March 2025 delegate minutes

2025 minutes 0

Wolverhampton, Bilston & District Trades Union Council

Wolverhampton, Bilston & District Trades Union Council Minutes of Re-arranged Delegate Meeting Thursday 27th March 2025

  1. Present online: (delegates in bold): Michael Vaughan UNISON Staffordshire, Sharon Dixon, Paulette Whyte UNISON City of Wolverhampton; Nick Kelleher, John Oakley, Tom Mahon, John Clark, Rob Marris UNITE WM/6150; Marie Taylor UNITE LE/372;Ali Rahimi Unite Community WM/5115; Graham Childs W’ton CWU, Dane Cross UNITE WM/7132, Clare Dhillon PCS, Sally Green W’ton West TULO, Shahin Akhtar UNITE Apologies: Si Goode, Penny Welch, Andy Taylor, Warinder Juss, Kay Cresswell-Green
  2. Minutes of the last Delegate Meeting (February) agreed. Matters Arising – Bus consultation response sent after checking with the Unite Bus branch delegate. Receipt was acknowledged. Speaker for April MV has organised Migrant Rights Network to speak.
  3. EC Report and urgent correspondence;
    1. 2025 affiliations re-affiliations still being chased up
    2. Sally Green welcomed as the new Wolverhampton West CLP Trade Union Liaison Officer
    3. March 28th anti-Reform protest/rallies Birmingham
    4. MT has 2 seats in the car on offer for Durham Miners Gala, Fri 18- Sun 20 July, no accommodation. There is a campsite.
    5. Two £300 TUC Development grants(2024) now received for May Day 2024 and pamphlet printing. CODIR affiliation £50 sent; WMDay wreath Oases bought £13.45; Secondmonth of Microsoft Teams bought £4.46
    6. Angelina Osborne – update on research, added to our webpage
  4. next Heart Unions stall – not agreed since no volunteers
  5. delegate reports:
    1. ASLEF – report sent out by email
    2. RMT – new attacks on Ticket Offices being highlighted in social media campaign
    3. UNISON – MV reported on effects of proposed council mergers in Staffordshire
    4. UNITE – TM reported a new pay deal discussion opens next week at ArcelorMittal. Substantial donation made to Birmingham refuse workers all out strike in Birmingham. Also large donation to the regional strike fund. Internal issues in Unite national with disagreements between EC and leadership. DC reported on sectoral meetings.
  6. No amendments proposed for Trades Council Conference or Midlands TUC AGM motions
  7. Delegate to Trades Council Conference 24/25 May London – Tom Mohan elected
  8. Observer to Midlands TUC Regional Council AGM Dane Cross elected
  9. TUCJCC, Midlands TUC EC and Secretary reports circulated. Lighthouse cinema to open later this year – SG suggested a possible future venue for London Recruits film. NK to pass on.
  10. Workers’ Memorial Day – Mon 28 April agreed to print 1000 xA5 and leaflet public. Marie to chair, one speaker still to arrange, UNITE invited. RM to invite Thompsons speaker
  11. Thurs 1st May – UNISON pledged funds but about £800 still needed. Agreed to print 5,000 A5 to leaflet homes in Whitmore Reans. One more act to be possibly confirmed.
  12. Wolverhampton Palestine Solidarity Campaign – Sat 5 April4pm joint meeting with Amnesty genocide in Gaza
  13. any other business this Sat 1pm Birmingham Disability activists staging rally against Labour’s proposed cuts to disability income.
  14. @8pm speaker Rob Marris led a discussion on Assisted Dying and outlined the progress of the current Bill and proposed changes. He was the first MP to propose a Bill ten years ago. Rob explained all facets of law proposed and procedure through Parliament. Discussion centred around capacity and also potential coercion.