October 2025 minutes Wolverhampton TUC

2025 minutes 0

Wolverhampton, Bilston & District Trades Union Council

Delegate Meeting Minutes

Thursday 16th October 2025

Present online: (delegates in bold): Peter Kibblewhite, Sanjeev Basra, Neville Ward, Craig Radford UNITE WM/7132; Nick Kelleher, John Oakley, Tom Mohan, John Clarke UNITE WM/6150; Marie Taylor UNITE LE/372; Penny Welch UCU Wolverhampton University, Ali Rahimi, UNITE WM5115, Graham Childs CWU, Jane Ceresa, Simon Cardy UNISON City of Wolverhampton, Claire Dhillon PCS TULO W’ton West LP, Cnllr Jacqui Coogan, Cnllr Sally Green
Apologies: Si Goode, Warinder Juss, Michael Vaughan, Metka Potocnik, Jefny Ashcroft

  1. Minutes of last Delegate Meeting (September) agreed & Matters Arising: following discussion of Future of Education in Wolverhampton – MT to arrange Education round-table of unions and councillor Jacqui Coogan.
  2. correspondence (no EC held)
  1. Black Country & Enslavement research project, BHM launch event was a great success with around 100 attending, mostly new to our events. Thanking to all those involved who helped especially the catering. EC to look at what the next steps are and how to distribute remaining 575 of each book left – to schools via councillors; University; Wolverhampton Archives, Chainmakers festival, unions. Fundraising – further donations received: UNITE WM/6140 £100, Dudley TUC £200 Awaiting news on £300 TUC grant. Buffett cost more than budgeted, but most costs covered now. 8 copies of our WB&DTUC History sold, £16.
  2. UCU University have affiliated to us for 2025. 2026 affiliation forms to be sent out soon to all branches.
  3. Workers’ Memorial Day stone – £250 paid to council planning Dept for (not public) consultation – due to complete by end October
  4. replacement Win 11 compliant computer purchased£185 as old Tr Co computer stopped working – agreed to reimburse
  1. delegate reports:
    • ASLEF – Si Goode: Following the pay referendum rejection result pay talks were reconvened with Avanti West Coast and a revised offer has been put to the membership via a referendum closing on Wednesday 5th November. General Secretary election concludes on Thursday 6th November. ASLEF has nominated Lucy Powell MP for the position of Labour Deputy Leader. ASLEF has been working on a new app aimed at enhancing psychological safety resilience and trauma management for frontline workers.
    • UCU – national campaigns running to defend Further education and Higher Education.
    • UNISON – stewards are consulting members on 2026 pay deal. General secretary election underway, Wolverhampton and Staffordshire branches nominated Andrea Egan
    • UNITE – WM7132 branch busy with bus franchising. NK to put branch in contact with Rob Johnson of Midlands TUC. Birmingham Bin strike demo attended by several delegates. Further event attended at LP offices in Jewellery Quarter.
  2. Secretary report – circulated with reports of recent activity; GFTU free trade union history courses also highlighted.
  3. Wolverhampton Palestine Solidarity Campaign – ceasefire announced after 2 years but Trump’s peace plan is a ceasefire and hostage swap, without further substance. The IDF hold the majority of Gaza still. 500,000 last Saturday at London demo one of the largest, largely ignored by media. Locally held Sainsbury boycott lobby and protest at pensions Committee in favour of divestment from Israeli arms manufacture. Public meeting last week on life in West Bank. Emergency motion at LP conference by UNISON/ASLEF acknowledged genocide, called for sanctions and arms embargo was passed, rest of pro-Palestine motions had been blocked. How to join PSC details to be sent to branches.
  4. Any other business – honorary life-delegate and former Wolverhampton TUC secretary Dick Scroop was recently arrested for holding a “I support Palestine Action” poster.
  5. @8pm discussion of strategies to oppose the far-right. NK laid out local situation. Cnllrs reported far-right acting with impunity and making wild unfounded allegations. Report of attempts to mobilise parents on school gates through social media. Voters on doorsteps, expressing fears of racism for first time since BNP were standing. Red paint on zebra crossing causing distraction and hazard- assured council was repairing such vandalism. Continue to oppose far-right attempts to demonstrate locally. Correspondence with Hope Not Hate re hosting leafleting in Bilston North on 18/19 October; their leaflet wasn’t very clear and not liked either by local councillors. Agreed to produce our own leaflet highlighting anti-worker element of Reform for use in Bilston North; eight other wards are of concern. Need to share intelligence on local activity.