November 2012

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1Present: Bros. Kelleher (UNISON Gen), Childs (CWU),  Retnasangham (Prospect / UNITE), Rahimi (UNITE 0758M), Bolton (UNITE), Purchase (UNITE 5/836), J.Grant (UCU)  Mackney (UCU), Cole (NUT), Beuno (UNISON)

Sis Taylor (CYWU-UNITE), C.Grant (UNITE) , Sewel (UCU / UNITE)

Apologies: Bros. Macmillan (CWU), Marris (UNITE 5/836), S.Grant (NUT), Thomas (Community), Juss (GMB), Brackenridge FBU, Deacon & Everell (UNISON Gen), Sis Ceresa (UNISON Gen)

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2 Minutes of October 2012 delegate meeting.  Agreed a true record.  No matters arising:

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3 Executive Committee was inquorate. Correspondence list circulated; of note:

a)   Wolves PSC- success of Veolia campaign, as Wolverhampton council will run in-house after waste shredding contract ends

b)   Black Country Youth unemployment summit 30 November Dudley College,  free

c)    Bro.Purchase re Council promotion of Carillion to sponsor a Wednesfield High Academy. Meeting with GMB. Lord Adonis visiting Science Pk 7 Dec

d)   RECLAIM THE NIGHT All women are welcome to join in. will hold a short walk around the town on Saturday 24th November 6.30·7.30pm Meet on the Civic Centre Piazza.  Organised by UNISON branch women’s group.

e)   UNISON- Save Warstones Resource Centre campaign materials distributed

f)     UNISON – Visa denied by British for Peruvian TUist due to visit Wolverhampton 4 December

g)   Palestine Solidarity lobby of Parliament 28 Nov

h)   TUC re public liability insurance recommending same company our £184 quote was from

i)     special TUC Development Grant £500 (in addition to normal application, not yet made for this year) – approved

j)     2013 WB&DTUC affiliation forms Sent  to all branch secretaries. Only UNISON New Cross so far re-affiliated

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4. Reports/ discussion

a)     UNISON – Single Status – over 1,000 Appeals all being refused and going to Stage 2 as consultants ramp up costs to council

b)     CYWU – cuts proposals to Youth service again. Still £10million cuts planned by council.

c)     CAB- Legal service funding affecting Birmingham though Sandwell ok. Employment and debt advice being hit. Universal credit expected to cause problems especially since online applications only.

d)     CATUC – June seminar and September meetings were cancelled due to meet 15 Dec

e)     Midlands TUC – written report circulated poor attendance – support expressed for young speaker from Wolverhampton who had his speech at Hyde Park Oct 20^th rally re-written by TUC. G4S used to steward Oct 7^th demo in Birm against Tories. It was reported UNITE had offered 50 stewards but had been turned down as expenses were refused.  It was suggested unions could provide FTOs to steward future demos.

f)      Secretary’s  report: TUC London demo For a Future that Works – all our train tickets were taken up, but group dispersed before reaching demo.

g)     Palestine solidarity – demo outside B’ham Hippodrome this week one arrest

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Speaker on the Resistance to Austerity in Greece: Paul Mackney, (former General Secretary, NATFHE), Co-Chair of Greece Solidarity Campaign which Tony Benn helped set up.

65% youth unemployment; up to 50% pay cuts; pensions and min wage cuts of 20%, 1000,000 mall businesses bust; extreme poverty in a developed nation, suicide up.

Over 20 general strikes in last 3 years

Myth of lazy Greek worker exists yet working week is 2hours longer than rest of Europe, low holidays, lowest number of “duvet days”

Significant rise of openly nazi Golden dawn group; blaming immigrants and attacking left physically.

85% of cuts planned in Britain are still to be implemented.