October 2003

WOLVERHAMPTON, BILSTON & DISTICT TUC

Secretary: Nick Kelleher: P.O. Box 2917, Wolverhampton WV2 2YA
01902 686613 e-mail wolves.tuc@unisonfree.net website: www.wolvestuc.org.uk

Minutes of Delegate Meeting
Thursday 16th October 2003

Attendance: Bros. J Grant, J Cessford, N Kelleher, R Deacon, W Juss, R Marris MP.
Sis. M Taylor(Chair), S Sagoo, H Aujla.

1. Apologies: Bros. D Joynson K Purchase MP, G Dodd

2. Minutes of September delegate meeting – Agreed a true and accurate record
Matters Arising:
2.3.3) Love Music Hate Racism festival in Stoke had been quite costly and would need substantial financial backing if it were to be attempted locally
2.3.5) Sec to contact Bro. Purchase & UNISON re Colombian TU visit

3. Executive report (9-10-03) matters arising:
3.1. Wm. Cooks 217 weeks newsletter – put on our website
3.2. N.I. Office – response re N.I. elections – expected “in the autumn”
3.3. WM CATUC affiliation 2004 £29 paid. Nominations for officers to be taken at next delegate meeting
3.4. Justice for Columbia affiliation request £50 – affiliation agreed
3.5. Abortion Rights campaign formed. Our NAC membership transfers.
3.7. European Social Forum, Paris 12-16 November – Sec had been contacted for information. Agreed invite to speak at next delegate meeting to explain ESF
3.8. Leaflet re deadline March 2004 for all new respiratory claims for miners or relatives of deceased miners- put on website, a number of solicitors can represent these cases, but NUM is first point of call
3.9. WM CATUC report on Union Rights seminar – put on website
Sent
3.11. request £44 from UNISON General – to cover STW demo loss – agreed to pay
3.12. WB&D TUC 2004 branch affiliation forms have gone out to all delegates
– please bring to the attention of your branch
Further Correspondence: W.C.Council Remembrance Sunday invite – noted, but issue raised that in some areas, holocaust-denying BNP councillors have been invited to lay wreaths alongside veterans of the war against fascism.

4. Reports:
4.1. Secretary – written report provided.

4.2. Treasurer – healthy financial report given to delegates

4.3. Palestine group:
next meeting Thursday 6th November, 7.30pm, Dudley Rd Community Centre.
next leafleting Saturday 8th November Queens Square noon-2pm, campaigning against Israel’s building of an Apartheid Wall in Palestine.

4.4. Stop the War group – George Bush state visit 18-21 November, London. Local activity is being planned. Demo in Trafalgar Square on Thurs 20th.
Students Group had been set up at the University after stalls were run at their freshers fayre.
Lighthouse cinema film showing in November being arranged. Sis Aujla reported on the 100,000 demo in London against the occupation of Iraq. £44 was lost on the train tickets, though this will be covered by TU donations. Block-train booking worked well, all 32 tickets sold. Next meeting 20-10-03.

4.5. Trades Union Congress – Bro. Deacon gave a report on last months Congress. Last year there was a pro-war vote 2:1 and remarks about “Baghdad TUC” but this year, in hindsight, it had been unanimous against! General Council was tending to make statements on areas where motions had been passed which was weakening the democracy of conference. “TU Friends of Israel” had a meeting that was well attended by leading TUists.

4.6. Searchlight anti-fascist weekend school – Bro. Kelleher had attended. Report given. WB&D TUC Anti-Racist sub-committee set-up, Sis Taylor, Aujla and Bros. Deacon, Grant & Kelleher to meet next Thursday in order to organise Holocaust Memorial Day meeting at Lighthouse, Jan 27th and plan anti-BNP campaign.

5. Resolutions – the meeting agreed a motion for consideration at our AGM:

Amendment to Rule 4:

” Contributions: Each affiliated organisation shall contribute an affiliation fee of 8 pence per member per annum payable in advance on or before the 1st January.”
Replace “8 pence” with “10 pence”

 

6. Speaker: TUCJCC – Report Back by Bro. Jim Cessford – next TUCJCC 27-10-03 will decide workshops/motions and arrangements for TUC conference, which is being held in Birmingham next May. There will be an anti-BNP rally on the Friday night of the conference, local TUCs need to help build. ALL TUC COUNCIL OFFICERS INVITED TO MEET AFTER Dec 13th WM CATUC meeting for an aggregate to discuss working together in the region. A new General Council and new TUCJCC members are due to be elected.

Robert Deacon (UNISON) on the Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation)
Regulations 2003 – no time to take the speaker, information has been posted on WB&D TUC website.