Wolverhampton, Bilston & District Trades Union Council
Delegate Meeting MINUTES of Thursday 19th March 2026
- Introductions made by those present: (delegates in bold): Thomas Mohan, Nick Kelleher, Rob Marris UNITE WM/6150; Marie Taylor UNITE LE/372; Keiran Bott UCU Wolverhampton University; Ali Rahimi UNITE WM/5115, Graham Childs CWU; Peter Kibblewhite UNITE WM/7132; Michael Vaughan UNISON Staffordshire, Kelly Newell, Jane Ceresa, Simon Cardy City of Wolverhampton UNISON, Luke Dalton UNITE WM/7186
Apologies were received from: Kay Cresswell-Green NEU, Si Goode ASLEF, Craig Radford, Neville Ward, Sanjeev Basra UNITE WM/7132, John Clarke, Robert Lipke UNITE WM6150, Metka Potocnik UCU, Warinder Juss MP GMB-X10 - Minutes of last Delegate Meeting (February) agreed with addition of Peter Kibblewhite UNITE WM/7132 apologies; Matters Arising: EC failed to agree a motion for trades council conference re Employment Rights Act#2 .Similar motions are included in list of motions to trades councils annual conference to be sent out; take suggested amendments at April meeting
- EC report & urgent correspondence
a) 2026 affiliations to WB&DTUC: CWU, FBU, Musicians’ Union, UCU University, UNISON Sandwell, UNISON Staffordshire, UNITE WM/5115, UNITE WM/7132, UNITE WM/6150, UNITE LE/372, UNISON City of Wolverhampton have all affiliated. ASLEF* agreed also. *still to pay
b) future speakers. Branch Secretary in PCS Home Office Midlands invited; Justice for Colombia has offered a speaker; results of Colombian election March 26 won by Historic Pact, a left-wing progressive political party founded in 2025 as result of the merger of the Patriotic Union, Alternative Democratic Pole, Colombian Communist Party and Humane Colombia. Cuba’s situation also critical.
c) Black Country & Enslavement research project distribute via NEU, Chainmakers, May Day
d) £40 gift card valid until Feb 2029 (from Tr Co Pub liability insurance referral) suggested use for printer ink or stamps then donate £40 to WMD stone
e) 2024 and 2025 WB&DTUC accounts MV/AT to sign off audit; Registered delegates elected at AGM with Midlands TUC
f) update made to website improved performance 76% to 91% by manually fixing 250 of 300 broken links; domain name annually re-registered £7.79; Microsoft teams Renewal 10 April for 1 year expected to be £45 - Education unions round-table; any Code of Practice could not be enforced, but MT to look at a voluntary code and will arrange another meeting. To discuss national dispute brewing amongst education unions around recruitment boundaries agreement
- May 1st IWA,CPB,LP speakers confirmed; booked Azaad Dhol, Steve Pottinger, St Brigids, One Love Sound System TO BOOK: Bouncy castle, stalls, food (IWA/Ali) publicity, flyers; social media- MT joined Love Reans page £1k to raise. Email branch secs, who else?
- Workers’ Memorial Day Tues 28 April speakers confirmed: Deacon Linda Gilson; Rob M to unveil; Marie Taylor to chair; Thompson’s union solicitors and Tarnia Davies, local nurse; Co leader will attend but awaiting response to speaking invite; press release to be done; 1,000 A5 flyers to be printed and distribute at train station and civic centre plus unions.
Workers’ Memorial Day stone – £250 donation received from City of Wolverhampton UNISON and another four personal donations received total £230; so far £2,350 raised with £1,080 left to raise. Licence for erection of Workers memorial stone from 7th April signed and returned to council solicitors Sent email again inc. option of personal donations. - Wolverhampton Together Alliance Against far right: Wolverhampton TUC added as supporter of Together Alliance
report of 7 March counter demo and 8 March regional demo; 28 March Together London demo/Palestine demo;
Hope Not Hate 150page report on state of far-right read here https://hopenothate.org.uk/state-of-hate-2026/
PCS report on safe routes or refugees https://www.pcs.org.uk/campaigns/fighting-racism-fascism/safe-secure-routes-refugees - delegate reports:
a) ASLEF – Si Goode report: ASLEF has submitted their pay claim to Avanti West Coast and are awaiting dates to open talks. The anniversary date for our play claim is the 28th May.
Train drivers change the law as the government has put forward legislation that will reduce the minimum age for applicants to begin training as a driver on National Rail passenger and freight from 20 to 18. This has been ASLEF policy since 2019.
ASLEF has reached a settlement in the second-longest dispute in ASLEF history with Hull Trains. We have a robust agreement that gives our reps involvement in the decision-making process during the 72-hour investigation period post-incident. The dispute has been settled to our member’s satisfaction, so hopefully our member and family can move forward after a truly awful period.
ASLEF worked with Labour MPs on the Railways Bill Committee to defeat Tory plans to bring back minimum service levels across the rail network. The Railways Bill, which will create Great British Railways, will now go forward without those ridiculous amendment
b) UCU – same problems ongoing
c) UNISON – Year of Green Activity working lunch has generated interest from stewards. New General Secretary seems popular.
d) UNITE WM6150 TM reported -awaiting a management response to 6% pay rise sought by union at ArcelorMittal.
UNITE WM/7132 Buses PK reported 4th round of pay talks, no more info on franchising
NK reported that UNITE has cut its Labour Party contribution by 40%, over £½ million. Injunction fine due to Birmingham bin strike was about £400k - TUCJCC discussed motions for national conference
- Secretary report circulated. Brief report on Midlands TUC EC. Mary MacArthur lecture 17 April at Workers Institute Black country museum, need to register.
- Wolverhampton Palestine Solidarity Campaign
SC gave report from WM Pensions Fund meeting 18 March
PSC national day of demos at Israeli arms factories Wednesday 25 March. Protest assemble 11am at UAV Engines in Lynn Lane, Shenstone Staffordshire WS14 0EA. UAV Engines is a subsidiary of Elbit Systems, Israel’s largest weapons manufacturer; it produces armoured drones, missiles and bombs used by the Israeli military.
PSC lobby of MPs at Parliament included many trade unions and campaign groups on the right to protest. AGREED to send following letter to MPs:
Dear Warinder Juss /Pat McFadden/Sureena Brackenridge
I am writing on behalf of WB&DTUC regarding the government’s attacks on our right to protest.
WB&DTUC is extremely concerned about clause 140 that the government added to the Crime and Policing Bill in the House of Lords, which would give police new powers to effectively ban repeat protests based on their ‘cumulative disruption’. Over 45 civil society organisations including Liberty, Greenpeace, the Trades Union Congress, more than 100 legal experts and lawyers, and over 100 parliamentarians are all demanding the government withdraws this extreme proposal. I am also concerned that MPs have not been allowed to consider this clause or vote on it. PSC’s briefing for MPs about this is available to read here.
We ask that you take steps to uphold our fundamental rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly by opposing clause 140, including:
Making representations to the Speaker of the House and the Leader of the House, as well as the government Whips, to ask that sufficient time be allocated to discuss and to vote upon Clause 140 in the House of Commons. Clause 140 on ‘cumulative disruption’ is an entirely new and highly significant change to the Bill that was introduced for the first time in the House of Lords. MPs must have the opportunity to scrutinise, debate and vote upon this proposal.
Adding your name to Early Day Motion 2272: ‘Cumulative disruption proposals and the right to protest’. Over 100 MPs have already signed the EDM which calls on the government to withdraw its dangerous ‘cumulative disruption’ proposal.
Raising opposition to the Bill within your Parliamentary Party meeting, and press Ministers, Shadow Ministers, leadership and Spokespeople about the position they are taking.
This is an important issue to many trade unionists of your constituents, and given the Bill is soon to return to the House of Commons, we urge you to oppose the proposal. - Any other business Marie Taylor raised at our meeting for me to report to you that the new Sandwell college site at Cradley heath is opposite the Chainmakers festival Mary MacArthur gardens, She mentioned the festival to the college and they seemed like they’d be amenable to help. There are toilets, meeting rooms etc. NK to raise with Midlands TUC
- @8pm speakers: Luke Dalton UNITE Birmingham Bin worker gave an update on the 15 month long, one year all out strike. Morale is still high. Gen Sec has met with other union leaders and the Labour Party. Hoping for settlement before may council election, else a hung council in Birmingham could cause further delays. Council implementing food waste changes and using Labour Coventry Council’s Tom White company to supply higher paid strikebreakers as they cannot recruit on the wages they propose to cut Birmingham Bin workers to.
AGREED £100 donation to UNITE WM/7186 strike Hardship Fund - Ali Rahimi on the current situation in Iran – internet cut since Israel’s first attack three weeks ago. More than 100 girls were killed in school by the US on the first day. Many civilians are being killed. Although western media covers small numbers of monarchists supporting the Israeli-backed former Shah’s son, he has no support in Iran, nor do the Mullahs, except from the ruling class. Iranians want to change society themselves, not have one forced on them by the US/Israel.