March 2024 minutes

2024 minutes 0

WBDTUC banner
WBDTUC banner

Wolverhampton, Bilston & District Trades Union Council Delegate Minutes Thursday 21st March 2024

Present (2024 delegates in bold): Paulette Whyte, Sharon Dixon, Simon Cardy UNISON City of Wolverhampton; Kieran Bott, Penny Welch UCU University; Michael Vaughan UNISON Staffordshire; Nick Kelleher, John Oakley, John Clark, Keely Hodgkiss, Thomas Mahon, Michelle Gayle UNITE WM/6150; Tim Martin Musicians Union, Marie Taylor UNITE LE/372; Ali Rahimi Unite Community WM/5115; Warinder Juss GMBx13; Di Weaver UNITE WM/5203; Graham Childs, Sajid Shaik CWU; Amarjite Singh, Joginder Bains, Mohinder Singh, Ranjit Sahota

Apologies: Si Goode, Rob Marris, Metka Potocnick, Andy Taylor, Dane Cross, Carol Hyatt

  1. Minutes of last Delegate Meeting (February) agreed & Matters Arising outcomes from last month’s workshop on trade union organisation to be written up by MV; UCU delegate status to be clarified re PW
  2. EC Report and urgent correspondence
  1. Protect the right to strike campaign – liaised with UNISON Wolverhampton, Staffordshire and Sandwell branches to send out emails re contacting councils; Midlands TUC complained afterwards citing local government unions disagreement with this tactic on basis of if issue is raised with employers they may start using laws. Been raised at Staffordshire council and at UNISON Regional Committee, where tactic was not disagreed with and delegates raised that they wanted to know in advance if employer was going to use the laws not at last minute. Strike Map responded to us that they had held discussions with TUC and unions and this was separate to union negotiations with employers. Unanimous vote to continue circulating this campaign.
  2. DW arranged speaker for our April meeting. Kerry Cassidy of ASLEF on changes to leave laws
  3. Campaign to Oppose Police Surveillance re-affiliation £50 agreed
  4. demo coach further income £20 from Walsall TUC; funds are expected from Sandwell UNISON, UNITE Region, which if forthcoming will cover our costs.
  5. 2024 ADDITIONAL affiliation received from Sandwell UNISON, payment received re UNITE WM6150 awaiting: RMT, CWU, GMB X13, NEU, UNITE WM5115 Community, UNITE WM5203 Retired, UNITE WM7132(Buses), PCS plus other mainly UNISON and UNITE branches
  6. Workers’ Memorial Day 28 April 2024 (Sunday) – our theme A New Deal for Safe Work. Confirmed: Warinder Juss, Sureena Brackenridge, Linda Woods(UNISON), Marie Taylor (chair) and John Welsby of BCUIM now confirmed. NK to make wreath.

WMDay Plaque – dates offered to council officer and mayor for meeting to be arranged, we want a memorial stone.

  1. May 1st 2024 (Wed) @ Gill’s (Pegasus) – booked
  1. speakers – Roger McKenzie accepted. IWA invited; Election 2 May local councillor to be invited.
  2. Acts – Azaad Dhol, Abba the musical poet and One Love Sound System have so far been booked. Still to decide on main band, NK to liaise with KB
  3. Food – IWA and Ali Rahimi contacted
  4. Stalls, Bouncy castle and supervisor, Leaflet design and production – NK
  5. Volunteers sought for leafleting 13/14 April, 20/21 April maybe 27th too and set-up on 30 April
  6. Funding so far- UNITE WM6150 paid £1,000 and UNITE F&GP committee paid £100
  1. Treasurer’s report – 2023 Accounts not ready – circulate draft to delegates for questions.
  2. delegate reports:
  1. ASLEF – report from Si Goode, ASLEF reps locally have secured a rest day working (overtime) agreement with Avanti West Coast that sees the bar lifted for the rest of the industry. Further strike action and action short of a strike has been announced in and around the weekend of the 5th & 6th of April for those TOCs in dispute. Ballot papers will again be sent out to those TOCs in dispute to secure the mandate for further action and as required under legislation. Invite on Good Friday for ASLEF social.
  2. MU – massive cuts to art funding by bankrupt councils, Birmingham and Nottingham particular.
  3. UCU – University has money to sponsor the Civic Hall but not enough to fund its own Arts courses it seems.
  4. UNISON – further strikes due at Mitie Dudley hospitals 25/27 March, message of solidarity to be sent to UNISON and UNITE strikers. Only 1 of 23 Mitie contracts nationally that have not received Covid NHS bonus. New pay offer discussions for local government delayed until after council elections on 2 May
  5. UNITE donation for Mitie strikers agreed by WM6150
  1. Local links to Trans-Atlantic Enslavement – follow up outcomes of report received from Rob Marris – MT agreed to look at
  2. Secretary report circulated; Midlands TUC Executive – NK attended, nobody from WMids UNITE or UNISON. Our nomination of DW for Executive will be elected along with almost all other positions unopposed. 13 motions at AGM 13 April in Derby. Next EC is 14 May.
  3. Wolverhampton Palestine Solidarity Campaign – minister Michael Gove announced new government definition of extremism. Once named groups will no longer receive government funding, though it unlikely any will have done so. Likely to be a slow ingress which result in councils and universities denying a broader and broader range of groups access including left groups and PSC maybe. £50 donation agreed for coach to 11th national ceasefire demo in London. Turnouts achieving half million still. Campaign on the WMids Pension Fund circulated
  4. any other business, none
  5. @8pm short film shown followed by speakers: Jallianwala Bagh Massacre 1919 Centenary Committee President and lifelong trade unionist Amarjite Singh and IWA General Secretary Joginder Bains. Recordings of their speeches at https://wolvestuc.org.uk/jallianwala-bagh-massacre/ Formal UK government apology still sought along with recognition of true number of deaths and inclusion of anti-colonial education in curriculum sought. Pilots ongoing under Welsh government currently. £25 affiliation agreed. NK to try and circulate nationally via TUCJCC