Minutes of Delegate Meeting Thursday 18th May 2023, Wolverhampton, Bilston & District Trades Union Council
Present (delegates registered from affiliated branches in bold): Si Goode ASLEF, Tim Martin MU,Graham Childs CWU, Dane Cross UNITE WM7132, Di Weaver UNITE WM5203, Warinder Juss GMBx13; Penny Welch UCU Wolverhampton University; Paulette Whyte, Sharon Dixon, Adian Turner UNISON City of Wolverhampton; Michael Vaughan UNISON Staffordshire; Marie Taylor UNITE LE/372; Nick Kelleher, John Clarke, John Oakley & Rob Marris UNITE WM/6150; Ali Rahimi UNITE Community, Shaz Aktar Walsall TUC
Apologies Edda Nicolson, Bob Deacon, John Grant
1. Minutes of last Delegate Meeting (April) agreed, no matters arising
2. EC Report and urgent correspondence
2023 affiliations to WB&DTUC again no re-affiliations since last month, all unaffiliated branches have been contacted yet again. Awaiting: FBU, GMB X13, PCS (Black Country), RMT, UNISON Wolverhampton University, UNITE WM7132(Buses), and payment for UNITE WM 5115. Others: UCU College, NASUWT, TSSA, UNISON Acute(New Cross).
enslavement links project – no progress. website domain name to be decided.
Strike Map confirmed for June15 meeting
Tolpuddle Radical Film Festival – pulling of screening of The Big Lie – film about Corbyn – agreed to be listed as supportive of screening the film outside the festival in Tolpuddle village hall during festival. Delegates agreed to put on a showing in Wolverhampton.
Windrush 75th anniversary 22 June Morning Star advert wording agreed “Britain has benefited from the Windrush generation of migrants, and it will benefit from migrants seeking home here today. Refugees are welcome. Wolverhampton, Bilston & District TUC”
When Eve Span theatre group, agreed £25 donation for funding to produce a touring play on Peasants’ Revolt, promoted by NW TUC.
social media analysis: our website https://wolvestuc.org.uk/ is getting about 500 visitors a month with 1,000 pageviews; over 700 people follow our our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/wolvestuc which was viewed by 150 people and our posts have been seen 11,000 times in last month in West Mids, over 5,000 people in Wolverhampton, with 2,600 interactions, but 90% are 35yrs+. We spent £40 combined on adverts for May Day and WMDay events which were seen over 9,000 times. We don’t have Instagram or Twitter but Penny will tweet some of our info.
3. delegate reports and strike updates:
ASLEF upcoming strikes: Wednesday 31 May and Saturday 3 June, Si Goode gave comprehensive report on action over the last year, to win first pay rise since 2019, drivers have already taken £2k of strike days each, but morale is total and further ballot for continued action due, though still no talks as government holding reins of rail companies, while Transport for Wales agreed a 4-year deal and Scot Rail another deal.
CWU ballot on new deal pending
GMB 22 May Amazon rally. No merger deal with TSSA now
RMT Friday 2 June strike
UCU marking an assessment boycott continues, Branches whose members whose employers are deducting 100% of the pay of staff taking part in the marking boycott are balloting for further strikes.
UNISON – national pay ballot starts 23 May. Michael Vaughan reported that E Staffs UNISON now to negotiate with Labour councillors since they won the council from Tories.
UNITE NEC elections complete very low turnouts
Labour Party report on local elections – two more Labour councillors. Votes for Labour not much different to last election; turnout 50% down from 2001; only 16% in one ward. Mistakes led to council wide election leaflets not being fully distributed. Eileen Turnbull of Shrewsbury 24 spoke at a members meeting with our delegates invited. 45min podcast produced https://www.buzzsprout.com/2194868/12906725
Refugee support rally in Cannock outnumbered the less than 50 fascist supporters who were split between Patriotic Alternative and Homeland now; Counter protesters at Bescot, under Stand Up to Racism banner were openly representing the SWP and being as abusive as the other side.
Paulette Whyte gave report on Neville Lawrence/Paul Novak meeting
Nick Kelleher gave Midlands TUC, TUCJCC report and details of events and meetings in Sec report, see website. Workers Memorial Day and May Day were both very successful, though publicity was maximised . May Day venue discussed usual acoustic problems.
4. no other business