Wolverhampton, Bilston & District
Trades Union Council Secretary's Annual Report of Work 2010-2011 The Trades Union Council represents an important form of union organisation; local trade union branches forming the link with the communities we are part of, acting in pursuit of common goals.
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Dealing with the Recession & the Capitalist Crisis - Save Our Public Services
December 2010 – anti-ConDem cuts lobbies of council meetings and a street stall collecting letters to MPs. Labour then took control of the council again.
November - 1,500 local anti-cuts leaflets were delivered by our supporters in Bushbury and Oxley. ConDem councillors agreed an initial £13 million cuts impacting significantly on both services and jobs, including compulsory redundancies according to their councillors. Our lobby of the council was threatened by the council's new £150k pa Chief Executive with arrest for being too lively.
October - we joined service users and were helped by Labour councillors and UNISON members to collect 1,800 signatures for a petition in protest of: charges being introduced to attend their learning disability day centres, 83% rise in meal charges this year, axing of their "wages". It was presented to the council's Petitions Committee; the ConDem council had refused to accept their original petition on technicalities. Good TV, radio and press coverage and subsequently council officers have been told to review these increases. 10,000 trade unionists demonstrated on a wet Sunday in Birmingham at the Tory conference. September - UNISON, UNITE, NUT, NASUWT and ATL members leafleted shoppers and collected signatures in Bilston, Wednesfield and Wolverhampton centres as part of a European Trade Union Day of Action. August - launch of Keep the Post Public @ Tettenhall Post Office, organised by Wolverhampton Communication Workers Union . We also ran a stall at Phoenix Park Festival. May - Wolverhampton Public Services Union Alliance, a sub-committee was formed to organise resistance. It has met regularly throughout year and organised events, but needs to widen its organisation. January 2010 - Tories & Liberals closed Underhill Older Peoples home despite the offer of free cash from an appalled benefactor to keep it open. The council shamed our city by evicting a 106 year old resident in the worst snow we'd had all winter. Transport to Day Centres was cancelled and no dustbins were emptied that day due to heavy snow yet our council evicted Wolverhampton's oldest citizen. The council's "reasons" for closure were untrue. It is with regret to note that Ms Watts has since passed away.
To sum up 2010: capitalism is deep in crisis and is fighting for its very survival If, you are heartily sick of the pub bore who, never tires of proclaiming that "communism is wonderful in theory - the only problem is that it doesn't work," you must be taking a certain grim satisfaction in throwing the same words back in his face, with the simple substitution of "capitalism" for "communism." Capitalism is on its knees and is struggling for its very life and the fact that its proponents are fighting among themselves for a share of the action, because even in crisis there's a fast buck to be had, is merely making its agonies the more prolonged. But let's not kid ourselves that the beast is on the way out and all we have to do is watch and react as it breathes its last. Beast it may be, but it's cornered and there's nothing more dangerous than a wounded animal. The old fictions of the end of class, of "we're all in it together" are falling by the wayside, not so much exposed by us as abandoned by the class enemy in the face of crisis. The pretences are gone and what remains is exploitation in all its naked glory. Because capitalism is retrenching and in doing so is stripping away its protective colouration of benevolence and democracy. A government without a mandate, representing only the wealthy and the powerful, is intent on redrawing the boundaries in favour of its own class. The structures of civil society are being demolished wholesale, with hundreds of thousands of public-sector jobs hanging in the balance. As they are removed, with them vanish all the services that made life bearable for the old, the infirm, the underprivileged and the weak. Where services survive, they are being left to the tender mercies of the private sector, which has never been averse to making money out of others' misfortunes, and to a charity sector utterly unsuited to supplying such services. The banks and the bankers have been bailed out, but it's been done with the money earmarked for all those services. The rich stay rich and the poor get poorer. To those of you who feel that this is a bleak and overstated view, one can only say - look at the evidence. There can no longer be an argument made that capitalism is in any way benevolent. The shaky and divided Con-Dem coalition government is, despite its precarious alliance, efficiently stripping away all the advances made by working people over the last hundred years. But it will not do so without fierce resistance and that resistance is building now. The students and their tutors are locked in combat with the government over education cuts and fees rises. The trade union movement is building steadily for a year which will see the fiercest battles against the bankers' Westminster allies and small local actions are happening in their hundreds all up and down Britain already. In 2011, much of this action will reach a crescendo. It is the task of all socialists to be part of those actions, to resist every attack on public services and every grab by private profiteers. And while we are resisting capitalism, the opportunities will arise to educate, to teach people that another way is possible, that socialism can work and work for all, not just for the few. We must not miss them. Capitalism stands exposed and snarling and while it is at its most vicious it is also at its most vulnerable. Bill Benfield, Morning Star
Current plans are for a 28% council cut over the next 4 years; resulting in what might be 2,500 job losses. The move towards a commissioning council, providing none but statutory services, will destroy decades of work by public servants and leave local vulnerable people significantly worse off. The ruling class will maintain their ability to extract surplus value from those still in work, just as usual, while we still let them!
our next anti-cuts street stalls: Saturday January 15th Bilston High Street, by entrance to market 11am-1pm
Saturday January 22nd Wednesfield High Street 11am-1pm come and join us Guidance from the TUCJCC’s Programme of Work for Trades Union Councils 2011:
From Recession to Recovery Identify the needs
of the local community in order to develop programme of activity Review use of local media to identify effective
publicity campaigns to inform union members and the local community about how they can help to defend those whose livelihoods are under threat To act as the unified voice of the union
movement in the area to influence economic development and support those, including employers, willing to work with trade unions Review relationship with local Unemployed
Workers’ Centres and improve, if necessary, joint ways of working. If no centre exists consider establishing a centre Consider developing local One Fund for All
scheme
coaches organised by
Wolverhampton & Bilston Trades Union Council, UNISON, NUT and other local unions will be picking up:
8am @ Faulkland Street Coach Station WV1 1JN by Carvers to book a seat 01902 554095 07932 797139 or info@wolvestuc.org.uk www.wolvestuc.org.uk www.facebook.com/wolvestuc www.tuc.org.uk/march
Last year, our branches have put forward 39 male and 13 female delegates to the council. 30 of those delegates have attended during the last year. Average attendance last year at our delegate meetings was 17.8; the highest for at least two decades, 30% of those at our meetings were women, a higher proportion of women delegates in attendance and active. The largest number of branches affiliated to us for several years in 2010, though a slight drop in affiliated members to 14,224: Industrial union branches: ASLEF Community (Hall Palm) CWU (W.Mids & Worcs) GMB X13 UNITE 0758M, 3210M, 5/748, 5/836 and 5/998 Education union branches: ASPECT ATL Community 17000 (previously 4333) NASUWT NUT UCU City College Public Service union branches: CWU (Wolverhampton) FBU POA PCS (Midlands CPS) UNISON General UNISON Healthcare UNISON University UNITE-CYWU A handful of local branches are not affiliated still. A new PCS branch has affiliated already for 2011. Our monthly delegate meetings involve an outside speaker and are open to all trade unionists (but voting by delegates only). In 2010 we had speakers from many campaigns address us: Shrewsbury 24 campaign attempts to re-establish TU studies in Wolverhampton Midlands TUC, Disabled TUC, Women’s TUC and TUCongress reports union delegation to Venezuela industrial disputes at Wolverhampton College, the Morning Star and Coventry youth workers workplace recycling the £191 million Saville Enquiry report by a brother of one of the Bloody Sunday victims Prison Officers’ Association General Secretaries Labour group leader Roger Lawrence history of the transportation of Wolverhampton’s tinplate workers and the centenary of the Cradley women chainmakers’ victory each month delegates give reports from their workplaces and branches to other delegates. Many local trade union branches have very small branch meetings or have difficulty involving members in activity. WB&DTUC is thus the ideal platform for increasing the capacity for involvement in public work. action achieved: by increasing our affiliation base and attendance, our activity and the effectiveness for our campaigns has increased. There is still a huge potential for increasing our affiliation base and delegates can assist by contacting unaffiliated branches with which they have dealings, and promoting this trades union council and its campaigns. action: a lot of effort is put into our website www.wolvestuc.org.uk keeping it up to date. Delegates should promote it within their own circles and provide information from their branches that might be useful for inclusion. action: branches need to attract new activists to be put forward as delegates, to fill their vacant delegate places – there were 85 vacant delegate places last year.
Fighting Fascism and the Far Right Another busy and successful year keeping Wolverhampton fascist-free. WB&DTUC urges people to register to vote and vote for Hope NOT Hate in elections - anyone BUT the Bnp. NEXT council elections will take place on Thursday 5th May 2011. In election campaigns in the last few years, every time they stand we campaign against them and they lose. In recent years16 council elections, 2 general elections and 2 euro elections that’s 20-0 to us in Wolverhampton. Every single council election we’ve campaigned, their vote has declined. Ignoring them has never been an option for us and our strategy has worked. Those that have suggested we do nothing continue to sit at home; hoping rather than doing. Again, notably in this particular campaign, the majority of volunteers are women. We began the year leafleting Wednesfield N (previously their strongest area), in record time. The fascists decided not to restand there in the local elections. They did stand in four wards: Bushbury N and Tettenhall again, getting their worst ever results there and for the first time in Bilston N and East Park. Over 40 volunteers helped us delver our own local leaflets to 16,000 homes. We also went up to Stoke a few times to help their campaign. Across the rest of the country, there was election disaster for the fascists in the council and general election, as other local anti-fascist campaigns had similar success as us; notably in Barking & Dagenham where the fascists had been poised to take control of the council but were wiped out – Labour 51 Bnp 0 seats. After 3 years of our protests, this year’s Bnp Red, White & Blue festival was cancelled. In the summer a by-election in Bilston N forced us to run another campaign resulting in the lowest number of votes for a fascist since we started campaigning; 80% of those who had voted Bnp two months before, deserted them and Labour won with a massive majority. This left the local council ruling ConDem coalition without a majority. Five months later when Labour councillors had finished their holidays and the cuts on the vulnerable had been initiated, they took over the council. As part of a national initiative organised by Kick It Out and Hope Not Hate with local assistance by Wolverhampton, Bilston & District Trades Union Council, we leafleted Wolverhampton Wanderers fans in October. We did our bit for the Barking & Dagenham anti-Bnp campaign by leafleting West Ham’s away fans. Wolves FC gave a tannoy announcement about the campaign. In November we distributed a Remembrance Day leaflet to homes in Wednesfield, Bushbury, Oxley, Bradley and Coseley.
Advice from the TUCJCC’s Programme of Work for Trades Union Councils 2011:
Fighting Fascism and the Far Right Counteracting the „moderate‟ face of fascism with
campaigns which reveal the BNP, EDL and others real agenda Put on events, involving the local community, which celebrate diversity Affiliate to Trade Union Friends of Searchlight and Hope not Hate and support these organisations events and campaigns Use the Searchlight resources to assist with the trades union council's anti-fascist campaigns Highlight the sexist attitudes of the fascist parties and develop working relationships with lesbian, gay, trans-sexual and bisexual groups working in the area to seek advice and support for union campaigns against BNP, EDL and others Education is an important element in counteracting fascist propaganda – consider how the trades union council can get involved with local education programmes
The targets of these fascist organisations are members of our trade unions. All trade unions and the TUCongress have strong policies in opposition to such groups and have commitments to tackle racism in all its forms. Yet it is often local trades union councils which organise actual action in support of those communities being targeted and challenge the arguments of racist groups that attempt to intimidate, spread fear and increase racial hatred. We have built on our previous anti-fascist work and been assisted by over a hundred local people in our campaigning this year. action: continue our current work and encourage groups with vested interests but who have failed to get involved
1st May We had a large and diverse turnout despite the weather at our 16th annual Workers’ Day event. With over 200 trade unionists, political activists, campaigners and people of Whitmore Reans celebrated Workers' Day in Wolverhampton. The night was packed full of entertainment and excellent speakers. It had an anti-fascist theme. The £2,100 cost was covered by generous union donations UNISON, UNITE, FBU & NUT. We received a TUC Development Grant of £300 for our May Day work this year.
Sunday 1st May 2011 Attila the Stockbroker and Fargo will be playing at the Pegasus, the usual venue. action: WB&D TUC is part of the W’ton May Day Committee. More help needed VOLUNTEER NOW info@wolvestuc.org.uk
Cradley Women Chainmakers' Festival Our website has proved a major source of advertising for the festival, over 10,000 hits annually on our article promoting the event. We took part in this year’s centenary of the 1910 strike, at the Black Country Living Museum as well as an event in Cradley itself. Bro. John Grant received his TUC Long Service Silver Badge of Merit for 21 years as our Treasurer at the event, presented by Tony Benn.
The English Defence League, a ragtag bag of football hooligans, Bnp members and racists have been
popping up in towns across Britain this last year trying to whip up Islamophobia and resulting in attacks on Dudley and Stoke mosques. They have even drawn some limited support from a tiny minority of right-wing anti-Muslim Sikhs, though their supporters check colour rather than religion before abusing or attacking Asian people. No Pasaran! They did not pass. We mobilised a sizeable counter demonstration, at 18 hours notice, in Wolverhampton's Queen Square prevented the English Defence League's attempt of a small march though the city to the Cenotaph in November. Local Hope not Hate and Unite Against Fascism activists, trades unionists and Labour councillors joined the call from our Trades Union Council to oppose the EDL in our city. The Express & Star’s editorial against the EDL read: “Ugly morons who shame our streets with their ignorance. The wasted seed of the bulldog breed brought its snarling ignorance to Wolverhampton - and ugly doesn't begin to describe it. Yet for all their sense of 'history', not one had the decency to wear a brown shirt. Come on boys, know your culture eh? After 20 minutes standing around, hiding their faces, a big fat pasty bloke crackled an invitation over a megaphone for 'anyone who wants to join us, step forward now'. He would have had more joy selling tickets for a Gary Glitter comeback show. It all went fairly smoothly apart from one potential security flashpoint when the police cordon missed the entire 'EDL Lanesfield Division' lurking behind their lines. Not to worry though, he caught up soon enough!” Earlier, in the summer we gave support to Dudley TUC’s peaceful counter-protest to the violence by EDL there.
Unemployment 2011 has began bleak, oppressive and cold out there and the forecasts warn that it's likely to get worse over the next few weeks - and that's without even considering the wintry weather. But ConDem Employment Minister Chris Grayling, the Michael Fish of the ConDem alliance, forecasts no clouds on the horizon and insists that the witchdoctors of Whitehall have done their little dance. All the measures that they have put in place are designed to "create a stable environment where businesses can flourish and create jobs." But the unemployment statistics, call him a shameless or selfdeluded abuser of the truth, intent on deceiving the public and driving the poor into even deeper poverty while adding to their ranks every day. He blathers on about "helping the long-term unemployed into sustained employment" while the government, which he is a senior part of, reduces jobs by 33,000 in the public sector in the last quarter of the year as the first instalment of a programme to remove at least ten times that many. Despite their assertions that they’re building an environment in which "businesses can flourish and create jobs," the number of people employed in the private sector remained unchanged. The number of 16 to 24-year-olds out of work has increased by to 20% - and he merely waffles about "increasing the support available to people through both Jobcentre Plus and our new Work Programme," when he knows from the figures that he has just read that jobs aren't available for people to take, whatever "programme" they are on?
Statistics, for this government, appear to be unpleasant realities that it has absolutely no intention of allowing to get in the way of its slash and burn policies. Over the last quarter, another 27,000 people have been driven into early retirement, making a total of 1.5 million, largely because they have little or no hope of finding full-time work. Others, desperate for work, have been forced to join the ranks of those employed part time because they could not find a full-time job. Even considering only the public-sector jobs that they intend to remove from the economy, if they hack back 300,000 of them over the next three years the effects will be a disaster. Allowing for a low average wage of, say, £15,000 a year for each of those public employees, that would remove over £4.5 billion a year from the economy of which, even if we consider that only half of that would have found its way into the marketplace, would tot up to a staggering total of over a £6 billion drop in consumer demand. And that's the basis for rebuilding an economy? Hardly, rather, it's the basis of a depression which will cripple the country for a generation. Morning Star editorial
14,000 workers are unemployed in Wolverhampton currently, a rate of 13.4%. We have the highest rate of Job Seekers Allowance claimants in the region. The sector in the West Midlands currently losing the most jobs is health and social work; 15,000 last quarter. www.morningstaronline.co.uk
The Morning Star is a lone voice for trade unionists, reporting on issues that directly involve our class and our organisations. Despite its meagre resources, our paper is unique, after 80 years, the world's only English language, socialist daily paper. Day in day out, there’s only one daily paper telling real stories of real people. It is also the only newspaper in Britain owned by its readers; we take part in their Annual General Meeting each year to elect the editorial board. Our trades union council supports the paper’s Fighting Fund by donating half the funds raised from the festivals - £11,000 donated in 12 years. Available at all newsagents on order daily & now on the shelf at many places.
Local union history a digital version of the first 125 years history of WB&DTUC has been produced which still needs proof-reading due to lack of volunteers. Contact Dave Cole to volunteer to help complete the 150 years edition before 2015. Wolverhampton’s Tinplate workers – our UNITE 3120M branch has been traced back to continued existence since 1802. Some research has been done and put on our website surrounding the transportation of five workers from Wolverhampton to Tasmania in 1819, fourteen years before the Tollpuddle Martyrs, for the same crime. Research has stalled currently, a real breakthrough would be to identify their names. action: help needed to research at Stafford court, Kew National archives and in Tasmanian transportation records if names found.
West Midlands County Association of Trades Union Councils Our trades council has not taken an active role in it this year and thus unable to be on the Midlands TUC either. A motion at our December meeting was also sent by the UNISON branch to Shropshire & Telford TUC, with a view for it to be sent to the Midlands TUC, which they can do immediately and directly. We have to send it to the County Association, wait for their meeting to happen, send a delegate there, before it can go onto the Midlands TUC for debate, potentially several months delay. Motions with any urgency become ineffectual. This layer of bureaucracy also hampers the ability for its constituent trades union councils to participate in the national conference. We did not send a delegate this year to the Trades Union Councils’ annual conference. Next is May14/15th 2011 A Midlands TUC organised meeting of trades union councils was due before Xmas but did not happen.
TUC Education Stewards and H&S Reps courses have once again started locally. 01743 342531 to book. We continue to promote courses. Other TUC courses are available at Shrewsbury and Walsall. WB&DTUC officers are available on request to give talks on trade unionism at schools as part of the citizenship national curriculum. This has not been taken up in recent years.
Merchandise
we spent some of our funds on new t-shirts, mugs, hats, polo shirts as advertising. Sales have been steady. Online orders www.wolvestuc.org.uk
Wolverhampton, Bilston & District Trades Union Council & the Black Country Urban Industrial Mission invite you to mark:
Workers' Memorial Day Wolverhampton’s 20th annual International
THURSDAY 28th April 2011 12.30pm at the
Workers' Memorial Day Tree, next to the Cenotaph and St Peter’s church, outside Civic Centre St.Peter’s Square Wolverhampton WV1 1TS
union speakers Industrial Chaplain wreath laying ceremony & balloon release
Remember the Dead, Fight for the Living ~ all are welcome ~
www.wolvestuc.org.uk
07932 797139
info@wolvestuc.org.uk
What is Workers’ Memorial Day? Workers' Memorial Day takes place every April 28th - as an international day of remembrance and action for workers killed, disabled, injured or made unwell by their work. Around the world, each year over two million are killed at work, more than in wars. In Britain each year up to 1,500 workers die in incidents and 50,000 die from mesothelioma (asbestos cancer), other occupational cancers & lung diseases.
Asbestos – hidden killer
www.asbestossupportwm.org Most don't die of mystery ailments, or in tragic "accidents". They die because an employer decided their safety just wasn't that important a priority. The slogan for the day is:
Remember the Dead, Fight for the Living H&S is our right not a privilege, demand enforcement of H&S law so workers aren’t killed in incidents at work, or maimed, or die from illnesses due to bad working conditions. Ensure that tragedies are not repeated: highlight the preventable nature of most workplace accidents and ill health. promote campaigns and union organisation in the fight for improvements in workplace safety;hold a meeting hold a safety rep inspection at your work encourage members to write to their MP and ministers against cuts in the health and safety budgets of local authorities or the budget of the HSE health and safety enforcement, research, or in the provision of advice and guidance will have very real effects in the long run.
It is a FACT that you are less likely to get injured or killed in a workplace covered by one of Britain’s 200,000 trade union H&S reps. — the majority of deaths (over 70%) are caused by employers’ failure to manage health and safety Purple Workers' Memorial Day ribbons were given out to 75 people attending the 28th April event in 2010. Union speakers; PCS, WB&DTUC, CWU & UNISON amongst those laying wreaths and a balloon release to commemorate those who had died in the West Midlands through accidents at work. The day has official Government recognition.
action taken: we increased our distribution of publicity, using sponsorship from UNITE 0758M. We also produced mugs advertising the annual event, though sales are poor. action: more input from unions needed to emphasise the campaigning side of the day and separate from the religious side of the event.
Remember the Dead, Fight for the Living Those killed simply for going to work to earn a living are not publicly remembered any other day. Supported by the TUC and now recognised by the government, it has been marked for the last twenty years by Wolverhampton, Bilston & District Trades Union Council. Local memorial events on Thursday 28th April 12 noon Dudley TUC: Coronation Gardens, Priory Road, Dudley, Coventry TUC: Millennium Place, Museum of Transport Walsall TUC: o/s St.Matthews church, market WS1 3DG 12.30pm Birmingham TUC: St Philips Churchyard, Colmore Row and also Solihull: Brueton Gardens, by Barley Mow Wolverhampton TUC: St Peter’s Sq WV1 1TS
Guidance from the TUCJCC’s Programme of Work for Trades Union Councils 2011:
Building the Trade Union Council Movement Support national union campaigns and build support in local communities for the
repeal of anti-union legislation; Build understanding in the community of the work of unions Develop and support local and regional campaigns to defend public services Promote public services by highlighting the broad range of benefits, both social and economic, that public services bring to the local community Establish a programme of engagement with community groups Use collaborative work with community groups as organising opportunities Develop broad range of communication e.g. blogs, www.wolvestuc.org.uk, YouTube, www.facebook.com/wolvestuc to deliver the union message in the commu-
Justice for the Shrewsbury 24 Pickets
www.shrewsburypicketscampaign.org.uk The campaign is calling for a Public Inquiry to expose the role of successive governments and secret services in the events surrounding 24 building workers arrested on conspiracy charges after picketing sites in Telford in 1972. Ricky Tomlinson and Des Warren were jailed and Des died as a result. There will be an annual march in Shrewsbury on the first Saturday of July, as part of the national campaign, as happened at GCHQ, until victory. Bring friends and family and march with others to show your support
the 3rd annual march and rally will be on: Saturday July 2nd 2011 from 10-30am assemble at Abbey Forgate car park in Shrewsbury SY2 6ND
Campaign Against Anti-Trade Union laws - a Parliamentary outrage: Employers have been overturning democratic strike ballots for years in the courts on minor technicalities, using loopholes in the anti-trade union laws. Such technicalities are always ignored in any elections that decide the MPs that rule us. Our democratic process is literally a lottery and our movement hit the jackpot with John McDonnell’s Private Members’ Bill being drawn out of the hat first, thus assuring a debate and a chance of progression to future legislation. Despite months of vigorous campaigning, the Lawful Industrial Action (Minor Errors) Bill fell in the Commons in October, following dirty parliamentary tactics employed by the Tories and a lack of support from Labour MPs. This rare opportunity has been wasted. This will mean the union movement will continue to pay thousands to barristers and the democratic mandates of majorities of workers will continue to be overturned and their right to take lawful industrial action denied. The method of talking-out a Bill so there is no time for a genuine debate was slammed by John Hendy QC, and described as a
"shame and disgrace" by John McDonnell MP who introduced it to the Commons. The process which denied the democratic debate of the Bill ensured the voice of workers was once again silenced by the House. The real crime on the day was not the filibustering techniques of the predictable Tory actors, but the failure of the Labour Party leadership to support this mild, modest and moderate Bill. Of course they had 13 years recent practice of not opposing the anti-union laws whilst in power. Through the United Campaign (to which we and almost all the trade union movement are affiliated), over 3,000 supporters lobbied their MPs asking them to attend the House of Commons to support the Bill. We wrote to all Wolverhampton MPs, got no reply and none even bothered to go to work that day. 100 MPs were required to vote for the Bill in the Commons to enable it to get through its Second Reading Stage. Although MPs often go to their constituencies on Fridays, it is an utter scandal that only 87 MPs felt the right to a democratic vote was important enough for them to stay behind in Westminster. Even two Tory MPs were there in support of the Bill, further shaming Labour.
JOIN A UNION TODAY
www.worksmart.org.uk/unionfinder 0870 600 4882 from the TUCJCC’s Programme of Work for Trades Union Councils 2011:
Union Recruitment – the listing of WB&DTUC’s phone number in Yellow Pages, on publicity and the website generates enquiries for joining trade unions. Information of relevant unions is provided by us and potential trade unionists are redirected to unions.
Developing Green Trade Union Councils Have regular report backs on affiliated unions’ work on greening the workplace Consider how the trades union council can promote union green workplaces reps (UGRs) in
their area. Use TUC or produce own locally relevant material. Build links with local environment campaign groups for two way exchange of information and
support. Contact local Friends of the Earth groups. Discuss the possibilities of developing material, or staging or participating in events, aimed at
young people. Information sheets, publicity and ideas on connecting with young people may exist elsewhere which the trades union council can adapt. Consider ways to support local environment improvement initiatives.
Wolverhampton Cuba Solidarity and Wolverhampton Palestine Solidarity hold regular meetings, campaigning activities & socials. Details on WB&DTUC website
to the outgoing Officers: President: Dave Cole (NUT) Vice-President: Marie Taylor (CYWU-UNITE) Secretary: Nick Kelleher (UNISON) Treasurer: John Grant (UCU) Minutes Sec. Marion Halfpenny (NUT) & EC members Vera Kelsey (CWU), Brian Clarke (POA), John Thomas (Community) Thanks of our trades council for the work that our delegate Rob Marris has done as Wolverhampton SW MP on behalf of trade unions and working people. The hardest working backbench MP will be something the voters of SW W’ton will not have the luxury of for awhile now. Ken Purchase, who had an excellent voting record and was listed as one of the Morning Star’s Left MPs, retired at the general election as Wolverhampton NE MP.
Fundraising
Affiliation is 10pence per member of each affiliated branch, which gives us annual income of £1,420. We again run the annual union Xmas party night and raised funds, though ticket sales relied on individuals as only two of our 23 affiliates even tried to sell tickets this year. UNISON members were main participants. We booked a night club, DJs and a live act and the night went well with again over 100 attending with a good mixture of people. Lower numbers meant much less funds made. action: to continue our high level of activity, we need new ways to fundraise. FREE music festival ENTRY for trade unionists Affiliation fees were supplemented by £1,400 raised by organising teams of volunteer bar workers at Glastonbury and Leeds music festivals this year. Wolverhampton TUC gets £6.90/hour for each worker from the Workers' Beer Company (set up by Wandsworth & Battersea TUC) by sending local teams to work on the bars at music festivals. We always need new volunteers; for the first time last year, none of our volunteers were delegates. About £22,000 has been raised in the last twelve years by voluntary work for our TUC - mainly by non-delegate trade unionists. Funds are split between WB&DTUC and the Morning Star. What do you get? free entry to a festival (worth £100+) free meal & 2 pints each day free festival T-shirt flush toilets, subsidised bar secure camping, hot showers
What’s expected of you? no experience needed hard work, reliability and a sense of humour serving pints 6 hours/day (with breaks) you'll need a tent transport is sorted out between us
Contact WB&D TUC for festival volunteer leaflets to distribute to your branch
2011 bar work volunteers needed for: Glastonbury (June) & Leeds (August) for other festivals - see www.wolvestuc.org.uk If you offer to work, you must be available
3rd Thursday each month Trades Union Council meetings 7.15pm Civic Centre
Year
Month
Start Day
January '11 M Tu W Th F Sa 1 3 4 5 6 7 8 10 11 12 13 14 15 17 18 19 20 21 22 24 25 26 27 28 29 31
February '11 Su 2 9 16 23 30
M Tu 1 7 8 14 15 21 22 28
Th 3 10 17 24
F 4 11 18 25
Sa 5 12 19 26
Su 6 13 20 27
M Tu 1 7 8 14 15 21 22 28 29
May '11 Sa 2 9 16 23 30
Su 3 10 17 24
M Tu W Th F Sa Su Workers Day 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 Disability TUC 25-26 May
M Tu W 1 6 7 8 13 14 15 20 21 22 27 28 29
5 May elections TUC conf 14-15 May
July '11
August '11 Sa 2 9 16 23 30
Th 3 10 17 24 31
F 4 11 18 25
Sa 5 12 19 26
Su 6 13 20 27
June '11
Black Workers TUC 8-10 April 28 April Workers Memorial Day
M Tu W Th F 1 4 5 6 7 8 11 12 13 14 15 18 19 20 21 22 25 26 27 28 29
W 2 9 16 23 30
Womens TUC 9-11 March TUC anti-cuts demo 26 March
April '11 M Tu W Th F 1 4 5 6 7 8 11 12 13 14 15 18 19 20 21 22 25 26 27 28 29
W 2 9 16 23
March '11
Su 3 10 17 24 31
M 1 8 15 22 29
Tu 2 9 16 23 30
W 3 10 17 24 31
Th 4 11 18 25
F 5 12 19 26
Th 2 9 16 23 30
F 3 10 17 24
Sa 4 11 18 25
Su 5 12 19 26
LGBT TUC 30 June-1 July
September '11 Sa 6 13 20 27
Su 7 14 21 28
M Tu W Th 1 5 6 7 8 12 13 14 15 19 20 21 22 26 27 28 29
F 2 9 16 23 30
Sa 3 10 17 24
Su 4 11 18 25
2 July Shrewsbury24 demo
No August meeting
TU Congress 12-15 September
October '11
November '11
December '11
M Tu W Th F Sa 1 3 4 5 6 7 8 10 11 12 13 14 15 17 18 19 20 21 22 24 25 26 27 28 29 31
Su 2 9 16 23 30
M Tu 1 7 8 14 15 21 22 28 29
W 2 9 16 23 30
Th 3 10 17 24
F 4 11 18 25
Sa 5 12 19 26
Su 6 13 20 27
M Tu W Th 1 5 6 7 8 12 13 14 15 19 20 21 22 26 27 28 29 [42]
F 2 9 16 23 30
Sa 3 10 17 24 31
Su 4 11 18 25