November 2007

WOLVERHAMPTON, BILSTON + DISTRICT TRADES UNION COUNCIL

MINUTES OF Delegate MEETING 15th November 2007

ATTENDANCE
BROTHERS: Rahimi (UNISON) Muir (CYWU) Hardacre (ASPECT) Deacon (UNISON) Grant (UCU) Cole (NUT) Kelleher (UNISON) Marris (T & GWU/UNITE) Baynham (AMICUS/UNITE) Ash (UNISON)
SISTERS: Halfpenny (NUT) Ceresa (UNISON) Petford (AMICUS/UNITE)
Apologies:  BROTHERS –Bechler (ATL) Juss (GMB) Clarke   SISTERS – Taylor (CWYU) Walters (ATL)
 
1. WELCOME to all.  – Introductions will be made routinely in future. 
 
2. MINUTES OF MEETING October 07
 Not correct record of attendance.  Attendance.  SISTERS: Dugmore, Halfpenny, Pearson, ni Mharchadha, – BROTHERS: Cole, Grant, Kelleher, Jones, Clarke, Rahimi, Ash, Hardacre   Apologies: Sis Ceresa, Taylor Bro. Marris, Muir, Childs, Goodall, Juss,

 Matters Arising
 (4.c) Now a settlement.
 (4.a) Nat. Health Service  Demonstration – 7000.  March good, rally flat, local organising.  27 members of New Cross UNISON and Bob Deacon.

3. CORRESPONDENCE
(3.1) Regional Shop Stewards Network meeting 24/11/07, leaflet circulated, Secretary will attend.
 (3.3) Osanloo, Iranian bus union leader campaign (see leaflet).  8000 members voted   for him.  Ali will give us some more websites with further information.  Venezuela   Solidarity Campaign have also raised this with Venezuelan trade unionists.
 Sis. Halfpenny to raise at TUC executive.
 (3.4) Invite to Indian Workers Association Shaheed Bhagat Singh commemoration @    5.30pm Saturday 24th November.
 (3.7) Solidarity magazine subscription renewed – £6.
 (3.16) CSC raffle tickets circulated and sold
 (3.17) sent to Oxford Union, protest at fascists – Irvine and Griffin 26th November.
 (3.23) £20 Troops out speakers expenses.
    
 
4. REPORTS
(a) Secretary –verbal report only – UAF day school attended by Bro. Kelleher.
Love Music, Hate Racism demo disk from band in Walsall.  Gig before Christmas of major band possible.  NME magazine – CD sleeves that you can download free CDs. It runs out  in January.  Bro.Goodall could produce own disks with TUC logo on front.  Leaflets and sleeves distributed.

(b) Treasurer – Healthy balance.  Half of money from festivals to go to Morning Star as is arrangement with work teams.  Adverts/Fighting Fund split.

(c) Workplace reports:
NUT Pay Campaign – Ballot in December for discontinuous action. Ballot in January for political fund.
UNISON – Single status reported on by Bro.Deacon at the end of 3 years 1,000 people’s wages will go down out of approximately 10,000.  Job evaluation process is still incomplete, so pay could still change up or down.  The Union may ballot.  Jobs have all been scored.  They all have scores, and rank order of jobs.  Could be a pension claim for people who have been under paid.

(d) Christmas party night – 19th December.  Booked at Revolution – £250 deposit   which we should get back if enough people come. Tickets available £3

(e) Wolverhampton Together (anti-BNP campaign).  Rob Marris has    requested Bishop to convene meeting of steering group of 12.  Bro.Kelleher has sent   information to Rob Marris. Local  bye-elections discussed.

(f.) Palestine Solidarity – No report.
(g.) Cuba Solidarity – No report.
  
(h)  World Aids Day vigil – St Johns in the Square – Saturday 1st December 2007 – doors open 2.30pm – Vigil 3pm – about 1 hour.  Information from Terence Higgins Trust – 242-244 Bond House, Bond Street, Wolverhampton WV2 4AS.  Tel.No. 01902 711818.  Website www.tht.org.uk
 

5. SPEAKER
BRO.DEACON Midlands TUC LGBT Network, gave background of his Tory law changes, particularly relating to LGBT people.
December 2003 legislation – right not to be discriminated against at work following treaty of Amsterdam.  Now cannot discriminate on grounds of goods and services.  Same sex partners have more rights for immigration.  Civil partnerships have helped.  Green paper on equality which is “timid”.  “Tidying up legislation”.  Transsexual people do not have this protection from discrimination.  Keep an eye on debate.
TUC Sexual Orientation and Religious Belief Cases – can have legal rights but hard to exercise rights.  Level of knowledge and confidence needs to be built up amongst reps and shop stewards.
Repeat of clause 28 and equalisation of age of consent.  Adoption of children.

Showing of DVD – Columbia Trade Unionists in the firing line – very moving.
Regime supported by USA.  Bro.Cole spoke passionately about it.
 
 
6. AOB None.