September 2022

2022 minutes 0

Wolverhampton, Bilston & District Trades Union Council Delegate Minutes

Thursday 15th September 2022

  1. Welcome & introductions to delegates, visitors. Present(delegates listed in bold): Si Goode ASLEF, Graham Childs CWU; Warinder Juss GMBx13; Alan Peers RMT, Clare Simm PCS, Penny Welch, Catherine Lamond UCU Wolverhampton University, Bob Deacon, Paulette Whyte, Adrian Turner UNISON City of Wolverhampton; Michael Vaughan UNISON Staffs; Marie Taylor UNITE LE/372; Di Weaver UNITE WM/5203; Zahid Ali, Carol Hyatt & Ali Rahimi UNITE Community; Nick Kelleher, John Oakley, Rob Marris UNITE WM/6150; Mish Rahmen UNITE Walsall, Stuart Richardson NEU Birmingham delegate apologies: Tim Martin MU, Steve Smith RMT, John Grant UCU College.
  2. Minutes of last Delegate Meeting (July) agreed; Matters Arising – report of victory of the 73 UNITE Coventry council HGV drivers after six – months all out strike
  3. EC Report and urgent correspondence
  1. John Grant to retire as Treasurer at AGM – seeking new appointment
  2. mass rally for all the CWU strikers Thurs 8 Sept then CWU, ASLEF and RMT strikes were all postponed
  3. Protest the Tory Conference in Birmingham 2022 Sunday 2 October, 1pm, Victoria Square, Birmingham
  4. Links to Enslavement – shorter versions received from Penny Welch & Grace Millar of UCU. Need to decide how to deal with issues around Black Country flag
  5. TUC We Demand Better/Enough is Enough/Cost of Living campaign suggest Sat 8 October as Wolverhampton rally with local striking unions to be invited to speak; or if a strike day declared around same date then link to that. NK, DW, MT & CH

4. delegate reports:

  • FBU – strikes likely due to no realistic pay offer
  • GMB – report given on conference
  • MU – Birmingham council ignored results of own consultation on buskers, also banning amplified speeches
  • PCS – office closure threat still, pay ballot from 26 Sept
  • UNISON – pay consultative ballot ends tomorrow
  • LP report circulated, all meetings banned currently
  • Secretary report – circulated
  • Wolverhampton Palestine solidarity campaign ‘Israel’s apartheid against Palestinians 7pm Friday 23rd September friends meeting house wv1 4pr. Day 17 of Peace camp at Shenstone WS14 0D UAV engines who supply drone engines for Israeli arms manufacturer Elbit. Palestine Action have closed 2 of 10 sites through direct actions. All PA at Shenstone were arrested this week, but camp continues. All court cases for arrests so far won too. Delegation from WB&DTUC to visit on 19 Sept bank holiday
  1. Stuart Richardson spoke on the NUJ-backed Free Julian Assange of Wikileaks, 8 Oct demo in London and coach from Wolverhampton 8am Falkland St . Vote 9:3 to make £50 donation; seats £10 waged and £5 unwaged from 0777 156 7496
  2. speakers at 8pm from local union branches in dispute:

Alan Peers RMT – cleaners to strike 23 Sept, another ballot due, vacancies. Avanti Servest contact failing

Si Goode ASLEF – Avanti West coast franchise incompetent needs to go back to public ownership

Catherine Lamond UCU University – campaign against redundancies. University already advertising redundant posts. Most working class university in England. UCU rally/demo against the job cuts at Wolverhampton University 2-4pm on Saturday 24th September we are to provide PA and stage gazebo.

reports given on CWU strikes

7. any other business none