March 2015

Wolverhampton, Bilston & District Trades Union Council Minutes 19 March 2015

 

1. Welcome and Introductions to delegates and visitors plus apologies:

Present – Sis Taylor(UNITE-CYW), Battell (NASUWT), Halfpenny (NUT), Dixon (UNISON), Bayton (Dudley TUC), Dugmore, Jones. Bros Kelleher, Deacon, Turner Pugh (UNISON Gen), J Grant (UCU), S.Grant(NUT) Childs (CWU), Juss (GMB), Harris (NUJ speaker) Stoll (Dudley TUC), Jones, Campbell

Apologies: Bros Rahimi & Marris (UNITE), Brackenridge (FBU), Dodd (Community Craft), Thomas (Community) NB Bro Thomas in Compton Hospice All were welcomed and introduced.

 

2. Minutes of Meeting:19th February 2015 agreed with correction: A7) should read Palestinian Solidarity Campaign not Liberation.

   Matters Arising:

   2) Sis Dixon agreed to sending in a late nomination for Regional TUC Women’s Committee.

   A4) Bro Kelleher went to the inaugural Mary McArthur Lecture by TUC Gen Sec Frances O’Grady. It was full but there were only 110 places. Sis O’Grady spoke well, report on website.

   A9) new anti-ukip leaflets available from Hope not Hate @£100 for 5,000. Cnllr G Brackenridge offered 15,000 at our expense. Bro Marris does not require any.

 

3. Executive Report and Correspondence: No Executive Committee, cancelled due to Bro Kelleher work commitments. Correspondence of note:

2) Saturday 21st March Stand Up to Racism Demonstration in London, coach 7.15am Falkland Street coach park.

4. Response from Express and Star regarding today’s meeting with John Harris

   10) Workers’ Beer Company requests places for Glastonbury (11) and Latitude (13) no Leeds Festival work for next 3 years as Beer Company have lost contract = this will mean our fund raising is likely to halve.

11) Projector received £105

13. Workers’ Memorial Day ordered 1000 A4 posters – £53.48, also 100 A3 May Day and 10,000 flyers

 

4. Elections: none

 

5. Reports:

a] UNISON national insurance will be going up in 2016 for local government

b] other delegates workplace reports- NUT, NASUWT As more schools in the City become academies and therefore not under direct Local Authority control the union secretaries have to negotiate with multi agencies which is affecting terms and conditions of employment for teachers. Members are being encouraged to remove the current government in the next general election.

c] Secretary’s report- Bro Kelleher tabled his report; the march on 21st March referred to in matters arising

d] Wolverhampton Workers’ Memorial Day our 24th annual commemoration in association with the Black Country Urban Industrial Mission will take place on Tuesday 28th April 2015 at 12.30pm at the Cenotaph, St Peter’s Square Wolverhampton and is now fully organised. It is advertised on 4 free websites. http://wolvestuc.org.uk/index.php/health-a-safety5/8-workers-memorial-day/276-wmday.

Friday 1st May the main work has been done. Pegasus Whitmore Reans doors open 7.00pm. Leafleting will need to be done. Bro Barron has said there is a Norwegian Delegation of Trade Unionists who may attend and speak. Sis Taylor to investigate. Setting up the night before. If your union wants a stall book now.

2015 Women Chainmakers’ Festival will be on 12th July 2015 organised by Midlands TUC along Cradley High Street (new venue)

e] Midlands TUC AGM – No delegates who attended were present at Trades Council so no report. Bro Deacon staffed a stall but was not in meeting.

f] Wolverhampton Palestine Solidarity Campaign – Wolverhampton Fair Trade and Palestine Solidarity Campaign Zaytoun event 26 February was well attended over 50 people some new faces. Now concentration is on the General Election. Palestine Solidarity Campaign website will generate emails to candidates in constituencies. http://act.palestinecampaign.org/lobby/votepalestine So far Wolverhampton is not doing very well! South West 30 emails, South East 12 emails, North East 2 emails. There are plans to leaflet part of the South West Constituency with May Day fliers perhaps. The recent Israeli election does not hold much hope for an independent Palestine.

g] Midlands TUC Pensioners’ Network AGM – Extra report given by Bro Deacon. A comprehensive written report was tabled as was a Network Update. There is a lack of representation of retired teacher union members and retired UNITE members. Care in the Community is causing problems a national plan is needed.

 

6. Any Other Business – The Peoples’ Assembly is not really functioning in the Black Country. The best plan is to support National Events.

 

7. Speaker – Bro John Harris an iconic photographic documenter of the miners’ strike on the 30th anniversary of the end of the strike. Bro Harris was a photographer who followed the strike form beginning to end showing not only is own photographs but those of his comrades also. The pictures were from the miners view point unlike much of the media of the time. 50,000 were on strike and 6 were killed as a result of the strike. The wonderful slide show of photographs were more expressive than words and to a large extent spoke for themselves. Time was too short to do justice to this wonderful archive. The TUC at the time let the miners down. There was time for a brief discussion. John Harris’ work can be viewed on line. http://www.coldtype.net/Assets.07/Essays/0507.MinersFinal.pdf

Bro Harris was thanked for his presentation and presented with ‘History of Wolverhampton and Bilston District TUC 1865-1990’.