May 2014

Wolverhampton, Bilston & District Trades Union Council

Delegate Minutes 15^th May 2014

 

1 Welcome and introductions made.

Present: Bro. Turner, Deacon & Kelleher (UNISON Gen), Childs (CWU), Goodall (visitor), Rahimi & Marris (UNITE) Sis. Watson (UNISON Gen), Halfpenny (NUT), Taylor (CYW-UNITE)

Apologies: Bro. Grant (NUT), Grant (UCU), MacMillan (CWU), Juss (GMB) Everall (UNISON Gen) Sis. Ceresa & Brealey (UNISON Gen)

 

2 Minutes of April meeting agreed; matters arising:

2.4i FBU, CYW-UNITE, POA and one PCS branch still not received this year’s affiliation.

2.4.xi NK to check with Midlands TUC re meeting about CATUC on Fri 13^thJune as Alan Weaver is leaving TUC for a job abroad.

3 (no EC held) Correspondence of note:

1. Midlands TUC £300 reserved fund grant received(Oct 2014 TUC demo) coach booked

2. Distinctly Black Country info – future speaker?

3. To pay: £25 invoice Hope Not Hate for 10,000 anti-Bnp & 1,000 anti UKIP flyers; £30 Workers’ Memorial day wreath; £25 room hire on behalf of Black country peoples Assembly; £500 still to raise for 1^st May event;£250 donation for May Day Committee

4. Venezuela Solidarity further appeal – organise speaker for next month

5. www.wolvestuc.org.uk now averaging over 800 page views per day in the last month; 15 times normal traffic; 90% seeking information on minimum wage.

6. sent: re-affiliations Venezuela Solidarity £30; Hope not Hate £50; Campaign TU Rights £35; PO Box renewal £313.01

 

4a) FBU have taken further industrial action. Dave Peters new brigade secretary spoke at Sandwell May Day could be invited as future speaker.

b) UNISON – re threat to council jobs Other councils had different strategies looking at service, knowledge, skills, expertise, networks etc. Compulsory redundancies while voluntary being refused. Lot of Wolverhampton council’s money is spent out of borough £32million on 800 looked after children – prevention is needed but will suffer under cuts. If increment freeze goes ahead it will open the door to new equal pay claims by unions. Seems unelected officers have not thought through financial implications fully

c) CYW-UNITE – youth service – whole service dismantled; buildings shut up; equipment thrown in skips or given to voluntary sector. Staff were coerced into voluntary redundancy rather than have compulsory redundancy. 31st July service will cease. there is a lack of council involvement in many areas e.g. all Heath Town council amenities now shut down – public connection with council disappearing.

d) Anti-BNP campaign and local elections Leafleting dates were distributed. No joint Labour party leafleting. Used national Hope not Hate leaflet. Bit over ¼ delivered to date; more planned.

e) Secretary’s Report – Chainmakers’ festival. We have a stall on the Saturday of the Chainmakers’. Workers’ Memorial Day went well about 60 people turned out. 1st May was well attended 300+, good atmosphere very attentive audience to speakers and silence for founder member Gurmel Singh. The accounts were circulated. Short of £470 still. Bro Kelleher & Goodall both spoke at the Indian Workers Association’s remembrance event of comrade Gurmel Singh.

f) Black Country Peoples’ Assembly National Demonstration 21st June in London and NUT is booking coaches. £200 towards cost of coach if it leaves from Wolverhampton. The last local meeting of the assembly was poorly attended. There was a discussion as to whether or not the Peoples’ Assembly is a fledgling political party. Generally delegates believe it is an umbrella organisation with a 25-point ‘plan’. The Peoples’ Assembly is filling a void.

g) Palestinian Solidarity Campaign Friday 27th Junepublicmeeting atFriends Meeting House. It is the UN year of solidarity. The Israeli, Tzipi Livni, allowed to visit UK due to diplomatic immunity, protecting her against arrest and potential prosecution for alleged breaches of international law, including war crimes.

5 AOB The low level station venue contacted us regarding rooms for hire but are a bit pricey.