Wolverhampton, Bilston & District Trades Union Council
Delegate Meeting MINUTES of Thursday 21st NOVEMBER 2024, held at UNITE office as hybrid meeting for first time
Present in person or online: (2024 delegates in bold): Paulette Whyte, Chris Cooper, Jane Ceresa, Dave Auger UNISON City of Wolverhampton; Michael Vaughan UNISON Staffordshire; Nick Kelleher, Andy Taylor, Tom Mahon, Rob Marris UNITE WM/6150; Marie Taylor UNITE LE/372; Zahid Ali, Ali Rahimi Unite Community WM/5115; Penny Welch UCU University, Sonia Wilkins UNISON Acute, Graham Childs W’ton CWU, Flavio Ocampo Fetsalud, Louise Richards UNISON, Carl Green
Apologies: Si Goode, Tim Martin, Adrian Turner, John Clark, John Oakley
1. Minutes of last Delegate Meeting (October) agreed & no Matters Arising
2. EC Report and urgent correspondence:
a) 2025 affiliations received from MU, UNISON City of Wolverhampton and UNITE WM5115. Registration forms have been sent to all branches and due to be sent again.
b) social delegate meeting for December 19th agreed for a pub tbc
c) WMDay – MT to write to Co leader offering WMDay as opportunity to present new awards re death in service for public servants. WMDay Stone/Plaque – response today from Wolverhampton Council Planning Dept with request to call. Have been attempting now to get answers since February.
d) £300 TUC Development grants applied for: a) May Day 2024. b) also for the new pamphlet about trades union councils which was distributed at TUC Congress 2024. 1000xA5 32page@£265 and to post 700 to 14 other Midlands TUCs. Front cover designed to reflect Midlands TUCs.
e) Aggressive collection of council tax by local councils – highlighted by Martin Lewis in the media and confirmed by AR that Wolverhampton council is demanding remaining payments for the year in advance after any late payment; generated anger by delegates in discussion agreed to run local campaign– MT to produce model letter.
f) film – NK contacted London Recruits film makers about possible Wolverhampton showing on a Thurs/Fri at end Jan/Feb. Trailer – https://www.londonrecruits.com/#trailer-section
g) Microsoft Teams agreed on a package like we had on zoom £60/year; may not need until February. Payments made to Angelina Osbourne, British Stammering Association affiliation. Wolverhampton TUC has been registered with TUC for 2025.
h) NK still to arrange for the new year with Adele Williams(Hope for Future) – she has asked to meet EC. ALSO meeting with Midlands TUC Skills trainers with EC about how best to work with you to engage employers locally
3. delegate reports:
a) ASLEF written report from SG was circulated
b) FBU had protested at the Israeli Embassy since a fire engine which they donated to the Palestinian fire service, despite having correct paperwork, had been held by Israel at the port.
c) UNISON – Wolverhampton City council seems to be delaying payment of nationally agreed pay rise due to be paid this month by two months and telling workers to apply for hardship payment of their own unpaid wages from April 2024.
d) UNITE – AT reported that all branch officers and shop stewards due for re-election in January for 3year term from April.
4. Bilston North by-election result discussion – anti-immigrant Reform Party won by-election with little over a third of the derisery 19% turnout; with candidate married to Hungarian immigrant ex shop steward and the agent an ex-Labour councillor Nigerian immigrant. Labour Party had won earlier in the year with a 71% vote. Disillusionment with the new government. Anti-establishment vote being directed to the right as in the US with Trump.
5. Midlands TUC Equalities conference report – Sonia Wilkins written report was circulated https://wolvestuc.org.uk/tuc-midlands-equalities-conference/
6. Midlands TUC EC report – NK gave report disgraceful union busting tactics at the expense of workers livelihoods by HelloFresh. Nuneaten food packing firm, largely Somalia/Sudanese workforce 12hr shifts in refrigerated conditions with 2 hr breaks. TU membership increased from 40 to 200 in a few months and Community raised the issue of recognition. Management then cut breaks by 1/2hr without consultation. Then after uproar requested workforce reps to be elected; four were. Those four were then suspended, had their security passes removed and found themselves to be unable to leave the site. They resorted to calling the police to be let out. 81 workers were then suspended, disciplinaries were held without right to a defence and 79 sacked. No fair defence was allowed in appeals. No reinstatements. Union (Community the former steelworkers union) applied for an Interim Relief but were refused. Now the company is threatening closure of the factory of 900 workers. Written report to be circulated.
7. Secretary report – circulated https://wolvestuc.org.uk/november-2024-secretary-report/
8. Wolverhampton Palestine Solidarity Campaign – Divestment protest 9-30am Wed 11 Dec at Civic centre
9. any other business
10. @8pm speaker: visiting Nicaraguan trade unionist Flavio Ocampo, Young members’ officer of FETSALUD (health workers) was translated by Louise Richards former International Officer of UNISON.
Fetsalud health workers union works closely with the Ministry of Health. There is a tripartite alliance between unions, government and the cities. Majority of seats in Nicaraguan Parliament are held by women. [6th most equal society in world according to UN https://data.unwomen.org/country/nicaragua ]
Nine unions are represented in the Nicaraguan TUC. All areas covered by these unions have seen improvement. Even a union for self-employed street workers. https://nscag.org.uk/uk-nicaragua-solidarity/nicaraguan-trade-unions/
Fetsalud union is 50 years old, formed before the revolution of 1979 which overthrew the fascist Somoza dictatorship, when it was very difficult to operate.
Many of their members were heroes and martyrs of the Revolution.
The National Plan after the Revolution, particularly in health, was community based. Mobile clinics in rural areas. Drug carrier buses were converted.
When the Sandinistas lost power in 1990 after the US armed the contras and pumped millions into opposition coffers . The reactionary right-wing neo-Liberal regime then privatised the health and education systems and ran them into the ground.
Once re-elected in 2006, the Sandinistas renationalised and both remain free at the point of use.
The city model of healthcare is directed to family and city. One community health worker is allocated for every 10 streets, so that they know the health of all the people in their area.
There are Maternity houses in remote areas where pregnant women can stay with their partners for several weeks before birth so they can access care.
Free vaccination programme.
Contraceptives are widespread. But abortion is not a woman’s right only when health is at risk. Catholicism still has a strong hold on society.
Free school meals in primary schools. Free education materials.
Gender equality enshrined in law. Land titles have been handed over to women.
Low cost housing projects for workers or cheap land to build their own home including where Flavio lives.
Interest free loans for small businesses. Production grants and seeds for farmers.
Infrastructure has been improved and buses subsidised to deter need for private vehicles.
All policies aimed at attacking poverty and eliminating absolute poverty.
Nicaragua shows solidarity. with Cuba and Palestine. Solidarity makes us stronger, she said.
As the Young Members’ Officer, Flavio takes part in a weekly youth radio programme and interviews TU general secretaries.