agreed to take banner on march next year.
Secretary’s report circulated
Palestine – Boycott Puma – Day of Action Saturday 24th June Queen Sq, Wolverhampton, 10:30am – 12:30pm. Annual Fundraising – Garden Party Join us to help raise funds for Palestine Solidarity Campaign Saturday 15th July 2pm-5pm
Friends Meeting House 8b Summerfield Rd (West Park) WV1 4PR. Elbit protesters due at Wolverhampton Combined court for sentencing on conspiracy charges – rally planned – see our website
- speaker at 8pm – Rob Poole from Strike Map gave a presentation on their work. First national map of industrial action, something that TUC has failed to do. National press have embedded the map n their sites. Also Book Club, Picket support organisation, Troublemakers conference 29 July. Agreed £50 affiliation.
- any other business – Carol Hyatt reported on West Midlands car industry report