Wolverhampton, Bilston & District Trades Union Council
Delegate Meeting MINUTES Thursday 18th September 2025
Present online: (delegates in bold): Michael Vaughan UNISON Staffordshire, Nick Kelleher, John Oakley, Tom Mohan UNITE WM/6150; Marie Taylor UNITE LE/372; Penny Welch, Metka Potocnik, Catherine Lamond, Kieran Bott UCU Wolverhampton University, Ali Rahimi, Cnllr Carol Hyatt UNITE WM5115, Paulette Whyte UNISON City of Wolverhampton, Kay Cresswell-Green NEU, Jane Francis NASUWT, Cnllr Jackie Cougan
Apologies: Si Goode, Warinder Juss, John Grant, Di Weaver, Ben Cochrane
- Minutes of last Delegate Meeting (July) agreed with correction “proscribed” not “prescribed” in section 6, no Matters Arising.
- EC Report and urgent correspondence
a) Bin Workers’ demo Birmingham Sat 20 Sept leaves 9.30am from UNITE offices Birmingham to city centre; banner to be taken. FBU sponsored fund raiser Digbeth 26 sept.
b) after reports from contacts of far-right demo, police, council and community groups were alerted. Agreed to back 20 Sept 11am counter protest against far-right demo at Goldthorn hotel housing refugee families and children.
c) Still to request a meeting with the local labour party to see what their anti-Reform strategy is, before future elections. To see if there might be any joint work possible. Invite councillors and MPs to the October meeting as lead discussion.
d) Black Country & Enslavement research project:
October launch meeting – Angelina Osborne and Roger McKenzie confirmed; 8 October @ Heritage. Approx £500 costs room hire, speakers expenses, buffet and advertising
Promotion – Facebook event, Eventbrite free tickets (some response), our social media and website, Unison black members and PW has been in contact with Wolves Community radio– to do local history groups, Midlands TUC, Facebook adverts.
Flyers for meeting – agreed 1,000 double sided A5 £36; some to unions, volunteers needed to deliver around venue morning Sat 4 October
print run ordered of both pamphlets 1,000 of each (48pg and 64pg) for £1,272 with discounts; distribute to Schools/University, unions, Wolverhampton Archives, Chainmakers festival, Dudley and Walsall TUCs, Black Country history webpages, our stalls – emails have been sent out.
Fundraising – NK spoke to UNISON Wolverhampton branch committee who donated £500, Walsall TUC donated £100; plus a further £500 from UNITE WM6150; sent requests to all other original funders. Also £300 TUC Development grant has been applied for and agreed by Midlands TUC.
e) not affiliated to us for 2025: RMT, UCU University, CWU. MV has also contacted UNISON University and UNISON Acute.
f) Workers’ Memorial Day stone – Wilkinson Stonemasons quoted £3,180 inc. vat for supply and fit to NAMM/BRAMM standards with inscription black granite (cheaper than slate) plinth 30”. Agreed to seek planning permission: £250 payable to council; £150 pledged towards this by UNITE WM6150. Copy to Cnllr Jackie Cougan; Seek donations from branches, once permission granted.
g) May Day – TUC Development grant of £300 received plus a further £233.56 from UNISON City of Wolverhampton to underwrite. £100 promised but still outstanding from UNITE WM/7132 – if received we’ve covered this year’s costs.
h) Midlands-wide trades co conference Sat Oct 18th Birmingham, not confirmed from Midlands TUC as little interest.
i) Palestine: Wednesday 24th Sept West Midlands Pension Fund meeting protest 10am
j) Campaign For Trade Union Freedom re-affiliation agreed £35. Paid: Chainmakers £50 donation to Midlands TUC; £100 UNITE Bin strike; £250 May Day donation; £152.18 research expenses for A.Osborne; £6.40 pool fare for Trades Councils conference paid to TUC - delegate reports:
ASLEF – Avanti West Coast 2025 pay deal has gone down 331 to 199 following a referendum of the membership. We are back in Monday 22nd September to reopen negotiations with the company. The company have tabled a sexual harassment policy for consideration and we are yet to respond formally.
General Secretary election is in full swing as Mick Whelan’s term of office finishes in September 2026. Two candidates are seeking election to the position Simon Weller (Assistant General Secretary) District 1 and Dave Calfe (Executive Committee president) District 6. At the August branch meeting our branch nominated Dave Calfe for the position. Closing dates for branch nominations is the 24th September and following that a ballot of the membership will take place. ASLEF conference (annual association of delegates) will take place during May of next year in Birmingham.
UCU University– industrial action ballot on 1.5% pay offer due
UNISON – 5 yearly General secretary election underway. Reform council in Kent causing problems for unions and workers; attacks on facility time. Less problems in Staffordshire so far but due to their lack of experience, Political Officers are being appointed on £70k+ salaries; nepotism expected.
UNITE WM6150 made a third £7,000 donation to the Birmingham bin Strikers. General Secretary has put out a statement on the UNITE Birmingham Hotel construction with a lot of innuendo but lacking in any clear complicity. - Midlands TUC Regional Council RL & NK attended & EC report NK attended –
- TUCJCC report – had meeting with TUC Young Members Committee to look at ways of encouraging young trade unionists.
- Secretary report – circulated with ongoing and upcoming events
- Wolverhampton Palestine Solidarity Campaign – Boycott Israeli goods protest Sept 20 Sainsbury’s
- any other business – London Recruits film makers have been in contact about a possible Wolverhampton screening.
9. @8pm Future of Education in Wolverhampton with Dr Catherine Lamond Vice-Chair Wolverhampton UCU, Kay Cresswell-Green Wolverhampton NEU branch secretary, Jane Francis NASUWT Wolverhampton branch secretary + discussion.
Problems in schools highlighted:
problems recruiting staff, especially for SEND
wage discrepancies as extra pay for science and Maths
burnout 50% drop out of new teachers within first 5 years
older teachers cost more so schools often want rid of
not enough staff in nurseries
high pay for Academy CEOs is taking money from pupils
want councils to extend SEND provision not outsource it
educational support staff often outsourced on 3 year tenders – only way to make profit is to attack pension conditions and reduce roles, ending career progression
abuse directed against support staff by pupils
Academies are starting to change local terms and conditions
Crisis in Higher Education:
not enough graduate jobs
graduate jobs in some sectors e.g. childcare are low paid and student debt will remain unpaid
universities running as businesses seeking profit due to government funding cuts
drop in international students due to government policy instability
university mergers happening eg Greenwich and Kent, Coventry University at threat
many arts courses already cut and cuts ongoing with thousands of redundancies nationally
increasing trend of home living near local university, but with no longer access to many courses previously offered
Wolverhampton Poly/Uni has always had a high proportion of local students, once the 3rd highest proportion of working class students in the country
use of AI at universities make it hard to assess students and questions whether they are being taught critical thinking
This meeting brought together the council portfolio holder on Education and unions Cnllr Coogan for first time and future contact can now be made. Offer of a further round table discussion on education chaired by trades council, with UNISON also to be invited. Council officers give glowing reports to councillors of local education apparently.