OCTOBER 2018

Secretary’s Report for OCTOBER 2018

Wolverhampton, Bilston & District TUC www.wolvestuc.org.uk info@wolvestuc.org.uk

Many delegates joined the thousands at the protest in Birmingham before the Tory Party conference. Ten volunteers from Wolves TUC & Peoples Assembly leafleted for this demo at Wolverhampton train station early morning a few days before.

Wolverhampton Palestine Solidarity plans the following events see www.wolvestuc.org.uk

Saturday 20th October 10am-12, Action outside HSBC Bank, Qu Sq to Protest the Arms Trade with Israel
Friday 9th November Film Night
Saturday 8th December Plant-an-Olive-Tree themed Christmas Social. Several local supporters are planning autumn visits so we hope to hear from them too.

Health Campaigns Together: RECLAIM Social Care Conference Sat 17th November: Birmingham St Luke’s Church Centre, B15 2AT 11am-4.30pm, book tickets through eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/reclaim-social-care-tickets-50492034033

Last meeting, Wolverhampton & Bilston TUC delegates viewed the video by Frances O’Grady TUC General Secretary (https://www.facebook.com/tradesunioncongress/videos/344853249595371/) on the TUC’s position currently on Brexit and after discussion came up with the following conclusions which we sent to the TUC General Secretary.

The TUC’s expressed opinion is unclear and a fudge.

The deal being discussed by the government and EU is not about workers’ rights. It is about trade deals and tariffs.
When Britain leaves the EU it would be the government which may or may not attack workers’ rights. 
The Tories are not threatening it yet. To guarantee workers’ rights trade unionists need to, as ever, be prepared to fight for our rights. 
The best guarantee of preserving and improving our rights would be with Jeremy Corbyn as Prime Minister.
If there is to be a “popular” or “people’s vote”, it is a general election not another referendum which we need.

Those calling for another referendum are divided:
some ask for a vote on an as yet unagreed deal with the EU that the Tories may negotiate and few voters would read. The alternative being no deal, leave the EU under World Trade Organisation tariffs with the EU until further negotiations take place.
others think that a referendum should be their chance to overturn the first referendum – the people’s vote to leave the EU.

Currently since the first referendum nothing has happened except that a date to leave has been decided. 
Any referendum would be a boost for UKIP; already dwindling, once we leave shall have no reason to exist.

A second referendum would have implications for respect of democratic vote. If the first vote had been stay in would there be any second chance referendum again now?
Millions of working class voters are already disillusioned and alienated from the political class and the capitalist democracy which gives them a vote every five years.

Multinationals are hiding behind Brexit to make already decided cuts/closures.

After the discussion, one delegate, who is also a Labour Councillor, expressed the view that“I have been involved in a number of Brexit discussions and had not been looking forward to the trades union council meeting, but it has the most informed and sensible debate that I have been part of.”